Alpha Flight Questionnaire

[Richv1]

I see you picked Ghost Girl one of my favorites. Good going. I wish we could see her back in a comic book.

[Canucklehead]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?

Just the last couple years but have bought pretty well all of the back issues from each series.

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?

When the crew appeared on the Xmen cartoon in the mid 90s. I was awestruck to find out Canada had superheroes!

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?

For growth of a character and leadership: Heather Hudson
For heart and soul: definfitly Puck I
For power: Northstar

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?

Pathway and Goblin (mainly because they took the places of better characters IMO)

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?

Omega Flight

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?

Dept H.

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?

V1: Byrnes first 28 issues
V2: Brass Bishop
v3: Hmmm....

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?

Guardian, Vindicator, Sasquatch, Northstar, Nemisis, MML, Shaman, Jeffries (hate the BOX name), Puck and Flex (just for kicks)

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)

Aurora... for.... education reasons..... yes....

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?

Heather or Puck.

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?

Byrne & Lobdell

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?

Mantlo

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?

Byrne created some nice costumes. But so did Henry.

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?

couple fill ins. names don't ring a bell.

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?

Northstar Aurora = fairies?
The addition of Pathway and Goblin.
The cancellations

[Ben]

Hey Canucklehead,

Welcome to the forum! I'm assuming you are the same Canucklehead from Moncton over at the Alpha Flight message board. Glad to see some more cross over between the two places. No way should the two communties compete, but rather provide different media for fans to enjoy the flight.

Ben

[Canucklehead]

Indeed I am one in the same. Just wanted to let you know how much I love your site. Nice to see such a comunity based around everybodies favorite Canadian Super Team. With any luck, fans like us can keep the series running for a long, long time.

Cheers!

[crozack]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?

Since before the second series debuted. I found my uncle's old comic collection and it was Byrne's complete run on the title. How could I not fall in love with it? I swear not even a month later, the second series was announced.

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?

My first memory was not really liking the characters all that much, to be honest. I mean, seriously, I was thinking "A giant monkey? A midget? A fish? A guy who wears half the Canadian flag? Are they serious?" But, then I read the books and my whole opinion changed. LOL

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?

Guardian, by far. He just seemed like a great mix of Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man. Plus, I loved the idea behind his costume's abilities. I know he's had some horrible continuity thrown his way, and I think the ramifications of that upon his character have hardly been looked at in the proper way, and hopefully Lobdell or someone will.

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?

Without a doubt, Manikin. Oh, god, lame powers, lame origin, lame character. If bad writing was a felony, then I would hope Bill Mantlo does not live in Texas.

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?

The Master. You know, people see him as a poor man's Doctor Doom. Not so. The idea that he commands alien technology that constantly surrounds him instantly makes him unique. Kurt Busiek during his final arc on Avengers made great progress with the Master.

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?

Toss up here. Alpha Flight's had some lame ones over the years. Pink Pearl just because. Omega because of Bill Mantlo almost making a cool character and then not delivering. Bedlam because of what it did to Mac's character and legacy. Raazor for ruining Puck. Llan the Sorcerer because I hate the idea of a "master manipulator". If Llan had so much time on his hands to manipulate, why doesn't he just manipulate the world into thinking him their master? Why bother with Alpha Flight? Llan = lame.

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?

Tough one. Unfortunately, Alpha Flight hasn't had too many spectacular arcs to reflect their great cast, but the ones they have had are tough to decide over. I suppose I'm going to have to go with Alpha Flight (vol. 1) issues 11-12. Just great stuff there and the ending was heartbreaking.

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?

The originals. What can I say? I'm a traditionalist. Guardian (Mac), Puck, Sasquatch, Northstar, Aurora, Snowbird, Shaman, and Marrina. Of course, you can throw Heather in there if you want, since Marrina's still technically dead (though she was seen in a stasis pod on the Master's ship during Busiek's last arc on Avengers). Also, I'd take Talisman as Shaman's replacement, since that's what she was always meant to be in the first place.

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)

LOL What a crazy question. Puck and Sasquatch would be cool to hang out with, but, damned if Snowbird isn't fine. Yeah, I'd go with Snowbird.

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?

No doubt, Heather. There's really no one else it could be, which is why I was shocked Puck was shown as such a leader during volume two. Not that Puck couldn't do it (he could, of course), it's that Heather would step up before him.

Also, Byrne did a great job showing that Mac was a fine leader during his run, yet Mac simply didn't have the confidence to believe it. It was just another layer that Byrne added to these magnificent characters. If Mac gets back on the team, I can see him butting heads with Heather during leadership, which would be awesome, since they're married!

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?

LOL How can anyone not say 'John Byrne'? But I'll give Seagle props for putting such a unique spin on the title.

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?

LOL How can anyone not say 'Bill Mantlo'? No, really...

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?

John Byrne, simply because he's been the best and most consistent artist on the title. After he left, Alpha Flight was plagued with amateur artists. Scott Clark could have been great but he couldn't stick to schedule, and Duncan Rouleau was awful. If Clayton Henry can stay on the book, he might just trump Byrne...

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?

Duncan Rouleau. I remember thinking after Marvel announced he would be taking art duties, 'Great, this book is as good as cancelled'. And it was. Rouleau's part of the reason X-Factor couldn't be saved. An artist should fit the tone of the book. Rouleau's style is not well suited for Alpha Flight.

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?

Bill Mantlo's entire run. LOL. I mean, seriously, that way I knock off so many birds with one stone: Mac's convoluted comebacks, Sasquatch as a woman, Northstar and Aurora being elves, Manikin, and so many others.

[Ben]

Welcome crozack!

I agree with out about Clayton, he is amazing. I however quite liked Duncan's AF work, I found he was a great story teller with his art. I can see how his style wouldn't sit well with everyone though.

Ben

[Major Mapleleaf Jr]

I think that of all of the artists I've ever seen on AF, I liked Byrne, Rouleau, and Henry the most. Their various styles just sit well with me. I even liked Rouleau's Puck, and especially his Heather, Flex, and Manbot.

[crozack]

You know, okay, maybe I was being unfair to Rouleau. His Puck was very well done (loved the moustache), but there were times were his scenes were so irratic. I remember sometimes looking at characters and scenes where one eye was freakishly bigger than the other, or their posture made them look they had severed spines.

But, at others (and I think Alpha Flight (vol 2) issue 12 is a good example of some of his finest stuff) he crafted some very well done stuff. The caption of Sasquatch holding Radius out of the way of death was heartwrenching.

That being said, on a title that needed an exceptional artist for people to take notice, Rouleau wasn't what was needed, so maybe I was just angry at that fact. I've read the interview on the site and he seems like a really nice guy with genuine love for the characters.

[birdygirl]

Welcome, crozack! Always glad to see another traditionalist here! What do you think of the new series? I like some of the new characters, (Zuzha, Yukon Jack), but I'm always glad to see the originals show up.

[Redcoat]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?
since the start

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?
COOL!

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?
Feedback-just a guy who gets caught up in happenings that are bigger than him.

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?
Newer version of Manikin, don't mess with what works. making him evolve or devolve was silly.

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?
Scrambler-just so creepy in a reanimator kind of way

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?
Caliber-super cool suit with no clue how to really use it in the long run. big let down.

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?
I liked most of the Alpha Flight stories, even the bad ones. The one that stands out is a well drawn "what if" with wolverine as the leader of Alpha Flight after the old x-men die due to Northstar keeping a secret.

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?
So many of them after the first run, not sure. Tho anyteam with purple girl on it doesnt hurt

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)
I think Cable said it best that his father, Cyclops was the man to help you out in a situation like that. Since he's not a choice then how about Wyre. Smart guy with lots of survival training. Tho Talisman is a cutie!

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?
Heather


15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?
Put them up against some of the main stream villians for a change. Red Skull tries for what he thinks is an easier target than America, Canada. Another shot at Doom. Go another round with Loki, stuff like that.

[kozzi24]

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?

Bill Mantlo's entire run. LOL. I mean, seriously, that way I knock off so many birds with one stone: Mac's convoluted comebacks, Sasquatch as a woman, Northstar and Aurora being elves, Manikin, and so many others.

Mantlo had nothing to do with any of Mac's returns.

[Major Mapleleaf Jr]

Didn't the Fabe bring Mac back for real the first time around? And then Furman in the No Future arc?

To my count, Mac has only returned from the dead twice. Once, during Building Blocks. Then, during No Future. I don't count the clone, for obvious reasons. So I honestly don't see how some people have said that Mac has returned from the dead soooooo many times.

I did Fabe handled Mac's first return very well. Ditto for Furman. So I don't roll my eyes when I hear mention of his return. However, I DID roll my eyes during that disastrous Austen issue of Uncanny where Mac ALMOST died. Though I did find Walter's reaction to it funny: "Maybe we should just call it a day and give Heather the bad news."

[kozzi24]

Nicienza should have created his own backstory for Mac's return rather than trying to incorporate the Qurlns or whaterever from Jupiter (or wherever). That aspect of the story really failed, because NONE of the then-current Alpha said anything even remotely like, "Fool me once..."
I personally don't consider that Mac to be a real one. Courtney did come from Roxxon to begin with.

[Major Mapleleaf Jr]

You just made me think of something, Kozzi, when you alluded to Roxxon possibly manipulating the circumstances surrounding Mac's first return. Was it before or after his return that Alpha Flight went establishment again?

[Ben]

You just made me think of something, Kozzi, when you alluded to Roxxon possibly manipulating the circumstances surrounding Mac's first return. Was it before or after his return that Alpha Flight went establishment again?

If you mean the time Courtney came as Mac, that was abefore the govn't started funding them again. That happend about 4 issues later.

Ben