That looks really good and certainly gets your point across.I hope someone at Marvel actually takes the time to read it.
That looks really good and certainly gets your point across.
Yeah I actually took some of the paragraphs out, new one is a lot different than that.
What is a good Marvel death that was covered?
Edit: so where can I e-mail it on marvel.com? I can't find a "contact us" page.
First, let me state 4 things that happened to me yesterday:
I tried Musinex for the first time.
I ate a can of creamed corn.
I read New Avengers #16.
I puked my guts out.
One or all of the first 3 led to the fourth. I'm not sure which.
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
------------------------------------
OK...I thought the issue was pretty bad, not for the drastic content that has everyone up in arms, but for the presentations. I thought it was some bad writing overall, as bad as Hawkeye having mixed company conversation about who he would like to sleep wit--said conversation in the company of someone he was sleeping with at the time.
Intro page...a pretty picture.
story page 1...a pretty picture.
story page 2...a pretty picture.
story page 3...a pretty picture, not as pretty as 1 or 2.
story page 4...a picture.
story pages 5 and 6...a picture.
story page 7...a picture.
story page 8...a picture.
page 9...WE FINALLY GOT WORDS TO READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On 9 and 10, Tony Stark's head is lilted to the side in every panel. He looks like he's been drinking again. SHIELD/Avengers conflict tension is established.
Pages 11 and 12 also have words, including political satire. No traditionally recognizable members of SHIELD are present. The red alert of the villain's appearance is established, and spreads into pages 13 and 14.
Pages 15 and 16 splash, showing our heroes of Alpha, M.Mapleleaf, Puck, Vindicator, Sasquatch, Shaman, Puck 2 and Guardian. Dialogue from Shaman, as noted elsewhere, is completely out of character. Decisions are made, but not by team leader Guardian. In the seven panels (= insets) on these 2 pages, the Flight does nothing but stand there. A flaming unknown threat is approaching "awful fast" (not even "awfully fast" as someone (Heather) who's worked in the corporate world would speak. The threat is moving with a combination of running and flying, and deapite that he is afire with energy, Vindicator is not readying her geothermal suit, she's just standing there. Despite the approach of a flaming character, the artwork is dark, so I assume the "Collective"--not named so in the issue--projects flame and light that does not reflect. Neither Heather nor Mac take to the air, despite evidence of trying to see the Collective better. They just stand there, clositered together. The group does not even spread out to try to bar the Collective's path. Shaman is not reaching for his pouch in preparation. They're all just standing there, but most fists are clenched, so they look oh-so-kewl.
Pages 17 and 18, with another partial splash for a total of 3 panels, shows SHIELD telemetry cut off and Alpha defeated. They have ripped costumes, and Heather's costume damage runs over her hip and butt. Sasquatch's chest looks bloodied, and there's dark matter in the snow. The fingers of Mac's costume have been ripped away, but his fingers are still there. Sasquatch is missing no fur, and cddespite the blood in the snow and costumes in shreds, there does not seem to be any damage to the bodies of the characters.
Pages 19 and 20 is SHIELD reaction, including the statement that the enemy is "coming to America". Funny, he started in Alaska, so I guess that doesn't count as "America".
Page 21, a splash page with 3 words.
My reaction: 9+ pages that are essentially wordless do not make this issue any type of value for the $2.50.
Nice iconic cover...of the New Avengers, who do not appear in the issue, sans the two pages with Tony Stark (as himself, not Iron Man.)
This issue that was solicited as Alpha Flight's final battle could not have provided an iconic cover of Alpha Flight? ESPECIALLY seeing the Avengers did not appear in the issue!!!!!!!
The composition of theis Alpha team indicates clear intent that this is the contemporary Alpha Flight. The originals are back from space, and MML and Puck2 being with them indicates this is not an alternate-reality group or substitute Mac/s.
While I left out details of much of the dialogue (for what there was) I think the synopsis above is reflective of the writing. All the splash pages make this issue wide open as a target for complaints of decompressed storytelling.
Alpha is defeated off panel. In a way, that's good news in rectifying the story to the solicitations: This can't be Alpha's "final battle" because THERE WAS NO BATTLE! But the lack of the promised "final battle" robs further value from the price of admission and weakens the piece of writing as a whole. Considering the scant dialogue given to Alpha as reflection of how they were written, maybe that was a good thing.
The opening 8 pages of splash panels were not so dramatic that they could not have been combined into AT MOST 4 pages to give room for some action.
Everyone is up in arms about the death of ALpha. I think that energy is being wasted.
As said above, without a battle, it cannot be a final battle.
The costumes are in tatters, but the bodies are whole.
The villain seems an energy projector, but the force that took down Alpha does not show any depiction of having been "energy" other than kinetic or concussive energy. (This is another fault in the story itself, I think.)
The villain, from the media buzz (but not the published story itself) is supposedly the collective powers of former mutants. Has anyone thought that this character becomes an automatic reset for those mutants to regain their powers? The defeat of this character could automatically restore the life energies of the fallen Alphas, if they are 'dead."
The story has also just begun (not that I see promise it will be very good, based on this first installment.) Cliffhanger endings are routine, and a safe rule of thumb is to never count any character as dead until the story arc is complete.
It doesn't seem to me to be worth getting upset about. The story and presentation were not that good, and the basis of this Collective character in and of itself provides restoration of Alpha, even without stretching for "alternative versions" or other unltimately confusing "undos."
www.kozzi.us
recent publications in M-Brane Science Fiction and the anthology Things We Are Not.
Forthcoming stories in Breath and Shadow, Star Dreck anthology and The Aether Age: Helios.
~I woke up one morning finally seeing the world through a rose colored lense. It turned out to be a blood hemorrhage in my good eye.
*claps* Bravo King_Mungi, an excellent letter, and I pray that it shall indeed be read, especially because it actually provides clear and undeniable evidence as to the improper portrayal of the heroes and a disrespect to long term fans. While I can't think of an example myself, I do agree that noting an honorable Marvel death would be good (although you are absolutely right in citing the death of the Freedom Fighters as an excellent 'last stand'!), but the only deaths I have ever respected in Marvel were either retconned or weren't final battles but deteriorations at the hands of diseases. I've begun to lay out my letter, so I as well am wondering how exactly we are supposed to send such complaints to Marvel. I suppose I'll continue to follow this story arc to its end and won't give up on Marvel entirely, but only if they can provide for me a valid, believable cause for the death of the Alphans, and some illustration of their actual final stand (while incredibly unlikely, I would still like to see their final battle against this new enemy, illustrating perhaps how they got beat and how exactly they gave their lives... perhaps the only reason the battle was not illustrated in this issue is because they want to maintain the mystery element of this new threat by not showing in full the powers of the enemy, and that as the Avengers investigate the incident they will perhaps "see" the last battle of the Alphans, in a CSI/ranger instincts of Aragorn in Two Towers fashion...).
I think that over the night my attitude towards this has somewhat changed, from furious anger to a kind of tucked away hidden hope, that follows very much the attitude of Heather's words as shared by King_Mungi earlier, that as long as Alpha Flight lives on in us it can never truly died... quite frankly the Alphans have inspired me in many parts to become the person I am today, and I won't let some silly issue damage that issue of heroism for me... I'll remember Alpha Flight no matter what.
Let's all see what the future holds people...
Thanks a lot for the cuidos, and yeah that's the entire reason I posted those scans. They were groundbreakers that covered things others were afraid to. They are such a great team with such untapped potential.Originally Posted by Shaman Of The Whills
Yeah I liked the letter King Mungi. Unfortunately it won’t do any good. If they even read it they’ll just fluff you off as just another fan boy… Or worse yet, they’ll print it in the back of NA and make fun of it. They don’t care about long time fans, they only care about shock value bringing in as much cheap heat as possible… the most hate letters they get they more they feel they are doing their job.
Nope, I’ve said it on another message board and I’ll repeat it here. There is only one thing I can actually do… dump anything Bendis. Not that I was getting a lot by him anyways, but the disrespect he showed to Alpha Flight was enough to let me know that I no longer wanted to spend any money on him.
I know that won’t mean squat to anyone but it means something to me.
Here's the page:Where can you send them an e-mail? I just finished writing my letter and want to send it to them.
http://www.marvel.com/company/feedback.htm
Put it under the publishing category.
And that IS the point. I think it has something to do with the mirror in the bathroom and sleeping at night, but whatever it is ... good for you.
One thing that really gets me is I've been looking for a way back into comic collecting (current issues) for a few months now. I could tell just by browsing through the various X-titles that X-Men (my first love) wouldn't be my way back in. That was compounded by what I've heard on the 'net about Secondary Mutations, and (doth mine ears deceive me?) a romance between Cyke and Emma "the Female Dog" Frost? "Scuse me whilst I doth puke mine (presumably) noble guts out.
Anyway, this NA 16 was fixing up to be the first new comicbook that I've bought in years. Yeah, yeah, I know ... it SAID they were going to be in their "last battle", but that can mean so many things ... and was considered bait, a lure, a lure and bait. And that purchase would have led directly into me grabbing the upcoming Civili War crossover, and then probably latching onto some title after that.
However, now I'm not sure I want to start investing in comics again. At least not in Marvel comics.
Thats alot of history and reputation to (presumably) kill ... just to establish the threat level of a new enemy. And we didn't even get to see a single punch or energy blast!!!
Lame.In fact, idiotic. And not "you have a low IQ" idiotic, but you have a average or higher IQ but refuse to use it idiotic.
Wouldn't it make sense to at least show a titanic battle? And rather than pissing off lotsa of different fans for lotsa differnt reason, give everybody a SHOW.
Lame. Lame. Lame.
Did I already say that?
I know what to do; we can form a crime ring, kidnap Wolverine, and refuse to give him back unless Marvel at least shows AF dying in a fight to end all fights. Hehehehehe ....
I thought Mockingbird's death in West Coast Avenger #102 or so was handled pretty well. She went out a hero despite some interna struggle and interteam turmoil.
But me Alpha Flight is croaked
Del
Driftwood: Well, I got about a foot and a half. Now, it says, uh, "The party of the second part shall be known in this contract as the party of the second part."
Fiorello: Well, I don't know about that...
Driftwood: Now what's the matter?
Fiorello: I no like-a the second party, either.
Driftwood: Well, you should've come to the first party. We didn't get home 'til around four in the morning... I was blind for three days!
Hmm... good example... wasn't it 100 though? You know how they like killing people off on 0s... (Aunt May, Jean Grey, Multiple Man, Red Skull, Ant Man, The Leader just to name a few). On the whole though, DC is better not only at presenting the actual deaths, but concocting fun, complicated and yet reasonable resurrection stories... but thats neither here nor there. Also, while in the end kinda lame and pointless, it was nice that Thunderbird died and never really returned.I thought Mockingbird's death in West Coast Avenger #102 or so was handled pretty well. She went out a hero despite some interna struggle and interteam turmoil.
I wouldn't do that, they might create a clone of him using DNA left over from the secret level of Weapon X that has remained undiscovered, or they might just sub him with a skrull imposter who believes he is the real Wolverine... and then when they finally get the real one back, things will be all the more complicated.I know what to do; we can form a crime ring, kidnap Wolverine, and refuse to give him back unless Marvel at least shows AF dying in a fight to end all fights. Hehehehehe ....Sounds familiar.
Also, if you haven't seen it before, you definetely need to check out X-Men: Death Becomes Them...
NA# 16, finally here
Well, if I were a regular New Avengers reader, the dynamic between Director Hill/S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark/New Avengers would be interesting enough to hook me. Unfortunately, I bought it to see Alpha Flight's last battle, which happened off-panel and [sorry] didn't establish the really, really big threat that the collective is purported as being.
If "the collective" is tough enough to take down Alpha Flight, MARVEL should have had the balls to show "the collective" taking down Alpha Flight....especially since it was hyped as Alpha Flight's final battle!
I've always thought MARVEL wanted to kill off Alpha Flight, and if they're dead, then MARVEL did what it wanted. Moreover, MARVEL made sure that it would get the biggest share of AF fans by including the most popular ones: the originals (minus Aurora [a mutant], Northstar [a dead/resurrected mutant], and Snowbird [?]) plus Zuzha and Major Mapleleaf. No Yukon Jack, Centennial, or Nemesis (why exclude them but include the others?). No Mantlo or Steve Seagal characters (wise choice).
Having written that, my overall impression is "That's it?", not "That stinks!" It's a nice set-up for the Avengers, but I hope this is all that Brian Bendis needs to say about Alpha Flight and doesn't try to use it as a teaser or springboard to a what-happened-to-Alpha-Flight-during-the- fight-with-the-collective storyline.
A lot of pretty pictures (apologies to Kozzi), but not enough Alpha Flight.
John Byrne's response is pretty quick for somebody who doesn't care what happens to his characters.
Once upon a time, they exploded from the pages of The X-Men. For a moment, they were "Canada's answer to The Avengers."
They were ALPHA FLIGHT....
...once upon a time.
Yeah I think that Marvel, Bendis, and Quesada are getting what they wanted here. They're getting a rise out of all of the Alpha fans! I think Alpha Flight (under another guise) will return. Call it Avengers North, Provincial Patriots, or X Flight! It really doesn't matter. They will be back and hopefully better than ever. I think the uproaor will let them see that Alpha Flight can be viable. I think that's why some of the more popular and recognizable characters were included.
On the other hand, I'm very tired of reading posts about how no one cares because it was just Alpha Flight. Even some non-Alpha fans have weighed in about the disrespect for Alpha fans shown by an off panel massacre.
Even more disturbing to me, and I probably shouldn't be surprised at all, is the number of people who are discounting them as expendable for the simple fact that they are Canadian. That pisses me off! I really hate arrogant people, who think they are better than others. Unfortunately, my counrty is full of them. Hopefully none of the good people here will bite at the bait these simpletons are posting out there on other forums. Keep in mind that many of these are actually Bendis supporters as well. Nuff said!
Here's hoping the controversy will stir up a new Alpha title or Avengers Flight title. And I have to say I'd be OK with a couple of those characters staying dead if it gave the others something to avenge. At least we'd finally get to see what their last moments were like in a flashback or soemthing.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
