AF #12 solicit + Cancellation notice

[Phil]

Ahab, if you'd have been a naked, puppy-eyed, pouting female that would have been a guilt trip, but you're not, so it wasn't :P

I'm just of the wait and see school.
No sense in *****ing about things before we've read them and seen how they actually turn out.

( )

[Le Messor]

It's good to see an homage to AF this time around - better'n being stuck in X-Men. And, this is becoming a tradition. If v4 lasts that long, (though they get shorter each time), I wonder if it'll have the same cover?

Hey, it's fun *****ing about things I haven't read yet!

- Le Messor
"Between two evils, always pick the one you never tried before."

[HappyCanuck]

Words can't explain how pissed off I am over this...

Oh...and here's the cover for #12... (Image cut because, well, let's face it, having eight of the same image in the same thread is a bit overkill)

Well, now ain't THAT original. What, is it gonna be tradition to have the same cover for EVERY issue # 12 of Alpha flight?!?

AND if there IS gonna be a relaunch, looks like we can look forward to yet ANOTHER one in about a year...

[ladymako71]

cancel?

nooooooooo! dear sweet god jesus whyyyyyyyy?

*drops into helpless pile*


bastards...

[maniac mike]

Hey Ben, have you had a chance to get a hold of Scott Lobdell lately to hear his side for the story?

MM

[HappyCanuck]

Hey Ben, have you had a chance to get a hold of Scott Lobdell lately to hear his side for the story?

MM

No offence to Scott, but I wanna get Quesada by the balls and get HIS take on this, since the writer is usually a patsy in these things...

Actualy, I'm not sure how Scott would take that as an offence...

[kozzi24]

Words can't explain how pissed off I am over this...

Oh...and here's the cover for #12... (Image cut because, well, let's face it, having eight of the same image in the same thread is a bit overkill)

Well, now ain't THAT original. What, is it gonna be tradition to have the same cover for EVERY issue # 12 of Alpha flight?!?

AND if there IS gonna be a relaunch, looks like we can look forward to yet ANOTHER one in about a year...

For a while in volume 1, they were setting up a tendency for every 10th issue to be a head shot. I had kind of liked that.

[Ben]

Hey all, I have heard from Scott on this, I'll take the liberty of sharing what he said:

I know, how sad.


I'd been putting off addressing the troops for several
months because I didn't want to lie -- and because I
kept hoping against hope that MARVEL would come to its
senses. (I genuinely believe the MARVEL and DC are
in a mutual death grip, trying to choke the last few
dollars out of the "mature" AUTHORITY-LITE, ULTIMATES,
MARVEL KNIGHT angle that they've become convinced is
"the only stuff that sells." I believe that, given
time, ALPHA could find and audience...but certainly a
book can't find an audience if it isn't being
published.


I discussed the possibity of forgoing my payment --
and creating a six issue arc that takes place in
NEMESIS and CENTENIAL's shared past so that it could
justifiably be printed in black and white (which means
it would be cheaper to produce in terms of costs, sans
writing and coloring)...but alas, the only reaction I
got was "We do not publish black and white comics at
this time." Umm. You COULD publish black and white
comics if you WANT to...no one is showing up at the
printers with three hundred gallons of colored ink
pouring it onto the presses. Sigh.)


That said, I do give Quesada kudos for trying. He
did okay a book and a tone that no one else was doing
at the time: even Formerly Known As Justice League,
though a "comedy book" bore know real resemblence to
CENTENIAL and company. (FORMERLY was a reunion book.
ANADAF was, like GENERATION X before it, a variation
on a theme that we had not seen before.)


Also, keep in mind that over the years, I've left more
than a few lasting impressions. WHITE QUEEN, since
being turned in GENERATION X, has been front row and
center of the X-Verse for ten years now...BLINK has
been class hottie for nearly as long. And NORTHSTAR
essentially joined the X-MEN when I did Eve of
Destruction...(I can't believe Grant and Joe were too
cowardly to just keep him on the team at the time.)
And while I genuinely can't keep track of who is alive
or dead anymore, certainly some of the GEN X kids are
still around.


I say this because, who knows -- maybe one of the more
popular creators will take a shine to the
quasi-reformed NEMESIS, or the square-jawed MAJOR
MAPPLELEAF! Heck, who wouldn't like to see CENTENIAL
slap LUKE CAGE upside the head and say "That's no way
to treat a lady, Young Man!"?


I am sure a lot of people are going to be claiming "If
only it was the original team! THen the book would be
flying off the stands!" Mmmmaybe, but a] I doubt it
(look at DOOM PATROL as only the most recent example)
and b] I am proud of MAP and CENT and PUCK and SASQ
and YUCK and NEM! I would not have changed a word!


And don't thank ME for the support, Ben! It is I who
thank you for everything YOU'VE done for ALPHA FANS
the world over!


Scott!

As for Quesada, Let him know what you think, email him joe@joequesada.com. Send your email and snail mail to Marvel.

Ben

[Ben]

Heh, I really should have consulted Scott prior to posting his last email to me, I just wasnted you all to know that he had not forgotten about the fans. He asked me to pass the following along after I told him I had posted the letter"

1] I don't BLAME Marvel for not continuing to publish
ALPHA FLIGHT when the sales don't warrant it. MARVEL
(like every other company in the world) is in the
business to make money. Joe Q and Dan Buck would be
remiss if they kept publishing books in which they do
not make moola: in this case, ALPHA FLIGHT. Do I think
it is unfortunate that a book that is "different"
can't find room in a publishing plan that I believe
sorely needs to reach beyond the Hero-As-Cynic? Yes,
that makes me sad. But please understand that I do
not BLAME MARVEL for not publishing, I just wish we
could have all worked together to find a way to make
the dollars and cents work to keep the book going long
enough to build an audience for a different type of
book.

That said, let me make it clear, that NO COMIC BOOK
COMPANY is OBLIGATED to publish a book that "no one
reads". I had a long discussion with a friend over
WILDCATS 3.0 and how WILDSTORM "should continue to
publish it no matter how low the sales go -- because
it is fun to work on." Ummm...no. That is called
self-publishing, where the CREATOR is at risk, not the
PUBLISHER.

2 -- Man alive! Was I right about Clayton Henry or
what??! Damn, can this kid draw! Aside from the
characters I got to hang out with for the past year
(both in the book and here on the boards! LOL!) the
most exciting part about working on the series was
watching Clayton's growth as an artist! Over the
years, I've gotten to work with the Jim Lees the Joe
Mads the Chris Bachs the John Roms, The Kubes and lots
of others, and I'm telling you -- one and all --
Clayton Henry is going to be a superstar! And you'll
get to say "I saw it all happen during ALPHA FLIGHT!"
(Not that his EXILES wasn't great -- but let's be
serious, an artist always does his best work on the
characters he creates!!!! Woo hoo!)

Oh, and 3 - A big ole' thank you to Mike Marts, who
pulled me back into the warm and all too brief bosom
of Marvel. I don't know that a single other editor
would have given me the freedom to try something
different. Mike Marts is a good egg and a good friend!

I for one want to thank Scott for all he has done for the "Alphaverse" and I'll miss his work on AF

Ben

[Scarlettspiderg]

Noooooooooooo......

I cant believe Marvel would do this, I was really getting into Alpha Flight.

[Ottawa Renegade]

You've probably done so already Ben, but please thank him on our behalf for his comments. I appreciate that he'd take the time.

[Canucklehead]

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when the only books that are surviving these days are either written by Bendis or Millar, or contain Wolverine as a full time member... or both. If you put the "hottest" writers on the most recognizable titles, and only promote said titles, you are basically making it impossible for the lesser known titles and characters to get a fighting chance.

I'd say this book would have been cancelled no matter which characters or tone were being used. None of the new books can seem to get past the 6-12 issue stage. I'm afraid the only way they can get the numbers they want out of this title is to put someone like Bendis in the writers chair, put an X in the title and have Wolvie guess star for at least the first arc. These would be changes I'm sure few of us would want. It's pretty bad when the band wagoners outnumber the core fans.

D.

[seroquel]

wah! i just got all the back issues to this.

this no selling thing keeps coming up with everything new. wanna know why comics don't sell? huh? well its cause the only place you can get them is the internet! yeah.
i love alpha flight but i could either pay 8 bucks an issue including s&p to pre order it with nothing else/get it within 2 weeks of release or wait until it was a back issue. and this is a problem with alot of other comics too. i love comics as much as the next chick (okay probably alot more) but these books are pretty damn hard to track down. when i actually got to a comic shop in the last few months, they didn't have the back issues because everythign has a 5 copy run. rrr! (they did curiously enough have a special old issue of AF bundle pack ON THE SHELF! not in the musty boxes)
i will curb my bloody mary induced rant, and get to the point. comic companies need to figure out how to get comics to the public. that is half the battle. (Go Joe) why is the AF trade 1-6 coming out now when the book is getting canceled? why wasn't it rushed or released the month #6 came out so people could get psyched for the next arc? those trades go to many many stores normal monthly magazine comics don't, like in rural areas where there is nothing. i bought a freaking strangers in paradise tp at my local bookstore but i can't get most issues of spiderman (for example) or astonishing xmen. but i can get the new rogue series (ugh).
okay this is the last time i will rant on this topic since i have been here before. but the point is people can't buy what they can't get.
whew. okay.... urge to kill falling...falling

[PWalk]

Well it's been a good run. It's just a shame we couldn't get a longer commitment from Marvel on this series.

We need Lobdell in here again to answer some questions.

[siskods9]

have been a af fan since the 1st series and although series 2 had potential this one was almost unreadable from a long time fan, i could see why non-alpha fans didn't pick it up. i just wish someone would treat this series with the respect they deserve and the tales that are sitting there waiting to be told. i mean how many times has mac died? what about the hudson baby? wheres northstar and aurora? wildchild? snowbird dies and came back again. wheres talisman?


ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

i wish someone would just put out a alpha title, not a "artists rendition" of alpha flight.

who does every one want to see as avengers? cap/thor/iron man

who does everyone want to see in the jla? bat/supes/gl/mm/wonderwoman/flash etc......

when these series were struggling the core members were never there. yet dc and marvel would put a jla or avengers logo on a book and call it avengers or jla with characters that weren't.

now i am by no means sating alpha is in that category, but isn't 2 failed series enough for someone on the top floor of marvel to realize fans may want the originals?

thanks scott lobdell. you may want to work on your stand up act because comic book humor is not your strong point.
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This was a quote from another sight that i think reflects what a lot of alpha flight fans think.