I finished Joss Whedon's first issue on Runaways and was happy with his script's continued development of the main characters. I wrote previously here about Xavin, the gender-switching alien and partner of Karolina, and issue #25 continued to develop this character in an intelligent manner.

I also really liked the scene between the lesbian character Karolina and her team mate Nico, a straight girl who she has a not-so-secret crush on. I thought the artist and the writer captured both the sweetness of their affection for each other and the tensions between them. It depicted a very realistic dynamic and will probably be very helpful reading for young gays and lesbians.

In the panel shown here, Karolina has just joined Nico on a rooftop and, finding her friend shivering, wraps her coat and her arms around her. There is a knowing look on Nico's face as she glances sidelong at her friend, who continues to embrace Nico, but she allows Karolina's arms to rest where they are. They both enjoy a moment of reverie, seen in their expressions here, before Nico's jealousy and Karolina's resentment start to surface.