Friday, January 11, 2008

Ramos's Runaways, or How A Picture is Worth More than My Words

So the first 'cast picture' of Runaways by incoming artist Humberto Ramos has hit the web, not without its critics (see the comments here, or Pop Colony's thoughts here)
I don't mean to be a hater but this, added to the fact that Mr Joss Whedon won't be telling more amazing stories featuring BKV's kids makes me want to treat whatever comes after Joss as non-canon.
Six things that are wrong with this picture (Left to Right)
1. Nico looks like a Sakura Cardcaptors supporting player. I know that as a Teen Comic Runaways might benefit from tackling the Manga-loving tweens, but... c'mon!
2. Everyone has HUGE feet. Where do they get these gigantic shoes?!
3. Chase looks like he regressed to his Frat-boy looks circa issue 1 and lost his sense of cool t-shirt sayings ('I do my own stunts' will never be eclipsed, but 'I fought in the Civil War'? Is this a plug for that 2007 Marvel event?)
4. Victor looks like he got his clothes/look out of a Kmart/Walmart catalogue, and stopped using his electric powers to self-style that now limp and greasy hair.
5. Karolina (it's with an "a" Mr Ramos btw) was morphed into a West Coast granola babe, crocs 'n all. I wouldn't be surprised if those were Lululemon pants.
6. Molly looks like she's 6. (Last time I checked Ms Hayes was 11/12)
[I have nothing to say about Old Lace nor Xavin, I kind of like their look]

Also, what I think bothers me most about this sketch is that the charm of the Runaways kids was that they were normal kids with interesting and everyday traits who happened to also kick butt and fight evil: Gert was a bit overweight, Molly was a bit excitable, Karolina was a healthy vegan, Nico was a self-styled Gothic-themed Japanese-American girl but it seems Ramos' art has distilled them into cliches: all the girls seem malnourished, Nico has become a walking Japanese/Harajuku stereotype (yes, her wardrobe has been sometimes eclectic, but never like this), Chase and Victor have become default 'male teen' cliches (the Jock and the outcast) and Molly went from cute girl with funny hats to pre-tween lost amongst the WB-styled teens that look less super-hero-y and more 'Dawson's 7th Everwood Felicity Summer Tree Hill' rejects.

Here's hoping that there'll be some tweaking prior to the first Moore-penned, Ramos-drawn issue.

2 comments:

POP COLONY said...

"Sakura Cardcaptors"???-You've been home too long!

mB said...

Maybe...
I have been definitely watching way too many Simpsons episodes in Spanish, too many reruns of shows that should have never seen the light of day and reading subtitles on TV is starting to get old again...