Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Alpha Flight - The Canadian Super Team is back

So, I went ahead and picked up the 0.1 (dumbest numbering gimmick ever) issue of Alpha Flight. How does it pass the Every comic is someone's first issue test?

It does pretty good actually. Sure, I have a history with the characters, but I honestly could not tell you much of what happened to them after John Byrne left the original book way back when. I read some of the other issues, checked out a couple first issuesof the relaunches, but never really paid too much attention. I know that most of them died along the way, and that they just recently came back.

This issue does pretty well at letting you know the basics of the characters. Who they are...their powers, etc. There are some mysteries along the way for them to play with, and that's always a good thing.

The plot is pretty basic and not that awe inspiring, but it is serviceable for an introductory issue.

Theart is really nice. Almost painted...but not quite.

I think I'll grab the next issue to see where it goes. For me, that means they did a good job, and the 2.99 price tag helped out with the decision to grab this off the shelf on a whim.

I loved the early Bryne stuff in Uncanny and their own comic way back in the day, and this kinda reminded me of that. Not a direct parallel, but a fun book that seems like it's worth a shot.

me too!

i would ditto everything Dev said, except I'm unclear on wether Northstar is on the team, off the team with bf, or in the X-Men.

I hope on the team or on the X-Men because I like Northstar.

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">I didn't quite catch who had Jame's and Heather's child.

And I didn't catch why the Purple Girl is now a villain?
Also, the way she uses her power reminded me of Mr. Jeffries evil brother, or at least that kid who used to be able to duplicate into high brow and neanderthal versions of himself.
</span></span>

I wonder if Mr. Jeffries will soon be on the team?? Bit awkward 'cause he dates heather but whatever.

All in all, I was very nicely surprised after mostly buying the book because of nostalgia. I'm in for number 2!! or 1 or 0.7 or ... you know what I mean!

Good points in the spoiler box. I think that is all going to play out during the course of this series.

The one thing that I am a little confused on is to whether or not this is a limited series, or a regular ongoing series.

I picked this up too. Pretty good showing of everyone's powers for those not familiar with the characters. I will probably pick up issue 1 and see how the story continues.

I am not familiar with the later happenings of Alpha Flight too. So I have no idea about<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text"> Heather & James' child.</span></span> Anyone who knows about that please fill me in.

For some reason Snowbird is the Alpha Flight character that intrigues me.

It's limited, Dev. Eight issues, I believe (or nine including this point-1 issue). The great news is that the artist on the miniseries-proper is Dale frickin' Eaglesham!

That's what I thought I had heard Lardy, but I keep seeing it referred to as a new ongoing here and there as well...different sites reviewing/previewing the series.

Maybe if it does well enough, they'll relaunch it again with another number 1 a few months after this one ends.

I'm excited that Marvel finally wised up and relaunched the book with the classic lineup, as well as a top-tier (IMO) creative team! The other failed relaunches mostly featured new characters and crappy creators. (Puck is also said to figure in according to this interview with Pak and Van Lente.)

I loved AF during it's classic Byrne era. Since then, everyone who's touched the property has royally loused it up! The only time it seemed 'kinda' good was when James Hudnall wrote it late in the original series. BBut he made the mistake of undoing Mac Hudson's death using the exact same scenario Byrne set us up with that turned out to be a huge but excellent fake-out!

So my only caveats so far is Mac still not being dead and Heather continuing as Vindicator. (Byrne never intended for Heather to be a superhero.) Hopefully, if given the time and space of an ongoing, Pak and Van Lente can erase all the crap that Mantlo and others did with Puck and Northstar and Aurora's origins!

Unlike everyone else, I actually enjoyed some later AF runs, including the humourous relaunch of a few years ago.

But I'm no hardcore fan by any means.

Since it's $3 I'll get it. Wasn't touching it for $4.

I personally liked Fabian Nicieza's issues of the original run better than most of Byrne's.

As for the current incarnation, I love Eaglesham but the Pak/Van Lente team generally leaves me cold, so I'm on the fence about trying it.

I liked Byrne's run, but, after their treatment over the years, have found that the main team have gotten a bit old for me. All of the deaths and resurrections and bizzaro changes (Walter is reincarnated as a white Sasquatch in the dead body of Snowbird? Whatever...) took their toll.

I'd rather read about some of the Beta, Gamma and Omega Flight people, these days. Of course, half the ones I liked are dead anyway (Flashback, Diamond Lil, etc.), so that's pretty much a pipe-dream.

Snowbird and Moondragon need to be on the same team, just so that I can enjoy their seething condescension to each other...

They killed off, Lil? Boo!

Figures. :rolleyes:

I'll definitely pick it up because I love all the creators involved. Eaglesham is brillaint; Van Lente has been nothing short of fantastic these last few years and Pak's run on the Hulk has now reached a point where I think its just about as as good as PAD's.

Apparently, all of them love Alpha Flight as well which is always a little important.

Issue #1.

Art was good. Nothing spectacular, but easy enough to follow. The story was alright. Shoehorned into the Fear Itself story going on is kinda annoying, I'd much rather see them on their own and not having to deal with a crossover as the basis for the books existence...but I will take what I can get at this point.

Surprised that the "traitor" was revealed so early...and even more so that they mentioned it in the latest solicits released this week.

Interesting "reintroduction" of a character...or at least the concept of a character.

So far, not bad. Not as good as the point 1 issue, but okay overall.

Thought #1 was very good! Two really great writers who have real writing chops and also a major love of the genre combined with an artist who is now reaching the status of mind-blowingly phenominal.

Pak & Van Lente write a team comic that reminds me of Stern & the other great 80's team comics writers. Love the shifting spotlight so everyone is included but no one is overly done.

Eaglesham gets better and better. He's becoming more Kirby-esque not only in layouts but in actual linework and I love it.

An Alpha Flight comic is not an instant buy for me in the slightest. But #1 was definitely good enough to hook me for a few more issues.

Yeah, I believe that was the last straw for me during that run.

I was a big fan of Byrne's run, but mainly because of his writing. I found I wasn't really that connected to any of the characters per se. Still, I thought I'd give this a shot and for now, it's good enough for me to try the next issue.

I didn't like the Fear Itself Tie-In if only because the Hammer Wielder wasn't treated as big a threat as it should've been. With all the exposition and side-dialogue, the "threat" seemed almost an afterthought. Like they could've been fighting anyone.

Also, their version of Marina bothers me. I can deal with her having a different attitude, but I am not a a fan of her new look at all.

i lost interest in collecting Alpha Flight....too many changes....too many deaths and resurrections....some of them now gone bad...(Purple Girl/Persuasion...now a villainess! geez!)...sigh.

Issue 2 was another solid issue that moves the story along nicely. Giving needed back-story and moving the current plot along at a decent pace that does not feel like multiple pages of padded filler.

Art is very good as well.

Interesting to see <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Puck return, and not apparently in a right frame of mind...or is he telling the truth?</span></span>

Also nice to see Northstar being himself.

Anyone else think Northstar's boyfriend is about to get powered up?

Was his first appearance as Jean-Claude's bf? Or did he actually appear working with Aurora somewhere before the big relationship was revealed?

Haven't gotten to issue 2 yet, but between the point-one and first issues, I'm pretty much sold on the series. I'm SO glad to have Byrne's characters front and center and to have them both written in-character and drawn exquisitely! I hope this continues beyond the limited series with the same creators intact!

BTW, the back-matter in issue one said something I'd never considered: this series actually features all the classic characters together for the first time since Byrne broke 'em up in issue one of the first series!

As for Marrina, she never had much of a personality before (other than someone fawning over Namor :rolleyes: ), so it's nice to see Pak, Van Lente and Eaglesham doing something with her! Love the particular brand of snark they've given her!

*POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING*

A shocking page from issue 4 (via Bleeding Cool)?

Woah...

Issue #2 sealed it for me--I'm def on board for the duration! Fantastic on all fronts, art & writing & everything in between. It's just damn good superhero comics.

The addition of Puck was an awesome (and expected surprise). Glad to see him in the series as I feel he's essential to Alpha Flight.

Here's hoping this becomes an ongoing!

If Heather isn't doing a double agent thing, do you think she can come back from this as member of the team? Or will it all be waved away as under the influence of Unity?

If I were an Alpha Flyer, I don't think I could trust her again. Not for a long while, anyway.

Puck and Marrina are stealing the book, that's for sure. Snowbird, Sasquatch and Northstar need to get some personality revealing lines in... like Shaman did in #3.

If Heather isn't doing a double agent thing, do you think she can come back from this as member of the team? Or will it all be waved away as under the influence of Unity?

If I were an Alpha Flyer, I don't think I could trust her again. Not for a long while, anyway.

Puck and Marrina are stealing the book, that's for sure. Snowbird, Sasquatch and Northstar need to get some personality revealing lines in... like Shaman did in #3.

I can only hope Heather is brainwashed!
Didn't we already see Marrina go bad in the original series? We don't need to see another original Alphan go to the dark side, another female at that.
I hope they do add to Snowbird's personality like they're doing with Shaman's (I do wish they would change his colour scheme in his costume, though).
Can someone remind me how Byrne broke up the original team in issue #1? My aging memory is showing signs of wear and tear.