Alpha Flight Fans: Gather

[sungila]

I can't wait to see them show up in Amazing X-Men.

Yea! If Amazing X-Men is meant to be a 'sort of throwback' and resurrection title I can't think of a better place for Alpha Flight to re-emerge!

Unfortunate characterizations have been plaguing good b-list individuals and teams for a long time now. It seems like the core A-listers get overused and the b-listers end up being supports or fodder for the hype of the main events.

Amazing X-Men has been a great relief and reminder of how b-listers can be a-listers for certain fanbases. For me it's high time teams like Alpha Flight, New Mutants, and Excalibur find strong writers and definitions away from the heaping hulk of the merging Avengers - Uncanny x-Men hierarchy.

[The_Greatest_Username]

I agree, I feel like those teams have unique niches that are missing from the current Marvel line-up.

[Cold Water]

Yea! If Amazing X-Men is meant to be a 'sort of throwback' and resurrection title I can't think of a better place for Alpha Flight to re-emerge!

Unfortunate characterizations have been plaguing good b-list individuals and teams for a long time now. It seems like the core A-listers get overused and the b-listers end up being supports or fodder for the hype of the main events.

Amazing X-Men has been a great relief and reminder of how b-listers can be a-listers for certain fanbases. For me it's high time teams like Alpha Flight, New Mutants, and Excalibur find strong writers and definitions away from the heaping hulk of the merging Avengers - Uncanny x-Men hierarchy.

Agreed.
AlphaExcaliburNewMutant book, plz.

[nnelg]

Marvel seems to think that if something is a movie or in a movie then it must happen in the comics. So Fox need to make a Alpha Flight movie.

[Nevets]

Already happened with v.4. Lasted 9.

And it wasn't good either.

I think they need to find a good writer who respects Alpha as a whole, and not just one very small part of the large run.

[sureshot]

They need to find a writer who fell in LOVE with AF during Byrne's run. They need to put a writer on it that is a fan of the team. It's the ONLY hope that AF has of making it in a series past 12 issues.
I know that AF is always the team that gets the shit end of the deal, and maybe it's, like, a running joke of sorts, but it just ends up ruining a team/book with characters that have such great potential (when you consider their roots and how Byrne developed them).

I agree they need to get a writer and decent artist to make sure it sells a decent amount of copies. With good stories imo.

And maybe that's why AF hasn't lasted, since books are now written more about stories than actually being as character-driven as they used to be? I don't know.

I do think their are character-driven stories in comics. The main problem imo is that it's a select few characters and usual the writers favored ones. If a writer at Marvel needs to make others characters look stupid to push their favored characters they will. Despite the fact that it hurts character development to write characters as being dumb.

[Cold Water]

I do think their are character-driven stories in comics. The main problem imo is that it's a select few characters and usual the writers favored ones. If a writer at Marvel needs to make others characters look stupid to push their favored characters they will. Despite the fact that it hurts character development to write characters as being dumb.

But even with what character-driven stories they put out now (which I still think that it's a stretch to say that), the character-building isn't what it used to be. It's the next event. It's the next over-the-top thing. It typically lacks fun.
Byrne was able to establish these characters while sucking us in and getting us attached by making the characters interesting (along with their stories/histories), and it didn't take him 25-30 issues to do so. I was hooked by the middle of the first issue.

[Cold Water]

Who would you all like to see write an Alpha Flight series?
Who would you want to art it?

What would you like to see done with the characters?

[Nomads1]

Who would you all like to see write an Alpha Flight series?
Who would you want to art it?

What would you like to see done with the characters?

Jeff Lemire.
Dave Ross.

I'd like to see Alpha (and Department H) live up to it's potential as a large organization responsible for the protection of Canada, with training teams and the whole shebang. Less faliure, less manipulation, more success and heroics.

Peace

[sureshot]

But even with what character-driven stories they put out now (which I still think that it's a stretch to say that), the character-building isn't what it used to be. It's the next event. It's the next over-the-top thing. It typically lacks fun.
Byrne was able to establish these characters while sucking us in and getting us attached by making the characters interesting (along with their stories/histories), and it didn't take him 25-30 issues to do so. I was hooked by the middle of the first issue.

I agree. Character building is not what it used to be. Perfect example is Mystique. What used to be one of the more complex characters with many motivations. Is now reduced to a one dimensional villain lacking any complexity or motivations. If one even remotely wants to consider trolling the X-men 24/7 a motivation anymore. When the movie version has more complexity and character development it stands out even more. I see what you mean also about big event after big event. Before we used to get big events once and awhile. Now it seems to be the standard not the exception. Sometimes they are written well across the board. Sometimes it just seems that because DC has a event Masrvel has to have one and vice versa. If writers could also tone done character favoritism it would also help development as well. It's so obvious sometimes when a writer is pushing his or her favored characters. How about not having a villain escape all the time no matter the odds or situatuion.

[Nomads1]

I'm waiting for Mystique to be portraited as the golden hearted misunderstood stepsister of Xavier now, fdue to the movies.

Peace

[Cold Water]

Jeff Lemire.
Dave Ross.

What makes you choose these two, specifically, for Alpha Flight (I ask this because I am unfamiliar with either of them)

I'd like to see Alpha (and Department H) live up to it's potential as a large organization responsible for the protection of Canada, with training teams and the whole shebang. Less faliure, less manipulation, more success and heroics.

Peace

Perfect. <3

[Nomads1]

What makes you choose these two, specifically, for Alpha Flight (I ask this because I am unfamiliar with either of them)

I like quite a lot Jeff Lemire's work over at DC, and his Justice League Dark has shown that, among other things, he's quite good at writing teams with disparate personalities. He is now writing Justice League CANADA (nit the official title), which sort of led me to make the assoociation.

Dave Ross is a Canadian penciler who has a history with AF. He took over the book after Mignola left, and, IMHO, he is one of the most underated pencilers around. You'll probably be reaching his stint soon in the Mantalo run, but I really think he hit his stride with his WCA's run. For something more modern of him, he did two stories in the second TPB of Lodbell's AF, that you ordered. You can skim it if you like.

Peace

[Cold Water]

I feel like I need to hurry up and read ALLLLL of the AF things.
I rarely know what you all talk about here unless it's Byrne or early-Mantlo related.

[Adam-X]

Who would you all like to see write an Alpha Flight series?
Who would you want to art it?
What would you like to see done with the characters?

Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning doing the writing. They revamped the space adventures of the Marvel Universe, and did an AMAZING job (especially with NOVA and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY). They took a swing at the NEW MUTANTS and did a pretty good job. Their work on the HEROES FOR HIRE and VILLAINS FOR HIRE was all amazing - great use of way, way, way lesser known characters.

But really, what I would want - is someone who cares about the team. Someone, writer and artist, who wants to see the team succeed as a comic. Even if it's not a named person and artist. I would rather take 6 issues of a cancelled series, that was well written by someone who cared about the team; versus 100 issues by someone(s) who did because Marvel told them to and they have no real interest in the team.

As for what I would like to see...

I would like to see Alpha Flight interact with more villains. Or bigger scale. Part of the reason, I think, everyone treats Alpha Flight like a joke, is because they haven't fought big named villains. And none of their villains (with the exception of The Great Beasts), have been on the caliber of Ultron, Magneto, Galactus, etc.

Aside from that, I would like to see some solid character development (check out what Yost is doing in New Warriors, for a current example - he's giving us a lot of action, as well as some fun and interesting character development).