Ever since Marvel announced they would be creating a TV show based on the comic book Runaways on Hulu, fans have been skeptical to see if it would live up to the standards that the Marvel Netflix shows have set.

The adaptation of the story about a group of teenagers that find out their parents are working for an evil cult is a unique twist on the stereotypical good vs. evil story.

The idea that the kids have to fight their parents opens up a lot of opportunities for the show and the direction it can take. The lighter, less intense tone the first season enjoys is a surprise, contrasting greatly with the darker Netflix stories that are ‘connected.’

The difference in tone provides a better fit for the show and better complements the characters.

My favorite aspect of the show is the direct connection and references to the comic book. Most programs do this in a way that is grounded in reality, or not ‘too weird’ for audiences to still connect to, but this show embraces its comic book roots and uses every bit of weird abilities or call backs to the source material in a way that doesn’t take away from the experience.

Going into the second season I was very excited because of the way the show had left off the previous season. Overall, after finishing the new season, I can safely say the first is better than the second. The second season is in no way bad, it just doesn’t quite live up to the first.

The stakes feel lower and the first half of the season was incredibly slow, taking a weird and out of place turn that didn’t feel like the best direction for the story.

Once you get through the first couple episodes, the show corrects its course and makes for a entertaining rest of the season.

By reintroducing the tension between the kids and the family, the show takes off again and makes up for the bumpy start. Runaways leaves off on a interesting cliffhanger that I am not sure how to feel about.

One improvement over the first season is the amount of action throughout and the fact that they set up more plot lines that will extend past the season to lay down the foundation for some interesting series-long story arcs.

The show is strictly made for true Runaways fans. The show-runner attempts to demonstrate that in can connect with a broader audience that doesn’t normally tune into the superhero genre, which won’t please a broader audience.

It is very much a drama meant for teens and sometimes, as a comic book fan, it can get annoying to have the petty drama and stereotypical soap opera moments thrown in there. But if you are not watching it as a die hard Runaways fan, then you might enjoy that aspect of the show.

It has not been confirmed if they will be making a third season, but a lot of continuous story was set up in the second.