• Flashback Fridays - March 1998

    Welcome back to Flashback Fridays, an occasional column where we take a step back in time to Alpha's former selves and celebrate a panel or page from past Alpha-lore!


    This edition we flash-back to 1998 where Volume 2 of Alpha Flight was in full swing with #10, however we got a double dose of Alpha Flight in this month to mark the team's 20th Anniversary with the fitting flash-back that was X-Men/Alpha Flight #1 by Ben Raab & John Cassaday!

    Set after Alpha Flight (Volume 1) #6, the first issue focused primarily on the X-Men but we got to see a fair bit of Mac (in his Vindicator days) which resulted in this final page, a fitting tribute to Byrne's work (and throwback to the call in Volume 1 Issue 1), presented here in all it's Alpha-glory:


    The issue sold 65,291 copies, beating comic mainstays such as The Incredible Hulk, Batman and Action Comics - a feat we haven't seen lately.

    For those who haven't read the 2 issue series in question it was collected in June 2011 as part of the Marvel Premier Classics line.

    If you did read the issue at the time, or have done since, what were your thoughts? Let us know below!


    If you have any suggestions for future editions of this column, feel free to PM Phil, e-mail phil@alphaflight.net or tweet us at @alphaflight_net
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    Comments 3 Comments
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor -
      It was fairly good, as I remember it; though it did make one huge mistake - thinking Guardian's disappearing trick was teleportation.
      (In the mini, he did that inside a room - which should have led to the major social embarrassment of being smeared across the... east? west? wall.)

      The art was mostly pretty good.

      Sorry, it's been a while since I read it. No further thoughts, really.

      Oh, and I put it right before #11 in my collection.

      ~ Le Messor
      "Face it, we don't tan, we don't burn, we just turn into slimy goop."
      ~ Brain Gremlin
    1. Garry/Al-Fan's Avatar
      Garry/Al-Fan -
      I put it after Judd in the hospital but before the Aurora/Northstar breakup...between (volume 1) # 5 and # 7.
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor -
      Quote Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan View Post
      I put it after Judd in the hospital but before the Aurora/Northstar breakup...between (volume 1) # 5 and # 7.
      Good point! I don't think I even factored the breakup into my calculations.
      Mostly, iirc, the premonitions Shaman was having about #12 made me think it was very close to that issue.

      ~ Le Messor
      "I gave her a look that said: 'Huh, life is funny; you never know what's in store. By the way your hair is beautiful, I bet it smells of raisins.'"
      ~ 'Weird Al' Yankovic