When I first heard the premise for Runaways, I was a little skeptical. It didn't sound to me like it would be worth reading. I was wrong. I've learned now to never doubt Brian K. Vaughn about anything. The man is the best comic writer out there right now, be it runaways, y the last man, ex machina, etc. The dialogue in Runaways was really witty and delivers a ton of laughs. In typical Vaughn fashion, Runaways is filled to the brim with pop culture references that never fail to elicit at least a chuckle. The artwork wasn't great, but it'll do for the story being told. Even after just 1 volume of Runaways, I'm hooked. Do yourself a favor and read it. You won't be sorry.

I am not a serious comic fan. I own about three dozen graphic novels, which is a lot compared to the average American, but paltry compared to serious comic fans. But I can't imagine many not loving this story about six young kids who become runaways when they realize their parents are super villains. It is set very much within the Marvel comic universe. Captain America appears briefly and there is mention of the Avengers. Also, one of the six kids is a mutant of the X-Men variety. But the story is not at all dependent on any in depth knowledge of the Marvel pantheon of heroes and in fact having such knowledge won't actually add much to the enjoyment of the story.

I want especially to recommend the book to parents of children. I deeply regret that this wasn't around when my daughter was young and we were still reading books together. There are a couple of bits that might be disturbing to very small children, but I would have felt comfortable reading this with my daughter when she was 8 or 9. The book is especially good for girls, because in an unusual alignment, four of the six kids are girls and in fact both the oldest and the youngest are female. A girl of 10 would really identify with Molly aka Bruiser (though she would prefer to be called Princess Powerful), an eleven-year-old mutant with super human strength (though upon using it she always has to take a nap afterwards). But I don't want to mislead and suggest that this is mainly or even primarily for kids. This is an "all ages" book in the best possible sense. An adult of 60 could easily enjoy this as much as a child of 16.

This is certainly a nonstandard collection of heroes. I've mentioned Molly. Karolina Dean is the oldest, the child of two famous actors who in fact are aliens from another world. Karolina aka Lucy in the Sky turns out to have remarkable powers based on her ability to channel the energy in sunlight. Alex is not gifted with any powers, but is a master of strategy and tactics and a brilliant prodigy. Chase is your the dimmest bulb of the bunch, but uses his parents' fistigons, metal gloves that spew out fire. He is given the name Talkback by the others. Nico aka Sister Grimm has taken possession of her mother's Staff of One, with which she can cast any spell, but only one time. Gertrude aka Arsenic has no powers, but is the recipient of a velociraptor who is tied to her DNA and who responds to her telepathically whom she names Old Lace. (The first volume never addresses the question of precisely what Old Lace eats to stay alive.) The wonderful twist is that one of these heroes is in fact a mole and still faithful to the Pride, the super gang formed by their parents.

I can't recommend this volume strongly enough. It is a wonderfully fresh take on the idea of the superhero. Creator Brian K. Vaughan went on to write two more volumes of their adventures and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER creator Joss Whedon is now continuing it (though I feel compelled to add that as much as I love what Joss is doing with the X-Men, the Runaways, and his continuation of BUFFY in comic book form, I would really like to see him get back to TV).

I am not a serious comic fan. I own about three dozen graphic novels, which is a lot compared to the average American, but paltry compared to serious comic fans. But I can't imagine many not loving this story about six young kids who become runaways when they realize their parents are super villains. It is set very much within the Marvel comic universe. Captain America appears briefly and there is mention of the Avengers. Also, one of the six kids is a mutant of the X-Men variety. But the story is not at all dependent on any in depth knowledge of the Marvel pantheon of heroes and in fact having such knowledge won't actually add much to the enjoyment of the story.

I want especially to recommend the book to parents of children. I deeply regret that this wasn't around when my daughter was young and we were still reading books together. There are a couple of bits that might be disturbing to very small children, but I would have felt comfortable reading this with my daughter when she was 8 or 9. The book is especially good for girls, because in an unusual alignment, four of the six kids are girls and in fact both the oldest and the youngest are female. A girl of 10 would really identify with Molly aka Bruiser (though she would prefer to be called Princess Powerful), an eleven-year-old mutant with super human strength (though upon using it she always has to take a nap afterwards). But I don't want to mislead and suggest that this is mainly or even primarily for kids. This is an "all ages" book in the best possible sense. An adult of 60 could easily enjoy this as much as a child of 16.

This is certainly a nonstandard collection of heroes. I've mentioned Molly. Karolina Dean is the oldest, the child of two famous actors who in fact are aliens from another world. Karolina aka Lucy in the Sky turns out to have remarkable powers based on her ability to channel the energy in sunlight. Alex is not gifted with any powers, but is a master of strategy and tactics and a brilliant prodigy. Chase is your the dimmest bulb of the bunch, but uses his parents' fistigons, metal gloves that spew out fire. He is given the name Talkback by the others. Nico aka Sister Grimm has taken possession of her mother's Staff of One, with which she can cast any spell, but only one time. Gertrude aka Arsenic has no powers, but is the recipient of a velociraptor who is tied to her DNA and who responds to her telepathically whom she names Old Lace. (The first volume never addresses the question of precisely what Old Lace eats to stay alive.) The wonderful twist is that one of these heroes is in fact a mole and still faithful to the Pride, the super gang formed by their parents.

I can't recommend this volume strongly enough. It is a wonderfully fresh take on the idea of the superhero. Creator Brian K. Vaughan went on to write two more volumes of their adventures and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER creator Joss Whedon is now continuing it (though I feel compelled to add that as much as I love what Joss is doing with the X-Men, the Runaways, and his continuation of BUFFY in comic book form, I would really like to see him get back to TV).

This is the best thing Brian K. Vaughan has written. And that's saying a lot. So do yourself a favor and pick this up already. It's funny, it's smart. it's refreshingly unpretentious, but most of all, it's a lot of fun.

Maybe I'm a crusty old guy even though I'm only in my mid 30's and I'm not the target audience for this book. I picked it up, because I love Y the Last Man. This book didn't do anything for me. The writing and plot (though innovative) is simple and straightforward. The artwork was good, but even that seemed to reaching for the younger crowd (Dragonball Z influence?). I just want to warn Y fans that the writing in this book isn't skewed toward adults and does seem skewed toward disaffected youth. If I could jump back to 13 (and oh man I would love to!) I might dig this book, but this book isn't for those over 20.

RUNAWAYS is a graphic novel published by Marvel Comics revolving around six teenagers with nothing in common except for the fact that their parents know each other. Once a year they are forced to spend an evening together while their parents have a secret meeting. Unable to stand the boredom during one of these nights, the kids decide to sneak in and see what really goes on behind the closed doors of these meetings. They learn that their parents are supervillains with powers that are maintained by sacrificing a human life on an annual basis. Witnessing the sacrifice shatters the kids' world and sends them running for their lives.

Nico, Gertrude, Chase, Karolina, Molly, and Alex learn their true heritage and each get a weapon or a power that they didn't know they had. Nico is the daughter of dark wizards and carries the "Staff of One," which allows her to cast spells. Gertrude is the daughter of time-traveling criminals and receives a genetically engineered deinonychus which she shares a telepathic bond with. Chase is the son of mad scientists and he uses high-tech gadgets he stole from his parents' laboratory to help them with their missions. Karolina is the daughter of alien invaders and can fly and manipulate solar energy. Molly is the daughter of evil mutants and has super strength, and Alex is the son of crime bosses and turns out to be a big surprise.

The kids run underground and hide in a place they call "The Hostel" and try to come up with ways to thwart their parents' evil plans and help the world -- while at the same time, stay alive.

Comic book fans will be glad to see some familiar superheroes make appearances throughout the book, such as Captain America and Cloak and Dagger. RUNAWAYS VOL. 1 is the collection of comic book issues #1 through #18 in hardback format. Volume 2 is already out and Volume 3 will be released in April 2007. Beginning with Issue #25, Volume 2, Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will take over writing responsibilities. The graphic novel world is very excited about this development.

Reviewed by: Karin Perry

When i first read this book, i felt like i'm watching a new TV series. Reading Runaway made me feel like watching TV or film. The feeling is so strong that i nearly forgot that i just reading a book!

Recommended for non comic reader/collector because when you read this book, you can enjoy whole lot of thing!

This is the best new comic book series since 2000. The story is spectacular about a group of teenagers who discover a secret about their parents, that they are evil. The decide that they must runaway from them. Along the way they discover that they actually possess powers(similar to those of their parents)and decide that they must bring down their parents and end their evil ways. The writing of the story is some of the best anywhere in comics using several pop culture references and having the characters be individuals and unique. For example Nico is a goth chick who can use black magic with her staff, Karolina is the staple blond from California who is actually and Alien, and Gert has a telepathic connection to a dinosaur.
Along with the great story is great art, which is very unique for these books, but extraordinary.
If you are wanting to get into comic books or an all time fan this is a must have for your collection. I feel that this book is great for everyone young or old, male or female.

I really loved the story and the characters. In the beginning, it was kind of hard to distinguish the characters, because the reader is thrown right into the action. Still, what most impressed me was the dialogue and the issues handled in the story that are very relevant: rebellion, insecurity, independence.

oooh that's right, he must have done to the bosses what he does to readers...that is he must have used his world-class poseur powers. the worst writer in any medium of all time.

Runaways, Volume 1 (Hardcover) is a collection of Runaways series one issues 1-18. If your a huge fan of Runaways this is a must have. If your a fan in general you will still enjoy this edition. I got this for $21-22 including shipping and I think it was worth every penny.
Here's a break down of what's in the book:
1) Introduction - Some word from Brian K. Vaughan.
2) The comics. (Issues 1-18)
3) A fan letter by Joss Whedon that appears in issue 18 and Brian K. Vaughan's response.
4) Runaways Expanded Proposal by Brian K. Vaughan.(I think this was interesting. To see what was originally planned. It funny to see what some of the characters name were originally and how they changed. A lot of the changed were for the best I think. Read and decide for yourself.)
5) Adrian Alphona Sketchbook. (Character concept art, character sketches and reandom doodles.
6) Promotional Art by Adrian Alphona.
7) Bios of Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona, Craig Yeung, Christina Strain, Jo Chen and Takeshi Miyazawa.
Also the book it's self without the dust cover is black with Runaways written in red. Very cool looking. So go and get your own copy today and enjoy. =^__.__^=

When reviewing something, I believe it is important to review both the manufacturing quality of the product and the artistic merit (I use this term very loosely because, of course, it is unfair to compare all products to Renaissance masterpieces).

Runaways is manufactured quite well; the product is sturdy, the cover has a nice, glossy finish, and the pages are all of very high quality.

Artistically, the comic is very nice. I enjoyed the volume much, and will be buying more of this series. Other review probably review the material much better than myself, so I will merely say that the comic is accessible to all age groups. It will not be a waste of time by any means if you buy and read this comic.

Entertaining read but at the end you feel like you're not really "full", as if something's missing... Then again this is the first collection of comic books in this line so it might get better with time... I guess I compare any graphic novel I read to the all time greats in that genre (Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, Sandman, Preacher, Kingdom Come, et cetera ) - in comparison this book is pretty good but not on the level of the other titles I just mentioned.

After buying this after a recomendation from a friend, I have to say that this is fantastic. It's refreshing to read about a unique group of heros from a child's perspective. I'm 21, and I'd have to say that this collection has a lot of crossover potential with adults and kids, comic readers and non-comic readers alike.


It was good to see the group deal with normal teenage issues, while trying to save the world without diving into too much angst. The artwork and colouring is crisp and clear, bringing the story to life. A must read!

Each year, the wealthy parents of six California teens meet, ostensibly to discuss their charitable works. Bored and impatient with one another's company, the teens finally decide to eavesdrop on their parents, only to witness as their parents, dressed in outlandish costumes, murder a young runaway. This being the Marvel universe, the verdict is clear: their parents are all, in fact, supervillains, members of a mysterious organization known as the Pride. Determined to see their own brand of justice carried out to counteract their parents' deeds, the teens escape from home and use their own, newly-discovered powers to make their way as rogue heroes. But beyond the difficulty of mastering their new identities, they face the certainty that their own parents will stop at nothing to get them back - or kill them.

I had picked up the first individual volume of Runaways at a local library, and, surprised at how much I enjoyed it (I hadn't ventured into American comics for years), decided to buy this hardcover collection. I was again pleasantly surprised at how the quality of this hardcover collection compared to the cheaper digests - heavy, glossy paper, fine printing, and plenty of fun extras stuffed in the back of the book, including the initial comic proposal and character designs and profiles.

Although I found some aspects of the comic slightly disappointing (particularly the revelation of the Pride's bizarre origins, which is attributed to Biblical six-toed giants - no, really), I still greatly enjoyed the series overall. Jo Chen's interior cover art is rich and painterly, and the comic art itself is fluid, vivid, and bold, if somewhat inconsistent and unimaginatively paneled. I found the writing particularly impressive; for a hefty concentration of normally clichéd topics, Vaughan creates extremely lovable characters and often clever dialogue. Although some of the too-recent references may not date well (for example, snide potshots at Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor), they definitely make it fun to read.

Probably the comic's greatest strength is its characters. Though to all appearances they fall neatly within teen stereotypes - butt-kicking, solar-powered blonde Karolina, sarcastic outcast Gertrude, Goth spellcaster Nico - they're intelligent, self-aware (even of their own stereotypical traits), funny, and, ultimately, mature. Like them, Runaways is eager to please and loads of good fun in the end.

I can't say enough about how good this really is, if you're the kind of person who used to read comics but stopped or if you've never read anything by Marvel this is well worthy of your attention. Brian K. Vaughn's writing is truly amazing gathering together a whole variety of characters and fleshing them all out into fully formed people and weaving a highly original story full of pop culture references. Definately one of the most worthy purchases this year.

Words cannot express how much I love this book. When I first heard of "Runaways," I knew very little about it, but after reading a few pages I was hooked. The story of this book follows a group of teenagers after they discover that their parents are actually a part of a super-villain group known as "The Pride." Shocked at this discovery, they runaway from hope to figure out what to do next.

Each character in the book has their own distinct personality. At first glance each may seem simply like the stereotype they resemble, but each teen is much more than that. Brian Vaughan takes the time to flesh out each character, and he does so successfully. Nico, the "goth chick" isn't all just "doom and gloom." Alex shouldn'be called off as the "token black" guy.

I could go on with each runaway, but that would take ages. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. One does not have to be a marvel fan or a comic book fan to see the beauty of this book. I tutor elementary school children on occasion, and reading "Runaways" has actually opened their minds to other types of books.

So, quit reading my review, and go buy this wonderful gem!

This is excellent! I absolutely love it! I just got it a few days ago and I'm already reading it for the fourth time! It never gets boring!

This book has a neat hook, with neat characters, and a crazy twist at the end. With all that's happened so far, where can they go from here? Guess we have to wait until they create Vol. 2! Recommended for Whedon fans as well. Many pop culture references and epigrams ensue!

I bought the hardcover edition for my husband and after lots of urging on his part, I agreed to check it out for myself. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Adrian Alphona's art is gorgeous and Brian K. Vaughan has created five unique characters you will fall madly in love with.
The premise is simple: every kid thinks their parents are evil incarnate, right? Well, five average teens discover quite by accident that their parents are actually an evil posse of super villains known as "The Pride." Ashamed of their parent's wicked ways, the kids band together to put a stop to their parent's crime syndicate and along the way, they discover that they might not be as average / ordinary as they once believed.
If you love a well-crafted story, beautiful art and truly unique characters-- do yourself a favor and spring for the hardcover edition.

This book has the scariest twist of all the mainstream comics I have seen lately, and it will hit you like a hammer. Of course, it is difficult to maintain that kind of suspense til the end of this hardcover book (which is all 18 issues of first volume of Runaways), but it will appeal to teenagers who like suspense/horror/esotheric stuff.

This hefty graphic novel collects all 18 issues of the "Runaways" comicbook series, which follows the adventures of a ragtag group of super-kids who discover that their parents are actually a secret cabal of supervillains, whose goal is the destruction of the human race. The kids run away from the lives they knew and try to figure out how to stop their parents' evil plans... The book, written by Brian K. Vaughan (one of Marvel's current "hot" artists), is not as mindblowing as many fans would have you believe -- there are numerous graphic novels that have more depth -- but it is a good, fun read. Vaughan does a good job capturing teenage grumpiness and alienation and the frequent pop culture references are a nice change of pace from the usual Marvel (and DC) tendency to keep their universes separate from the "real world" and avoid naming real names, etc.

This was a fun book to plow through... I wanted to make it last, but I couldn't slow down... It's a real page-turner!

This hefty graphic novel collects all 18 issues of the "Runaways" comicbook series, which follows the adventures of a ragtag group of super-kids who discover that their parents are actually a secret cabal of supervillains, whose goal is the destruction of the human race. The kids run away from the lives they knew and try to figure out how to stop their parents' evil plans... The book, written by Brian K. Vaughan (one of Marvel's current "hot" artists), is not as mindblowing as many fans would have you believe -- there are numerous graphic novels that have more depth -- but it is a good, fun read. Vaughan does a good job capturing teenage grumpiness and alienation and the frequent pop culture references are a nice change of pace from the usual Marvel (and DC) tendency to keep their universes separate from the "real world" and avoid naming real names, etc.

This was a fun book to plow through; when the pages I had left started to dwindle down, I knew I'd be bummed when it was over... But I couldn't slow down... It's a real page-turner!

Runaways is brillaint, simply smashing. For those of you who grew up remembering a love for comics but not remembering why? this one's for you. plot twists and secrets are abundant in a wondefully drawn fats paced book about what happens when-well, that would be giving something away. just seriously, get this and enjoy it.

this is a great series and the entire collection of the 1st run comes in this volume. Don't just take my word for it....after this title was canceled fans lobbied to have it continued and it worked.

Simply put Runways is awesome! It's fast and exciting and fresh and just plain fun. It's like reading Harry Potter or seeing a great episode of Buffy for the first time. It's like Veronica Mars only drawn! Trust me, you had no idea that this level of writing, this level of characterization was right around the corner. Neither did I until I stumbled across it.

Look, Joss Whedon loves it, what more do you want?

It's got wonderful characters, great humor, exciting action, fun little tidbits from all corners of the Marvel Universe, and a dinosaur. What more do you want?

It's Brian K Vaughan, one of the best up and coming writers in the comic industry. What more do you want?

Trust me. Read Runaways. It's like Family Guy. Cancelled so many times, it must be good!

A few months ago, I was walking around in a comic book store with a friend of mine. While I am a newbie in the world of comics, he knows his stuff, and he pointed out Runaways to me. I had never heard of it before, but he assured me that it was amazing. The premise is simple: 6 kids in Los Angeles find out that their parents are supervillains, and they run away from home and try to find ways to defeat them. I was intrigued by the idea, but I never picked it up until just now. The book was everything he said and more.
Alex Wilder, Gertrude Yorkes, Chase Stein, Karolina Dean, Nico Minoru, and Molly Hayes are six kids, ranging from 12 to about 17, living in LA. They exist within the established Marvel universe, meaning that heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine, as well as supervillains like Dr. Octopus and Dr. Doom live in their world as well. That doesn't mean that they don't also live in "our world" as well. There are many references to popular culture, which I will touch on later. Since most Marvel stories are based in New York City, the six kids have never experienced larger than life situations that super heroes find themselves in. The closest Alex ever got was when he played online games with his friends.
Every year, the six families got together so that the parents could get stuff done for the charitable organization that they work for. At least that's what they tell their children. Meanwhile, the six kids, who aren't big fans of each other, are forced to hang out together and find ways to pass the time. Gert is a cynical girl who can't stand capitalist culture (if you've ever read/seen Ghost World, she's very much like Enid) while Chase is a lacrosse player without an overabundance of brains. Nico is a goth while Molly is a young firecracker. Karolina is an outgoing daughter of two movie stars while Alex is a calm and collected, somewhat shy boy (of all the characters, Alex is most like me).
One year, the kids decide that they are fed up with waiting for their parents to finish their business, so they decide to spy on the group, only to witness their parents murder a young woman. Terrified by the act, the group decides to run away. Soon, each child learns that they have received some sort of ability or gift from their parents. Gert, whose parents are time travellers, finds a genetically modified raptor that she can telepathically communicate with, Chase steals some gadgets and weapons from his inventor parents, and Nico learns that she, along with her parents, are sorcerors. Meanwhile, Karolina and her family are aliens with powers drawn from the Earth's sun, and Molly learns that she comes from a family of mutants. While Alex doesn't have any offensive abilities, he, along with his parents, is a master strategist.
Using their newfound abilities, the Runaways vow to atone for their parents' sins and become a West Coast-based team of superheroes. Along the way, they fight their parents a few times (and barely make it out alive), encounter Marvel superteam Cloak and Dagger, and find friendship (and a few find a little romance) in each other.
Despite being about a group of teenagers (and one pre-teen), this isn't kids' stuff. It does get very dark at times, and there are a lot of adult issues in the storylines (I don't want to mention what they are, because a few of them aren't revealed until the end). Although, it's interesting how certain aspects associated with real teenagers are twisted to fit the storyline. For example, while some real-life teens cut themselves out of anger, Nico cuts herself in order to get access to her magic staff (it will make much more sense when you read the book). Also, the characters are very well developed. Karolina may seem like a perky Hollywood girl on the outside, but there is a lot more going on under the surface. Molly may be the youngest, which causes the others to attempt to shelter her, she may be the most powerful among them, and can keep up with every other runaway. Not only are the kids developed, but they act and talk like real kids would. There are tons of pop culture references in this book. The best part is that it isn't all just about current culture. The Who, The Beatles, and James Dean's Rebel Without A Cause are all worked into the story, but that doesn't mean that things like The Matrix, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Smallville (a show involving a DC Comics character, mind you) also make the book.
The artwork in this book is great. A mix of American comic book art and anime, each character has their own distinctive look to them.
Originally, the book was cancelled after these 18 issues chronicled in this amazing hard cover set. However, wild fan support, some of which even came from Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he is also referenced to in the story) helped get the book revived, and it is currently in its second "season". Speaking of Whedon, author Brian K. Vaughn even lists Whedon as one of his heroes in the book's forward, and it is amazing to know that he is a fan of this story, especially since it is written by a fan of him.
Runaways is definitely one of the most original stories I've come across in a while. Even if you aren't a comic book fan, you should definitely check it out. There will be a few references you might not get involving characters within the Marvel universe (there were a few I didn't get due to the fact that I'm not a hard-core comic book fan), but overall, it won't hurt your understanding or enjoyment of the story.

If you want to get into a new comic series this is a great place to start. Material is appropriate for almost all ages (say 9 years and up but teens and adults will get the most out of it) and is an example of how great comics can be.
This hardcover version is what you want to buy. It covers the first 3 trade paperbacks (there are only 4 currently) in one nice looking volume. The complete story arc (something like 400 pages) is also carried in this one hardcover. The 4th trade pics up with Issue #1 of the new series.
I may be wrong but buying the hardcover is probably cheaper than picking up three tpbs individually. You will want to see how the story ends so you will buy all 3 if you buy one, so your best bet is just to get the hardcover version.
Look at the other reviews, people love this book.
One of the big problems with Marvel is the massive history behind all the popular characters (X-men is a great example) that usually keeps people from picking up a new issue.
Runaways has no history. This is the starting point of what could be a really great series.

Brian Vaughan is one of the best writers out there right now and has been for the past few years; between him and Robert Kirkman I am guaranteed something I will love reading each week on new comics day. Runaways is a bit of a side step from his other titles and yet it still has the same quality you would expect from him. I would go as far as saying it is his best work yet and I love Y and Ex Machina so much.

There is just something so right about the story and characters in Runaways that anyone can pick it up and enjoy it no matter their comic book knowledge. This is pretty much the official book to make someone read that is hesitant about getting into comic books or jaded by the big two publishers main universes. I've got people hooked that have never read a comic book in their life before this to someone that hated anything that could be 'cape' related and was only into more mature titles like Sandman beforehand. All of the characters are strongly developed and each one has well defined character traits. The dialogue is so fitting to how people their ages would interact as well as react to everything going on, especially Molly and Chase.

I can't really say anything negative about the book as I am so glad we finally got a beautiful hardcover of this wonderful story instead of being stuck with the horrible digests. All the complaining to Marvel finally paid off and it's just a show of how great the run is that people cared enough to keep up the fight to keep Runaways alive and get it into hardcover. The only negative is that when Amazon sealed the plastic bubble around the book it got stuck together with the plastic cover and it got a little loose in transport so the slip cover is a bit damaged. I'm sure that's just typical of my luck though. Buy this book, you will not be disappointed!

I had heard some hoop-la about this book over at the Marvel website and decided to check it out. And, man, am I glad I did. This book was fresh and hot. I'm not going to give anything away, but the suspense of the story actually had me guessing what was going to happen next. I literally couldn't put it down because I got so into it. It's cool to see teenage heros (if you want to call them that) acting like teenagers. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in a refreshing graphic novel experience. Enjoy!

The manga-sized books were accessible, inexpensive (and responsible for the series' salvation), but they were too darned small to do the enormity of this story justice. I have the whole of the first volume in single-issue format, and I advance-ordered this several weeks in advance. Worth the wait and the money - the oversized pages and extra character sketches are great.

One thing, though - the extras section should have included the first issue script, which was formerly available on Marvel's website. Other than that, this is a truly amazing book!