# Is "Runaways #1" by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Runaways #1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona (Marvel Comics, 2003) is identified by: Single issue Runaways (Volume 1) #1, cover-dated July 2003 (on sale April 2003), Marvel (Tsunami imprint). The true first is the single Volume 1 #1 (2003).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Single issue Runaways (Volume 1) #1, cover-dated July 2003 (on sale April 2003), Marvel (Tsunami imprint)
- First appearance of the team
- A first printing carries no printing notation in the indicia
- Correct publisher/imprint: Marvel Comics

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Single issue Runaways (Volume 1) #1, cover-dated July 2003 (on sale April 2003), Marvel… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Single issue Runaways (Volume 1) #1, cover-dated July 2003 (on sale April 2003), Marvel (Tsunami imprint). First appearance of the team. A first printing carries no printing notation in the indicia.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the single Volume 1 #1 (2003). Digest collections and later printings are first-thus only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Second printings exist; confirm the indicia carries no printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Runaways #1* by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/runaways-1
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.