Ben's Bit - Alpha Flight #9 Review

[DelBubs]

Reasonable Review Here.

[cmdrkoenig67]

i agree with both of the above.

although i am a hueg alpha fan i refuse to say it's the best thing ever just because it has the name alpha flight on it.


fact is, this title is on the brink of cancellation because of poor sales because not enough "non" alpha fans dislike it. so somethings wrong. i just hoep it has a chance to turn it around.

I think it's more than that, Varo. It seems like plenty of older(and probably a few newer) fans have dropped the book, since the first issue(and that's not good)....I mean, they almost lost me too....it's only this story arc involving Flashback that's kept me buying. My guess for their reasons, is that it's not what they want to read in an Alpha Flight book.

Dana

[varo]

well. with rumors of cancellation (i haven't seen any yet on any reputable site) no word from the writer and sales plummeting my outlook is not so bright.

i feel like a cubs fan thinking "next year we will be much better!"

and we never are.

[Canucklehead]

i feel like a cubs fan thinking "next year we will be much better!"

and we never are.

Heh, I feel the same way, but compare AF to being a Habs fan. Once a great franchise long past it's hayday. It can still be great, but never the same as it once was. Lost for years, finally when they bring up a new bunch of prospects, and the future is starting to look brighter, they cancel the season. I just hope Quesada is smarter then Bettman! lol

D.

[Ottawa Renegade]

Overall, I liked this thing too.

--I despise BH6 and found that their appearance in V2 made for about the worst issue of the bunch. When I go back to read the older stuff, I often skip that one. I hope there was a point to their appearance.

--I like how Silver Samurai wakes up and immediately recognizes that he's in Canada. He *might* know Sasquatch, I guess, or Alpha flight. Did he not come across them in V1? So maybe that's how he knew. Otherwise it'd be like waking up halfway around the world, looking at a tree and correctly guessing that I'm in Argentina. I might have missed something there, but that struck me as funny.

--Speaking of SS, should his sword not have been sliced in half by Nemesis'? Or does it have special properties as well?

--Flashback...I know the story has to move along, but...could he have not just decided to NOT wear the suit tht keeps reappearing?

--I also enjoyed the time travel confusion. It was well done. I managed to follow it (I think) while totally understanding why Centennial wouldn't.

--Air Canada ticket in Mac's jacket pocket? That should have done it right there. No way he'd have reached his destination on time, then.

--Clayton's return was a highlight for me as well. Not to take anything away from the other guy but Clayton, in a short period of time, has established that he's the artist for this book. To paraphrase Grace Jones, he's not perfect, but he's perfect for this series.

I look forward to seeing the sales totals on this one.

[HappyCanuck]

--I despise BH6 and found that their appearance in V2 made for about the worst issue of the bunch. When I go back to read the older stuff, I often skip that one. I hope there was a point to their appearance.

I liked their limited series, but their appearance in AFv.2 was a bit of a letdown.

--Speaking of SS, should his sword not have been sliced in half by Nemesis'? Or does it have special properties as well?

It was shown in early issues of Wolverine that Silver Samurai's mutant ability is to encase any non-organic substance in a tachyon field that's supposed to increase the molecular density of it to close to adamantium-strength.

--Flashback...I know the story has to move along, but...could he have not just decided to NOT wear the suit tht keeps reappearing?

maybe Monroe decided to say 'f*** it', and submitted to fate. He KNOWS he's got to go into the past (tho why Nemesis had to send him, I don't know, since that's part of his power).

--Air Canada ticket in Mac's jacket pocket? That should have done it right there. No way he'd have reached his destination on time, then.

Especially since, iirc, he took the Guardian suit and flew down that way -- and he commented on how it was easier and cheaper than a plane ticket

[Le Messor]

Why must I be so negative all the time? Okay, my screen name does mean 'The Reaper', but still...

I was not into #9. I still can't tell how you can even tell the artists apart.
I looked at Mapleleaf's 'new' costume, and had to go back to the beginning of the issue, and I still thought "It's the same bloody costume! Haven't you people seen Zoolander, and all his looks? Granted, I figured that maple leaf on his back was probably this huge difference that everyone who sees him from the front immediately leaps all over seemed to be the only thing that looked new...

Nemesis' sword should have cut the Samurai's, with or without his powers. I can't think of a single issue, btw, where he came to Canada - but I have all Alpha's appearances, not his. If he was with them in v2, well, I'm blocking that memory. I can't even remember that they appeared there.

The whole Big Hero 6 battle seemed tacked on, a complete waste of time. Why didn't they ever (on camera) ask who was doing the mind-controlling.

I was bugged by Hudson still being in Parliament House, at least a year after he'd lost his job there (he should've picked up his stuff a long time ago). But, as Ben says, it's not a huge.

Has Clayton Henry ever seen a picture of the Box robot? It looks like he just heard it described.


I've never thought Flashback disappeared - Byrne explained it very well. His past pulled his future into the present, where he died. Then, when he caught up with himself, he 'disappeared' from prison - to his contemporaries. It should be obvious to all us readers that he simply went into the past and died. That said, if you ignore the fact, as Lobdell does, that his being pulled into the past has already happened, his reactions here are very real - in desperation, he tries to prevent it. Yes, I believe that. That isn't sarcasm (or my usual negativity).

Speaking of ignoring continuity, Lobdell noticed, unlike everybody in both Universes (ours and Marvel's) who is not me ('least, it seems that way), that Omega Flight were Influenced. However, 1: They weren't mind-controlled as Sas stated (over-used to Agh!nesss, and didn't we get too much of it in v2?), just Influenced. They still had freewill, it was just tipped a little in the direction Delphine wanted it to go.
2: Nobody else, as I've said, noticed they were Influenced. That includes the characters - so why would Sas suddenly know all about it and be so forgiving? Seems unlikely.

Why the Hell did they send MMJ? Wouldn't Sas have made infinitely more sense? Send somebody Hudson knows and trusts - somebody who would've been around at the time - rather than a complete stranger. Who's word Mac takes without even questioning it. Dooyyyyyy.... My name is uh mah- uh- jay- uh... Hudsy sudsy... uh...
I'm am stoopid...

Did Nemesis' Spike Chip get destroyed last ish? The one that stops her killing Alphans? Why didn't they replace it? If they did, how did she kill two this ish?

If Air Canada is so unreliable, maybe that's why Hudson used his suit to go to the US instead?

- Le Messor
"Being natural is simply a pose."

[Ottawa Renegade]

I looked at Mapleleaf's 'new' costume, and had to go back to the beginning of the issue, and I still thought "It's the same bloody costume!

Frankly, so did I. The gloves and boots are more detailed and I think the collar comes down a little more, but there's nothing drastically different other than the leaf.

Nemesis' sword should have cut the Samurai's, with or without his powers.

Thought so.

I can't think of a single issue, btw, where he came to Canada - but I have all Alpha's appearances, not his. If he was with them in v2, well, I'm blocking that memory. I can't even remember that they appeared there.

Had a quick glande at #17 in V2, that's where he appears. although I believe he meets them in Japan, and since Sasquatch wasn't with the team then, he wouldn't know anyone on the current roster.

The whole Big Hero 6 battle seemed tacked on, a complete waste of time. Why didn't they ever (on camera) ask who was doing the mind-controlling.

Hopefully that's a story for down the road. Although if I was going to mind control a team to take on Alpha, BH6 would be about the last one I'd think of. How about the Squadron Supreme? they're ALWAYS getting mind-controlled, those guys!

Has Clayton Henry ever seen a picture of the Box robot? It looks like he just heard it described.

Or Wildchild back then, for that matter.

2: Nobody else, as I've said, noticed they were Influenced. That includes the characters - so why would Sas suddenly know all about it and be so forgiving? Seems unlikely.

Good point.

Why the Hell did they send MMJ? Wouldn't Sas have made infinitely more sense? Send somebody Hudson knows and trusts - somebody who would've been around at the time - rather than a complete stranger. Who's word Mac takes without even questioning it. Dooyyyyyy.... My name is uh mah- uh- jay- uh... Hudsy sudsy... uh...
I'm am stoopid...

Better point.

Did Nemesis' Spike Chip get destroyed last ish? The one that stops her killing Alphans? Why didn't they replace it? If they did, how did she kill two this ish?

I think Sasquatch removed it by request and promise that she wouldn' t kill (#7).

[Mokole]

I was not into #9. I still can't tell how you can even tell the artists apart.

I just look at the characters, especially the faces. Puck and MML are not the same if Ross draws them. Sasquatch is a Wookie under Ross' pen, IMHO.

Nemesis' sword should have cut the Samurai's, with or without his powers. I can't think of a single issue, btw, where he came to Canada - but I have all Alpha's appearances, not his. If he was with them in v2, well, I'm blocking that memory. I can't even remember that they appeared there.

Well, her sword can't cut anything mystical and the Ebon Samurai's sword could be mystical somehow, although I'm not sure the Silver Samurai's sword ever was. As far as knowing they were in Canada someone could have said, off-panel, 'welcome to Canada', or being in a park maybe they had a flag flying. I know we didn't see it.

The whole Big Hero 6 battle seemed tacked on, a complete waste of time. Why didn't they ever (on camera) ask who was doing the mind-controlling.

Maybe nobody had a clue, and with Flashback popping up so fast...

I was bugged by Hudson still being in Parliament House, at least a year after he'd lost his job there (he should've picked up his stuff a long time ago). But, as Ben says, it's not a huge.

Yah, pretty much melding two separate but similar events.

Has Clayton Henry ever seen a picture of the Box robot? It looks like he just heard it described.

Really? To me it looks very Bochs-ish, only updated to be less, uh, wide. Maybe the red signifies Madison's touch.

I've never thought Flashback disappeared - Byrne explained it very well. His past pulled his future into the present, where he died. Then, when he caught up with himself, he 'disappeared' from prison - to his contemporaries. It should be obvious to all us readers that he simply went into the past and died. That said, if you ignore the fact, as Lobdell does, that his being pulled into the past has already happened, his reactions here are very real - in desperation, he tries to prevent it. Yes, I believe that. That isn't sarcasm (or my usual negativity).

It was assumed he was pulled from prison, no one knew. Lobdell had him keeping an extremely low profile so maybe it was escape, pardon, or early release (like anyone would tell Diamond Lil et al what happened to Flashback, given AF's relations with the gov't back then). I never knew for sure what happened to him.

Why the Hell did they send MMJ? Wouldn't Sas have made infinitely more sense? Send somebody Hudson knows and trusts - somebody who would've been around at the time - rather than a complete stranger.

I don't know, I guess MML had knowledge of getting around Parliament and Sasquatch may have been too uneasy about time travelling at all, being unofficially in charge. I guess he figured he needed squatch more in #10.

Did Nemesis' Spike Chip get destroyed last ish?

I thought so, Sasquatch removed it off-panel. My opinion.

[Mokole]

My computer can handle only so much.

As far as MML's costume, I guess the difference was meant to be the 'cotton vs. unstable molecules' look, like a black cotton shirt vs. a black silk shirt.

[kozzi24]

I was hard pressed to notice the differences in old and new costumes, but there is a world of difference in the art styles between Henry and Ross. Ross details things differently, and is more reliant on good inking, which has not always happened.

Easy solution for Hudson at Parliament House: MMJ was sent to the time when Hudson left government emply, not just before he left for NYC. MMJ would have been sent then and there because they would have known he would be there, and there would be time in Hudson'd future to not take the job. Hudson didn't ask "what job in New York" either because he figured MMJ to be a crazy mounty, or because it's natural to expect that someone with experience with super-humans would eventually be offered a job in New York.

I do agree the issue was a disappointment. Maybe the Days of Future Past homage cover would draw in some X-philes, but those readers will be hard pressed to TRUST this Alpha Flight again seeing the story inside the covers had nothing to do with Days of Future past. Time travel alone is not enough of a connection, so I feel like the issue was misrepresented, as much as the Beast icon cover on one of Morrison's last New X-Men issues and the Beast didn't even appear in those pages.

I can only assume BH6 appeared because they had to be used for Marvel to retain ownership. Didn't like them then, and still don't. Maybe they'll have something to do with the end of the story, but is their appearance going to increase sales? The panels space they took up would have been better used for the actual time travel story.

I've never thought Flashback disappeared - Byrne explained it very well. His past pulled his future into the present, where he died.

Were Flashback's negative selves ever seen speaking? Who determined they were "Future" selves if they couldn't say where they were from? Flashback could have known by having jaunted back in time, but this excuse just exaggerates my question about his costume. I always ASSUMED that he wasn't wearing a negative costume when pulled, but that the time travel turned the costume negative when he appeared in the present. Flashbacck was a very unexplored character, in part because he was a statement on time travel. Now he's being used to catalyze this story, but the character itself is not being explored.

Consider the changes to the box armor as either artistic interpretation or slight changes that resulted in the changes to the time stream.

Nemesis' sword can cut through Samaurai's? Sword fighters in comics alway fail because they can't be routinely lethal. How many times in Defenders did Brunhilde smack people with the flat of her blade? Who realistically expected Nemesis sword to cut through EVERYTHING it ever touched, even when Byrne first introduced it? Some devices and powers--including Persuasion's--are always best avoided because they can't be followed through, and messy questions with shoddy explanations ALWAYS follow. Notice Byrne never used her enough for this to happen.

Influencing is a level of mind control, and Sasquatch is probably lightening the explanation because none of his current team would want to help Flashback if they realized he'd willingly participated in events that led to Mac's death. This is not the first time that Lobdell's re-presentation of history can be chalked up to Walt coloring the truth, and it is in character going back to Furman's Wild Child/Wyre arc and probably before that.

That's all I can defend. Since the #6 debacle, I've been trying to keep anything negative about the series to strictly constructive criticism, but this issue was a disappointment on so many levels that I'd rather leave it unspoiled for those who are actively enjoying the series.

[Phil]

I just wanna point out, that it's not the Silver Samurai.

He died over in Elektra.

This is the Ebon Samurai.

[HappyCanuck]

I just wanna point out, that it's not the Silver Samurai.

He died over in Elektra.

This is the Ebon Samurai.

Ookay, so Keneichiu Harada is dead at Elektra's hand (makes sence what with the ninja/samurai connection and all), so who's the Ebon Samurai??

For that matter - since Leiyu Yoshida was last seen with her throat slit, who's Sunpyre?? Don't tell me they brought in yet another Exiles (Mariko Yoshida - Sunfire from her own dimension) over with Nocturne!! (who's over in X-Men with the Brotherhood of Mutants)

[Phil]

Well, the Sunpyre thing was an editorial cock up - Scott genuinely didn't know.

But as she was never named, it could well be another person.