By Ben Morse
Yesterday we spoke to editor Nick Lowe about the upcoming transition period in ASTONISHING X-MEN. Today, we switch gears and tackle another title that Lowe has seen through two creative shifts now, the much-beloved RUNAWAYS.
When series co-creators Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona ended their celebrated four-year, 42-issue tenure on RUNAWAYS last year, Lowe found himself tasked with finding a new creative team to keep the unique voice of the quirky fan favorite series going. Luckily for the editor, he needed only turn to the other ASTONISHING book he had a hand in to pluck popular scribe Joss Whedon for writing duties, then selected artist Michael Ryan to complete the passing of the torch.
We got Lowe to share his feelings on Whedon's run, living up to BKV's standards and yet another change in the offing as writer Terry Moore and artist Humberto Ramos prepare to assume to reins of RUNAWAYS.
Marvel.com: Over a year removed from Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona's departure from RUNAWAYS, how do you feel the successive creative team has done in honoring the characters they created?
Nick Lowe: I think they've honored the characters incredibly well. To me, Molly sounds just as much like Molly as she did when Brian was writing her.
Marvel.com: How did bringing Joss Whedon onboard RUNAWAYS come about?
Nick Lowe: Well, Brian had told me he wanted to leave the title. I begged and I pleaded with him to stay. He said he wanted to go out at the top of his RUNAWAYS game and wouldn't stay. I begged more. He told me he'd already done 42 issues and I shouldn't expect more. I pleaded more. He slapped me a few times and I realized that was it. So I started thinking…who could write it? I didn't think there was a chance that Joss would want to write an arc. But I thought, what the heck, so I asked [then-editor] Mike Marts to ask him. He did and Joss said, "No thanks." The next week, it was eating away at him. He talked to Brian all weekend about the book and then he wanted in. That's the story.
Marvel.com: What did you set out to accomplish with the "Dead-End Kids" arc and how many of your goals do you feel you hit?
Nick Lowe: For me, the biggest thing was solidifying the Runaways as important characters that will work when someone other than Brian writes them. I wanted to make sure they didn't disappear after he left. In that regard, I think that we are definitely succeeding, as just having Joss on board does a lot of that for you.
Marvel.com: What can you tease about the conclusion to Joss and Michael's arc in RUNAWAYS #30?
Nick Lowe: There are still questions that were raised in #25 and #26 that haven't yet been answered. My big tease is that two of the Runaways are going to become very different characters.
Marvel.com: Will we be seeing any of the many new characters introduced in this arc continue on as regulars in the book?
Nick Lowe: You'll see one new character joining the team.
Marvel.com: Who are your favorites of the new characters?
Nick Lowe:My favorite new character is Kid Twist! He is just too bad-ass. Second is Dead George Pelham. Great stuff coming with him.
Marvel.com: Do you have an official start date yet for the incoming creative team of Terry Moore and Humberto Ramos?
Nick Lowe:Not set in stone. But they're hard at work on it. Humberto is halfway through the second issue!
Marvel.com: Anything you can say about Terry and Humberto's first arc on the book?
Nick Lowe: They take the kids back to the basics. You'll see them back in [Los Angeles]. You'll see them trying to survive.
Marvel.com: Why Terry and Humberto? Why do you think they can keep up this book to the levels fans have come to expect?
Nick Lowe: Terry brings a ton to the table. My favorite thing about his work is what he brings to characters. They have their own voices. They don't say what you think they're going to say. If that isn't someone who should be writing RUNAWAYS, I don't know who is. As for Humberto, he's a legend. And he doesn't draw anything better than teenagers. It's amazing.
Marvel.com: At the same time, what do Terry and Humberto bring to RUNAWAYS as far as things we may not have seen before?
Nick Lowe: Humberto brings an energy and style to RUNAWAYS that has never been seen. All of the previous artists on RUNAWAYS bring their own special magic, but no one is as dynamic as Humberto. And Terry, well, his voice and perspective are new not only to the Runaways, but to the Marvel Universe in general.
Marvel.com: So, to conclude, what's next for Nick Lowe?
Nick Lowe: Well, one thing is the SECRET INVASION: RUNAWAYS/YOUNG AVENGERS limited series. This will close the gap from "Dead-End Kids" to Terry and Humberto's run [on RUNAWAYS]. It is
fantastic! Chris Yost is writing and Takeshi Miyazawa is drawing. Did I mention it involves the Young Avengers and something called the Secret Invasion?
RUNAWAYS #30 caps off Joss Whedon and Michael Ryan's run on the title on April 9 while SECRET INVASION: RUNAWAYS/YOUNG AVENGERS touches down beginning in June. However, you can get your Runaways fix right now on Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
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