GRAPHIC NOVEL Runaways Vol. 1: Pride & Joy DISCUSSION GUIDE BOOK CLUB The writing for Runaways was praised for breaking down conventional superhero clichés. 1 Discuss examples of this throughout the story. What emotions did you feel while you were reading Runaways? 2 Did you nd it funny? Scary? Sad? Runaways explores a number of themes throughout the story, including themes of truth 3 and lies, secrets, and duality (the idea that every human being has good and evil within them). Discuss these themes and how they drive the characters. How does truth inuence the kids’ actions? Can there be such a thing as “necessary evil”? Could the story be as meaningful if it were written in a dierent format? Would the story 4 work as well if it were just text and no images? 5 What is the overall tone of the story? Was the art tting for that tone? 6 What surprised you the most about this book? Can you pick out one part that you found especially interesting or profound? What part of 7 the story resonated most with you? Runaways is very much a coming-of-age story. Which character's growth by the end of 8 this book was most surprising and why? 9 Did all of the characters feel authentic? Are they believable? 10 Which characters did you especially like or dislike? 11 Which character do you identify with the most? Why? The Runaways television series deviates signicantly from 12 the original comics. Discuss the major dierences between the comic series and the show (such as the pacing, the history of characters as friends, Nico's sister, the parents’ point of view, etc.). Have you read additional volumes in this series or do you 13 plan to? If you have–without oering spoilers–share with your club a taste of what they can look forward to. theclub.hoopladigital.com/graphicnovel.