Alpha Flight thread

[Steve-t]

I read the Chaos Wars Alpha Flight one-shot and it just wasn't enough. No one had time to shine and the great beasts didn't seem as scary as Byrne's issues. it left me wanting much more.

But it was great to see old friends again and left me with find memories, even if Talisman and Puck couldn't join them.

[Dean S.]

I read the Chaos Wars Alpha Flight one-shot and it just wasn't enough. No one had time to shine and the great beasts didn't seem as scary as Byrne's issues. it left me wanting much more.

But it was great to see old friends again and left me with find memories, even if Talisman and Puck couldn't join them.

Didn't it seem kinda like they could be back after Chaos War if that's what Van Lente wanted to do?  They're kinda back as of the end of the issue and it just says: Continued in Chaos War #5.  AND....Puck is kinda around in Wolverine.  "They" could do it from here if they wanted to.

FVL really needs a good project to work on.  The dude is such a good writer and with Herc ending, wouldn't it be neat to see if he could relaunch Alpha Flight.

[Steve-t]

Didn't it seem kinda like they could be back after Chaos War if that's what Van Lente wanted to do?  They're kinda back as of the end of the issue and it just says: Continued in Chaos War #5.  AND....Puck is kinda around in Wolverine.  "They" could do it from here if they wanted to.

FVL really needs a good project to work on.  The dude is such a good writer and with Herc ending, wouldn't it be neat to see if he could relaunch Alpha Flight.

I agree FVL is a great writer.

I reckon, from reading his tweets, that FVL wants to do it and Marvel will look at the numbers on the one-shot and the response to CW#5 and decide from there. I would love it because as teams go they are quite unique.

[PozrDu]

CHAOS WAR: ALPHA FLIGHT came out today and I had to start a thread just so all of us old School Alpha Flight fans can gush about the best Team Book in all of Comics in the 1980s.  Better than the Avengers, X-men, Teen Titans, Defenders, New Mutants and more.  ALPHA FLIGHT was the book to read.  Anyone else thinks that Marvel needs to do an ALPHA FLIGHT FOREVER and get Byrne back???

Got the Chaos War one-shot, & I
may pick up the continuation in Chaos War proper.
(Really like the Dead Avengers mini. BTW)

I loved the original run of Alpha Flight.
I bought the first 3+ years of the run when it was on the stands.
They were some of my favorite all-time single issues.

I heard years after he left Alpha Flight, that Byrne didn't want to do the title.
He had intended them to be occasional X-Men foes, & that's it.
Because of my love for his run & its quality,
I was shocked to hear that his heart wasn't in it.
So Alpha Flight Forever? Not likely with Byrne.
I'd rather have him finish his Last Galactus Story.

Byrne on Alpha Flight
 

[David]

I was shocked to hear that his heart wasn't in it.

Of course his heart wasn't in it.  Stan and Jack didn't create the characters/title.

[Steve-t]

Of course his heart wasn't in it.  Stan and Jack didn't create the characters/title.

  True, but they were great stories he was telling with Alpha Flight run. I just don't understand how his heart couldn't be in it yet it was still a good read.

[Wood]

True, but they were great stories he was telling with Alpha Flight run. I just don't understand how his heart couldn't be in it yet it was still a good read.

Because he's a professional. You would be surprised how many creators do the work and have no real connection with the characters or stories. In fact, I know a handful personally that admit they have absolutely no love for the characters or books they're asked to write/draw, but that doesn't mean they don't do their very best job to produce. It's a job.

[Farrell]

Because he's a professional. You would be surprised how many creators do the work and have no real connection with the characters or stories. In fact, I know a handful personally that admit they have absolutely no love for the characters or books they're asked to write/draw, but that doesn't mean they don't do their very best job to produce. It's a job.

True, but it's not quite like making a sandwich, is it?  You can throw the right ingredients together and end up with an end result pretty much indistinguishable from a sandwich made by someone who loves their job.  It's harder to imagine that happening with a creative enterprise like a comic.

[Greg Leclair (greg1ca)]

Because he's a professional. You would be surprised how many creators do the work and have no real connection with the characters or stories. In fact, I know a handful personally that admit they have absolutely no love for the characters or books they're asked to write/draw, but that doesn't mean they don't do their very best job to produce. It's a job.

Well said. I would imagine that over the course of a creator's early career, if they are breaking in with an established company, that it would be the exception over the rule that they would get to work on stories and characters that they were fans of. I expect most creators do whatever work is offered to them and happy to get it. All the more impressive when you see high grade work put out.

My all time favorite artist John Buscema made some of the best looking super hero comics on this planet. yet I read years later that he didn't prefer to draw super heroes. Lucky for me he needed to buy a house, otherwise someone else would have drawn that awesome cover to Avengers 57!

[Wood]

True, but it's not quite like making a sandwich, is it?  You can throw the right ingredients together and end up with an end result pretty much indistinguishable from a sandwich made by someone who loves their job.  It's harder to imagine that happening with a creative enterprise like a comic.

I think it's harder to imagine because we romanticize the industry. Admittedly before I started getting to know creators these last few years I too would've thought the love for the project was directly correlated to the quality of the output. But I know -- firsthand -- that some of the most acclaimed works of the last few years (both art and story examples) have come from folks who couldn't give two shits about the product save for the fact it's a paycheck and they take pride in putting their best efforts into their work product.

[Tom Morris]

Yeah we forget that creator-owned work wasn't common until the 90s.  Alpha Flight is a great example of Marvel just trying to force another team book back in the day.  Fortunately it was great timing and putting Byrne on it worked best.

So who was the best character?

Northstar seems to be the one character that writers like using now, but i'd guess that Shaman is most people's pick.

[Tim H]

picked up Alpha Flight 1-12 at my LCS 60% off sale this week.  Some for less than $1 an issue.  I'm excited to finally read this stuff as my only exposure to Alpha Flight is the crossover with X-Men that's collected in the X-Men: The Asgardian Wars HC.

[Dean S.]

So who was the best character?

Northstar seems to be the one character that writers like using now, but i'd guess that Shaman is most people's pick.

PUCK! 

[Wood]

Yeah we forget that creator-owned work wasn't common until the 90s.  Alpha Flight is a great example of Marvel just trying to force another team book back in the day.  Fortunately it was great timing and putting Byrne on it worked best.

So who was the best character?

Northstar seems to be the one character that writers like using now, but i'd guess that Shaman is most people's pick.

I liked them all, but I was probably most intrigued with Puck and Box.

[BillyZ]

So who was the best character?

Marrina (before they turned her into that snake thing.)

[Steve-t]

I think it's harder to imagine because we romanticize the industry. Admittedly before I started getting to know creators these last few years I too would've thought the love for the project was directly correlated to the quality of the output. But I know -- firsthand -- that some of the most acclaimed works of the last few years (both art and story examples) have come from folks who couldn't give two shits about the product save for the fact it's a paycheck and they take pride in putting their best efforts into their work product.

What I can't even begin to imagine is having worked my way up to being a writer for Marvel (a childhood dream for me and many), being handed one of their books to write and then not really caring about it. I subscribe to the belief there's no bad characters and you can weave a great story out of any base elements.

I think Byrne's Alpha Flight stories were on a par with his best Fantastic Four stories (surely the pinnacle of his career, even over his X-men co-plotting work).

My favourite Alpha Flightian? Aurora. I had a crush on her (which is odd given her psychological problems)...and Heather pre-Vindicator.

[Dean S.]

What I can't even begin to imagine is having worked my way up to being a writer for Marvel (a childhood dream for me and many), being handed one of their books to write and then not really caring about it. I subscribe to the belief there's no bad characters and you can weave a great story out of any base elements.

I think it's just a generational thing.  I don't think in the 50's kids were encouraged to find a job that they loved or had passion for.  You were supposed to find a job that paid enough money to support your family and it didn't really matter if you enjoyed it or not.  That's why they call it going to "work" and not "going to play". 

I'm not debating whether that was a better or worse system, but it was just different.  You see any time one of the old timers is confronted with some matter of the 20-somethings not finding their work rewarding enough.

[Jeffrey Smith]

I think it's harder to imagine because we romanticize the industry. Admittedly before I started getting to know creators these last few years I too would've thought the love for the project was directly correlated to the quality of the output. But I know -- firsthand -- that some of the most acclaimed works of the last few years (both art and story examples) have come from folks who couldn't give two shits about the product save for the fact it's a paycheck and they take pride in putting their best efforts into their work product.

You would think that there must be some communication between editor and writer before said writer was chosen for any project first. Even if the creative team does not give a shit about the characters in the book, they must what they feel are good or original ideas before taking on the book. I could see the artist looking at it as just a job but the writer too? Someone involved must care no?

As for a favorite member mine was Shaman. I loved the idea of his medicine pouch.

[Steve-t]

I think it's just a generational thing.  I don't think in the 50's kids were encouraged to find a job that they loved or had passion for.  You were supposed to find a job that paid enough money to support your family and it didn't really matter if you enjoyed it or not.  That's why they call it going to "work" and not "going to play". 

I'm not debating whether that was a better or worse system, but it was just different.  You see any time one of the old timers is confronted with some matter of the 20-somethings not finding their work rewarding enough.

I see what you're saying but look at Stan Lee. He was from before that generation and he never made it look like he wasn't passionate about what he did. Whatever you think about him he looked like he was enjoying himself 100%.

[PozrDu]

Because he's a professional. You would be surprised how many creators do the work and have no real connection with the characters or stories. In fact, I know a handful personally that admit they have absolutely no love for the characters or books they're asked to write/draw, but that doesn't mean they don't do their very best job to produce. It's a job.

You hear often about being able to "feel the love on the page."
It's just surprising given the quality of the work that
Papa John & Mama Alpha Flight were a marriage of convenience.