Runaways Episode 1-3 Reviews: A Surprisingly Enjoyable Addition To An Otherwise Crowded Marvel Universe

Marvel is everywhere these days. "Thor: Ragnorok" is currently in theaters and "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" just left. See the full list here Television is also saturated with Marvel. NetFlix has Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Defenders, and Punisher. There's also the fun "The Gifted" (currently on Fox), the horrid "Inhumans" (currently on ABC) and the intriguing "Legion" (in between seasons on FX). So with all this Marvel activity, do we REALLY need another show based on a comic series? I'm surprised to say, "yes, yes we do".

"Runaways" (on Hulu) is different from the rest of the offerings. It features six high school kids-- Alex, Nico (her sister was Amy), Karolina, Chase, Gert and her adopted sister Molly. A tragedy beset them two years ago when one of their group (Amy) died. We're not sure of the specifics yet. Molly's parents also died under mysterious circumstances ten years ago. She then went to live with the Yorkes family. Karolina's mother Leslie runs a cult called the Church of the Gibborim.

Three episodes were released this week. The first "Reunion" does the heavy lifting of introducing the characters and showing their currently strained relationships. We dont know what superpowers each has yet but Molly's eyes glow and she becomes super strong. The group soon grows closer again when they discover that all their parents are involved in something sinister. They belong to the Pride. The kids thought it was a volunteer group. Instead they practice human sacrifice. Well, that cant be good.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). I didnt have high hopes since I'm not really into rich teenage angst in Los Angeles. But I'm happy to report that I was wrong. There's enough character development and diversity here (not just among the kids but also the parents) to keep me coming back. Yes that is James Marsters (Spike from "Buffy") as Chase's father Victor. That's enough street cred for me. And with just ten episodes total, "Runaways" is a fast watch.