"You guys have some sort of rallying cry?" ... "Try not to die."

October 9, 2017 11:02 AM

The first trailer for Marvel's Runaways on Hulu is here.

The Mary Sue has seen the pilot and they liked it.
Why Runaways is on Hulu instead of Netflix.
The new comic series is being written by YA author Rainbow Rowell.

posted by skycrashesdown (29 comments total)

I am provisionally stoked about this.
posted by tobascodagama at 11:20 AM on October 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

"That is some ... Narnia shit"
posted by chavenet at 11:33 AM on October 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Oh man, I DEVOURED these books.
posted by Braeburn at 11:35 AM on October 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*EEEEEEEEEEEEE *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

My favorite thing about not paying too much attention to industry stuff is that I get to be absolutely delighted when something like this appears.
posted by redsparkler at 11:40 AM on October 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Look, I'm still going to devour it and love it. But I really wanted chubby Gert.
posted by politikitty at 11:40 AM on October 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

So I don't know this story at all, but I am getting a New Mutants/Spy Kids/Kingsman vibe from this trailer. I find the behind the scenes stuff interesting, as I think another reason this went to Hulu is to not dilute the seriousness and weight of the Marvel content on Netflix which seems to have much more substance.

This said, I think I am at my max saturation on these sort of shows. I love them, but I haven't ever tried Gifted, Legion, the other X-men one, or Preacher. I'm barely staying ontop of the cinematic stuff and the Netflix material (and Lucifer).

This is going to have to be amazing to get me to watch past the first episode.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:23 PM on October 9, 2017

If it's a time issue for you, I recommend that you give up the Netflix shows in favor of at least watching Legion. That was a fantastic show and am very much looking forward to season 2.
posted by NoMich at 12:32 PM on October 9, 2017 [13 favorites]

"I haven't ever tried Gifted, Legion, the other X-men one, or Preacher. I'm barely staying ontop of the cinematic stuff and the Netflix material"

A recommendation from this internet person you don't know:
A.) pick whichever one of the Netflix shows you like the least and drop it
B.) watch Legion in its place, like ... tonight
posted by komara at 12:33 PM on October 9, 2017 [16 favorites]

So I don't know this story at all, but I am getting a New Mutants/Spy Kids/Kingsman vibe from this trailer.

The comics, which I read and loved, are surprisingly quite a bit deeper and better than that vibe you apparently picked up from the trailer. The Mary Sue article does make it sound like the show gets what made the comic books so good, which is very promising, to me.

This said, I think I am at my max saturation on these sort of shows.

I can't fault you for that, but I can fault you for lumping Legion in with the rest of them, sight unseen. Legion is really very much off doing its own trippy weirdass thing, and it's a damn shame if its tangential relationship to the rest of the X-Men universe prevents it from getting recognized as one of the strangest, most beautiful and most creative shows on TV right now.
posted by mstokes650 at 12:34 PM on October 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

It's fantastic that the "GO WATCH LEGION" comments came out at one per minute based on the length of the comment written telling you to "GO WATCH LEGION".
posted by komara at 12:36 PM on October 9, 2017 [7 favorites]

N^th vote for Legion. I hate the character in the comics. Hate his stories, hate his portrayal, hate his concept. Everything. That being said: the show is the best X-universe thing I've ever seen and is certainly in the top few of my favorite comic-based movies/shows.
posted by haileris23 at 12:38 PM on October 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

Netflix shows you like the least

Like, oh say, for the sake of argument, Iron Fist.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 12:39 PM on October 9, 2017 [25 favorites]

Runaways was my favorite Marvel comic by far. This trailer isn't quite pushing those same buttons for me, but maybe the actual show will be better than the trailer...?
posted by Foosnark at 12:40 PM on October 9, 2017

As comic book superhero high concepts go, Runaways is pretty great one. It seems a whole lot more promising as the premise for a TV show than, say, Iron Fist.
posted by straight at 12:52 PM on October 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Speculative Spoilers based on the comic books:

Also the Staff of One is an incredibly great story hook, maybe one of the best ever for making a very powerful but limited magic-using character.

First, you have to bleed to summon it. So there's tons of stuff you can do with that alone.

Next, it can do almost anything if you speak a few words that describe the desired effect as an incantation BUT you can only ever use an incantation once. Think about how great that is.

* It requires continued creativity and novelty. No Crimson Bands of Cyttorak every third spell.

* It creates the opportunity for plausible and comprehensible screw-ups in tense situations. You gotta think of something creative on the fly, but you don't want to waste one of the really good ones unnecessarily (how many different ways are you going to be able to say "heal this wound" or "shield me"?) The user can plausibly say something wrong, accidentally repeat an earlier spell, freeze up and be unable to think of anything to say, and the mechanism is explicit rather than some abstract business about clearing your mind, controlling your feelings, or BELIEVING harder.

* If you repeat a spell, something wild, dangerous, and unpredictable. Or nothing. Again, all kinds of story possibilities there.
posted by straight at 1:11 PM on October 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

but when are we going to see the New Mutants trailerrrrrrrrr
posted by entropicamericana at 1:22 PM on October 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

My main concern is that the first story arc of Runaways revolves around several particular plot reveals that you couldn't really avoid even if wanted to tell a different story with the "same" characters, and I wonder if they're going to change some of them to preserve some of the mystery? and if so will the changes be any good?
posted by straight at 1:29 PM on October 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Huh, I know nothing whatsoever about Runaways but it sounds like I should give it a shot. Hulu, though. That's... like the 5th streaming service I'm supposed to sign up for now? The streaming thing is evolving to be more and more indistinguishable from the cable system it is replacing.

+1 Legion.

Is it me or are the two new Marvel network shows truly awful (Inhumans) and mediocre (The Gifted)? Can it really be that hard to write an entertaining show about MUTANTS WITH SUPERPOWERS?

That said, Amy Acker + Vampire Beeeeel so I'll give that one a couple more chances.
posted by Justinian at 1:57 PM on October 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Every teenager thinks their parents are evil, what if they actually are?

A problem is that tagline is already competing with Yuzna's Society, and unlikely to come out on top.

Which 'Verse is this? MCU? X? FF? Do they have analogues in the other 'verses for Skrulls yet?

Is it possible that pretty teens with powers are actually less interesting than hardcore fandom (and the people who make TV series) think they are?

It's fine. It looks fine. It's not something I'll watch, but it's fine.
posted by Grangousier at 2:22 PM on October 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Apparently, the Staff of One no longer requires Nico to cut herself, but blood is still involved somehow. The adaptation's showrunners were concerned about depicting self-harm for a show that's kind of targeting a YA audience (although some episodes, apparently, will have a TV-MA rating...).

TBH, that's probably reasonable. Depictions of self-harm on the screen have a different emotional impact on impressionable viewers than on the page.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:27 PM on October 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Memo to: Marvel
Re: Runaways Hulu show.

Adapt this as you feel appropriate, but DO NOT FUCK THIS UP.

Sincerely,

Old, Angry, White man.
posted by mikelieman at 3:32 PM on October 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Like, oh say, for the sake of argument, Iron Fist.

With the only problem being that no one is actually watching Iron Fist, so you can't drop that for Legion.
posted by The Bellman at 3:40 PM on October 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

It's probably unlikely to happen, but a Punisher crossover would be the very best thing.

"Punisher's war journal: Hhhhhhhh...."
posted by Guy Smiley at 3:40 PM on October 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

That's... like the 5th streaming service I'm supposed to sign up for now? The streaming thing is evolving to be more and more indistinguishable from the cable system it is replacing.

Except no signup or cancel fees, I think, right? As long as you don't mind staying on top of your subscriptions, seems like you could cycle around fairly easily.
posted by ODiV at 4:55 PM on October 9, 2017

The only thing I know about Runaways is that Rainbow Rowell is writing for it, and that's pretty much enough to make me watch this, even though I don't really do comic book shit. Actually, it feels like an awful lot of writers I like are writing for comics these days, and maybe I should start doing comic book shit.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:59 PM on October 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes you should start doing comic book shit. Many are rad in a way that TV and film just can't do. Like god help us, they should NEVER do a Saga show. *Shudder*
posted by greermahoney at 8:21 PM on October 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

The music on that trailer felt so off, it's like someone else replaced the original soundtrack.
posted by SageLeVoid at 12:19 AM on October 10, 2017

Man, that was not a good trailer. I hope the series is better than that. And it really needs to be since there is a strong element of horror movie tied to its teen superhero story, and with that, there is the problem of how closely the plot developments tie in to some less welcome horror movie tropes. I don't want to go into detail since spoilers and all, but the comic succeeded by having such strong well written characters that was able to set aside some of the plot developments a bit as being indicative of any larger values since the characters seemed well realized enough to be meaningful outside of a more representative fate.

But for those who watch the series without that background, that may not come across if care isn't taken to really give a sense of the characters as individuals here. There could be some harsh reactions to the show if that's the case, and perhaps for things beyond surface craft. That the trailer emphasizes Karolina and Nico, has a considerably older Molly, sexier Chase, possibly less aware Alex, and seems to minimize Gertrude to a couple reaction shots while showing girls bound, on beds, and dressed up on the dance floor isn't a great boost for my optimism.
posted by gusottertrout at 2:59 AM on October 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I should have said the comics were well characterized instead of well written since Alphona contributed as much in the art as Vaughn in the writing in developing the world of the story.
posted by gusottertrout at 4:04 AM on October 10, 2017