100
8 DAYSboos & bravos BY DOUGLAS TSENG
BRAVO
to Marvel’s Runaways
(HOOQ). I know what
you’re thinking, “Another one?”
Between Marvel and DC, there’re a lot
of shows based on comic books on TV
right now. So can you really blame us
if we suffer from superhero fatigue? Thank goodness,
Runaways is different enough to stand out from the
crowd. Adapted from a 2003 Marvel comics series by
teen soap gurus Josh Schwartz and Stephanie SavagePHOTO: DISNEY/MARVEL“But Runaways looks like the real deal — and it just
might be the greatest Marvel television adaptation to
date. It’s not a solemn show taking itself too seriously
like most of Netflix’s superhero slate (barring Jessica
Jones), but it’s also not goofy with low production
values like ABC’s Inhumans or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
It succeeds by providing a fun mix of whimsy and
gravitas that pays respect to its source material while
also being compelling television.”
— THE DAILY BEAST“Runaways stumbles slightly with pacing in the
[first] four episodes... But while it may take its time,
Runaways is the kind of show that's worth sticking
with. The series has a palpable energy and pulls you
into the lives of these kids. There's something special
about them, even if they don't know it yet. And isn't
that what growing up is all about?
— USA TODAY“[The show has] cleverly grounded some of the LosAngeles-set monstrosity in a religious organization
that’s clearly a take on the church of Scientology,
but the show didn’t need to invent a monolithic
institution in order to find structures of power in
need of interrogation within modern Hollywood.
That the first evil act viewers see from The Pride
involves the nasty manipulation of a young,
impressionable woman gives Runaways a relevancy
that the writers couldn’t exactly have dreamed
of when they wrote the pilot, long before the
Weinstein scandal broke.”
— VANITY FAIR“Runaways could be great if it dug into the question
of whether it’s possible to be a bad person and a
good parent, a different take on leading a double life
than is standard in superhero fare. But this first part
of the season, at least, doesn’t seize that opportunity
to stand out. Like most teenagers, Runaways just
wants to fit in.”
— SLATE(The OC, Gossip Girl), it’s about a group of racially
diverse kids (played by an appealing ensemble) with
the usual parents-don’t-get-us-at-all issues, except
mummy and daddy aren’t just neglectful but also
supervillains, members of a consortium called The
Pride. This John Hughes-meets-Stan Lee mash-up is
fascinating, even though it starts off a bit slow. But
by the fourth episode, you’re all in with their teenage
struggles. Let’s hear what the other critics said about
the show...