When Runaways first hit comic book stands in 2003, it felt like a revolution. Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, the series wasn't about legacy heroes, mutant angst at a prestigious school, or billionaire playboys. It was about six teenagers in Los Angeles who discover their parents are secretly a cabal of super-villains known as "The Pride." Forced to flee their own homes, they must become a family—and heroes—to survive.
At its core, Runaways is a brilliant deconstruction of the superhero genre, wrapped in a coming-of-age story about found family, trauma, and the terrifying realization that the people who raised you might be monsters. The premise is deceptively simple: Every year, the kids gather for their parents' supposedly charitable "fundraising gala." One night, bored and suspicious, they spy on the gathering. Instead of hearing about tax deductions, they witness their parents cold-bloodedly sacrifice a young girl to a trio of powerful beings known as the Gibborim.
