Alpha Flight Returns to Marvel

[runawayboulder]

It's a mini series.

Heh, I skipped right over that when I saw Byrne's name and how his run is going to be the basis for the story.

 

[Dread]

Aaron pretty much left it at Puck was the ruler of Hell and in possession of the Soul Sword so he can get out. I'll bet he returns before the mini/maxi series ends.

It seems Hell will let anyone rule it. Blackheart was in charge a while when Mephisto was toasted, and Dan Ketch ran it for a bit at the end of the 90's, too.

I have to say, the image of a midget with a large P on his chest holding a sword and sitting on a throne with flame all around is probably the funniest mental image I have conjured in a while. t:

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Dan Ketch never ran Hell. Noble Kale did.

 

[Dread]

Dan Ketch never ran Hell. Noble Kale did.

Weren't they the same guy?

I admit it got so complicated even I lost track. I think Hawkman has a less complicated history than the Ghost Riders have.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Daimon needs to just step up and take the throne. He could run it like that Piers Anthony book, For Love of Evil.

 

[roach]

Daimon needs to just step up and take the throne. He could run it like that Piers Anthony book, For Love of Evil.

that would require a writer remembering who he is

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Weren't they the same guy?

I admit it got so complicated even I lost track. I think Hawkman has a less complicated history than the Ghost Riders have.

You'd think wrong.

Noble Kale was an ancestor of Blaze and Ketch who was permanently bound to the Spirit of Vengeance somehow. So Ketch and Kale were technically sharing a body for a while, but I'm pretty sure the ruling Hell thing came about after Kale and Ketch were separated.

 

[Dread]

You'd think wrong.

Noble Kale was an ancestor of Blaze and Ketch who was permanently bound to the Spirit of Vengeance somehow. So Ketch and Kale were technically sharing a body for a while, but I'm pretty sure the ruling Hell thing came about after Kale and Ketch were separated.

This sort of stuff is helped in no way by Daniel Way's revelation that the Ghost Rider's power was always derived from Heavenly energy, and not the demon Zarathos. Unless Zarathos was once a fallen angel who became a demon or something (which is how some demons were formed). Or if Zarathos was a demon bonded to the Ghost Rider energy to taint it. I don't know.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Nothing is helped by Daniel Way.

 

[Kevin]

That's Pip.

That makes since. Thank you.

 

[runawayboulder]

Nothing is helped by Daniel Way.

I've been enjoying Daken: DW. Granted it's been by both him and Lui but it's been good. I'm mostly there for the Camuncoli art.

 

[Specter313]

Spoiler

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Alpha Flight #2, from the writing tag-team of Fred Van Lente & Greg Pak, and superstar artist Dale Eaglesham! Branded as traitors and trapped deep within Department H, Alpha Flight confronts a horrifying betrayal and Puck makes his shocking return to the Marvel Universe! Get in on the action this July, only in Alpha Flight #2!

ALPHA FLIGHT #2 (of 7) (MAY110588)
ALPHA FLIGHT #2 (of 7) EAGLESHAM VARIANT (MAY110589)
Written by FRED VAN LENTE & GREG PAK
Art by DALE EAGLESHAM
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Variant Cover by DALE EAGLESHAM
Rated T+…$2.99
FOC—6/20/11, On Sale—7/27/11

 

[Scourge2099]

Van Lente just wants to go broke.Why does he write so good ? t:

 

[Dread]

Without merely reposting my review, ALPHA FLIGHT #1 was great. True, coming off the 0.1 issue meant it's more of a 2nd issue in a way, but Dale Englesham's artwork is far superior to Ben Oliver's. And what made this debut great, besides the artwork or the script, is the fact that Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente actually have the right idea to reviving an old, faded franchise. They're not going for gimmicks or drastic changes. They're bringing in the cast and inter-relationships that the fans know best, that worked for the franchise in it's prime (and AF "only" lasted 130 issues in it's first volume), and tweaking what they can. Marrina likely gets what is closest to an overhaul, which I agree with because she was often a bit bland. The founding cast are back - save for Puck, whose absence is addressed and is a subplot - and so are those dynamics. The tone of the book, despite FEAR ITSELF, was actually lighter hearted than some.

It brings me to say: if relaunching a franchise quality wise can be this easy, then why has Marvel failed to do so with NEW WARRIORS - 3 times in a row? Or Dr. Strange? Or even Namor? Nearly every relaunch of NW's often seems to begin with some meeting where someone decided, "Let's bring it back, only let's:"

- Alter the cast and make their costumes so god-awful that all our fans hate them (the 1999-2000 launch)
- Alter the cast and make it about a reality TV show, which is a premise that has nothing to do with the NW's (the 2005 or so mini)
- Let's have it be a cast of spare X-characters led by Night-Thrasher's brother with the NW's everyone knows barely being guest stars (the 2007 relaunch)

Thus, a decision that is a no-brainer for quite literally every fan on the face of the earth can seem akin to Nobel Peace Prize level genius for most Marvel editors. That's unfathomable. And I am glad Pak & Van Lente have more sense than that.

 

[Raiden]

Is Box in this current version of Alpha Flight?

 

[Specter313]

Is Box in this current version of Alpha Flight?

No. Roger's dead, and Madison is with the X-Men now.

 

[Specter313]

ALPHA FLIGHT #3 (of 8)
Written by FRED VAN LENTE & GREG PAK
Penciled by DALE EAGLESHAM
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Variant Cover by DALE EAGLESHAM
FEAR ITSELF TIE-IN!
HEROES ON THE LAM! Having escaped imprisonment at the hands of the corrupt Unity Party, Alpha Flight find themselves hunted by the government they’d sworn to protect. Outmanned and outgunned, the Flight decide to go guerilla, but what will they do once the government raises the stakes by revealing their leverage against the team, including Northstar’s boyfriend and the child of Guardian and Vindicator held hostage?! Marvel Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, along with legendary artist Dale Eaglesham, continue their revival of fan favorite Alpha Flight in this pulse-pounding issue!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

 

[runawayboulder]

Hmmmmm.......nobody seems to be talking about this book....?

I've enjoyed it so far. Some concerns about where they are taking Vindicator. Eaglesham's art seems a little...off. I've seen better work from him. I'm not crazy about Marrina's design. From what I've read, Osborn messed with her DNA. I hope they reverse that because I liked her better with her original look.

 

[Guardian17]

The first comic I ever purchased was Marvel Two-In-One Thing & Alpha Flight.

This new version has been the best version of Alpha Flight since Byrne run in Volume one.

We finally get to see the original lineup on an extended run for the first time since the mid 1980's.

Hopefully, they'll extend this beyong eight issue.

I love the new characterization of Marrina, she's a lime green Biff Naked!

 

[Hypestyle]

...I'm confused.. so many people have died and come back in various stories over the years.. last I remember that Alaska-uber-mutant guy slaughtered the team. Or were they alt-universe duplicates? Sigh. what exactly is the status quo and how is everybody "back together" now?

 

[runawayboulder]

They all came back to life in the Chaos War crossover.

 

[RockSP]

Hmmmmm.......nobody seems to be talking about this book....?

I've enjoyed it so far.

Agreed.

 

[Guardian17]

Just read #3, terrfic artwork and I love the dialog between teammates!

 

[runawayboulder]

Now an ongoing!

 

[runawayboulder]

In July it outsold Avengers Academy, X-23 and Daken by a few hundred. It seems that Marvel's cancellation range is anything below 20K. Generation Hope could be in trouble once the dust settles from the X-line reboot. Herc and H4H have already been cancelled. MAX books don't seem to have to live by that range thankfully.