Runaways #27: What’s Up, Doc?

This issue of the Runways was good fun and sees the return of Kris Anka on art with his style being used to showcase some very… ’90s superhero costume designs as the team prepares for their first adventure as part of Doc Justice’s newly reformed J-Team. 

Chase the first to be showcased, looking like an early Cable design drenched in kool-aid and all of Rob Liefeld’s left over pouches. It’s retro and I absolutely love it. Nico goes through a few scantily clad designs, one of which turns Karolina’s face red before settling on a black bodysuit with the teal(?) cloak. Molly potentially gets the worst with a very revealing costume that everyone resoundly decries before settling on a costume that X-23’s Honey Badger would love. Finally, Karolina dons the costume of Princess Justice, looking like Wonder Woman if she decided to go full heavenly in white.

Unfortunately, given that she has no powers or any real combat ability, Gert is left behind and Anka does a really great job of showing the hurt on her face. It’s painful to see her, the one who gave her life to save the team in the first place, left back to sit on the sidelines. In an effort to wait out the boredom, she continues to try to figure out a way to sate Gib’s hunger, Gib being one of the Gibborim one of the Gods that the Pride wanted to sacrifice humanity to. However, she fails pouts about how capable she really is since she was the one who defeated Gib’s siblings.

Eventually she just goes to hang out with Doc Justice’s butler, Matthew, and he shows her just how effective the team is under Justice’s wing and Gert looks on with surprise just how effective they are in so little time. Honestly, I’ve been wondering about Doc Justice for a little while and while there’s nothing inherently evil about him yet, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with.

The costumes were pretty bad, showing a guy that’s not really up on the standards of what’s appropriate for kids or what women want to wear for costumes, but that’s at least innocent enough to be dismissed as him being older. Things start to seem a bit more seedy when, upon the teams return and subsequent pizza party, Victor talks about how Gert can come with them next time after stressing that she couldn’t on this mission. Even worse is when Doc looks at news coverage of his new team and a smile creeps across his face and Matthew looks on with… worry? Annoyance?

Something is definitely up with Doc Justice and the more Rainbow Rowell writes this as a slow burn, the more unsettled I start to feel. Coupled with Anka’s art, this story is just building to a heavy boot dropping on the Runways heads when and IF Doc Justice goes ego mad and power hungry.