Runaways #28: What About Gert?

As with most issues of The Runaways, this was more focused on character drama than actual action and it does a great job of showing us just how affected Gert is by being left out by her friends. As they’re all gathered around a breakfast table, Doc Justice gets a call about a heroin bust and Andres Genolet does an awesome job in sequencing the lead up to the title card as Molly, Chase, Victor, Karolina and Nico dip out to join him.

This opening acts as the hook for the issue as Gert has to watch as he friends become a cohesive and happy unit without her. As her thoughts drift to Nico, the current leader of the Runaways, Gert thinks that there’s no way that Nico would be okay with staying there for a long period of time or fighting someone else’s fight, but Rainbow Rowell contrasts those thoughts expertly. In an excellent sequence by Genolet and colorist, Dee Cunniffe, we see Nico practicing bo staff techniques with her Staff of One at the crack of dawn with Doc Justice.

It’s doubly saddening that she’s the one being left out of things given Chase risked screwing with time in order to save her in the first place. It’s no wonder that, throughout this series, there’s been that terrible feeling of not fitting in with her. She changed her hair color because she was no longer counter culture. She returned at the same age that she would have died, so she’s closer in age the original youngest in Molly than her ex, Chase.

Her current boyfriend, Victor Mancha, tries to console her after seeing how peeved she is about the situation by putting on a little test, showing that the team’s dinosaur, Old Lace, will always protect Gert. Initially it seems like a great idea because of the telepathic link that the two share, but as Matthew commences to shoot frisbees at her and Chase at the same time, Old Lace goes to protect Chase for whatever reason. This leaves Karolina to save Gert and squashes any chance of her joining the J-Team.

One thing that I have liked during this arc is the slow build towards Doc Justice’s dark turn as more about him is revealed this issue. He may not be as evil as the members of The Pride were, but his hidden goals absolutely make him one of the more dastardly villains that The Runaways have come across thus far.