Ben's Bit - Alpha Flight #5 Review
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Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Clayton Henry
Story: You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me! Part 5 of 6
OVERVIEW:
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Our story continues where the last issue had left off. Inside the Plodex ship the members of "The All-New, All-Different" Alpha Flight are in "Transpacial Displacement". That is to say, they would appear to be in separate gravitational planes. Frustrated with being jerked around by the Plodex, Sasquatch lashes out at the ship, causing enough damage to bring all the members of the team to one place. Walter's lashing out also uncovered the original members of Alpha Flight, bound up in Plodex machinery. Just as the new members are about to free the old, Sasquatch is taken down by an EM blast, sent by, it would appear, Guardian. Guardian goes on to thank Sasquatch and company for freeing the old team from the Plodex Hatchery. He explains that the assault on the Plodex ship forced it to free Guardian and the other original members. They were being held to genetically imprint 100,000 Plodex eggs. The other members of "Uncanny Alpha Flight" appear, and there is an introduction session between the new team and the old. Just as things are getting warm and fuzzy, Nemesis stabs Heather in the back with her sword. The Nano-Technology Walter implanted in her system prevent Nemesis from harming any member of Alpha Flight. The fact that she was able to do so has shown that these people are not the original Alphans. Guardian blasts Nemesis, sending her flying out of the scene. A battle ensued between the imposter Alphans, and the new team. During the
[img=right:b0badb1867]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_5_review_3.jpg[/img:b0badb1867]battle we lean that the imposters are Plodex, imprinted with the makeup, powers, and memories of the original Alphans. As the battle rages, one by one the Plodex pair off to battle the new Alpha Flight.
We find Nemesis face down in the water in the bowels of the Plodex ship. She has been separated from her sword, rendering her almost completely paralyzed. With great effort she manages to reach her hand up to her sword. Just as she can almost reach it, a small yellow clawed hand reaches down from above, and pulls the sword from the rocks it's embedded in. A small Plodex boy is holding Nemesiss' sword out to her.
The battle continues, and one by one the Plodex are picked off, and killed. The floor where the team is standing begins to separate from the rest of the ship. They find themselves stranded on an island surrounded by countless Plodex eggs.
REVIEW:
[img=left:b0badb1867]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_5_review_4.jpg[/img:b0badb1867]This was an other great issue. There was plenty of action, which should satisfy some of the nay sayers out there. The new team really seems to be gelling together, and they are quickly forming friendships, and maybe more. The obligatory "New Team vs. Old Team" battle was great, and I loved the twist Scott put on the whole thing. Using Nemesiss' long standing dislike for Heather to stab her was a really clever way to reveal the lot as a bunch of Trojan horses. I also really enjoyed how Walter squashed the fake Snowbird. It seemed to me to be a sort of revenge for when she killed him way back. There is some really great interaction among the characters. I liked seeing Rutherford's concern for Nemesis, and her apparent jealousy when he was chatting up the fake Heather. The Puck vs. Puck battle was very well done.
The humour in this issue was more subtle than in past issues, for the most part; but no less effective. Yukon Jack's statement "I'm a God among men" to snowbird was quite funny.
I REALLY have my curiosity raised by the scene with the Plodex boy. I can't wait until we find out exact who or what he is.
Clayton's art was great for the most part. His version of Sasquatch is awesome, and I can't get enough of his facial expressions. The last couple of pages looked a little more rushed than the rest of the book. I was a little confused about the misplaced word bubble on page 2, until I realized it was an error that slipped past the editors. I'm surprised the let that happen.
This issue ended with a great cliffhanger, and like always, I'm impatiently awaiting the next issue.
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