The Loners

(Marvel, 2007–2008)
™ and © 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Spinning out of Brian K. Vaughn’s Runaways, the Loners are a group of young ex-super-heroes who form a support group (think Alcoholics Anonymous) to kick their reliance on super-powers… at least, ideally. The group is made up of Julie Power (from Power Pack), Chris Powell (Darkhawk), Mickey Musashi (Turbo), Phil Urich (the young Green Goblin), Johnny Gallo (Ricochet), and Mattie Franklin (Spider-Woman III), all of whom are B- or C-list youngsters from the past several decades of Marvel comics.

Writer C.B. Cebulski handles the group with the same irony and whimsy that Vaughn did in Runaways, and he structures his plot around the idea that most of these kids just aren’t ready to give up their powers, which makes for an interesting hook. One must also give credit to cover artist Jason Pearson, all of whose covers are mock-ups of 1980s John Hughes movies like The Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

— Eric Garneau

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