Omega Flight Review from ComixFan
They give it a 4 out of 5.
Here's the full review.
OMEGA FLIGHT #1 REVIEW
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Reviewer: Jason Grasso, Desperad07@aol.com
Story Title: Alpha to Omega, Part 1
“Damn, I love Canada.”
Writer: Michael Avon Oeming
Artist: Scott Kolins
Colorist: Brian Reber
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel
My only experience with Alpha Flight was the excellent and underappreciated reboot in the late 1990s with Steven Seagle and Scott Clark. When I initially become interested in the Marvel Universe, the original Alpha Flight just wasn’t in vogue nor was I ambitious enough to look at much beyond the X-Men and Spider-Man. The second volume was one of the first instances where I started realizing the wealth of interesting characters out there and how given the right setting (and a good writer), even the most unappealing characters or teams could become incredibly intriguing.
Of those titles/reboots that I got into on the ground floor, Daredevil took off and never looked back, the Thunderbolts prospered and even survived cancellation to fight again, and the brothers in arms that led Heroes for Hire (Luke Cage and Iron Fist) went on to become integral parts in Daredevil and various Avengers titles. Sadly, Alpha Flight was cancelled only a couple of years later and that was the last I saw of the Canadian superhero team.
The Alpha Flight team had the unfortunate pleasure of being in The Collective’s warpath during a post-House of M arc in New Avengers. With the Civil War over and the Registration Act in full force, many super-villains have fled to Canada to renew their lives of crime in a country that’s lacking a definitive response team. Enter Omega Flight.
The first issue of this limited series focuses on the formation of the Omega Flight team. (Some holes, specifically the recruitment of U.S.Agent and the new Guardian, were already filled in by a couple of supplemental stories from Civil War one-shots.) The government recognizes the increase in criminal activity and seeks S.H.I.E.L.D.’s help with cleaning it up. Their first recruit is Dr. Walter Langkowski, who we first see trying to help teach some students about science but failing in the face of the fame his alter ego Sasquatch has wrought upon him. He’s asked to lead the new Omega Flight (which brings an appropriate initial response from Langkowksi, proving that Oeming has done his homework). Clearly, there had been previous chatter about starting a new Flight, which Langkowski was not ready for. He finally gives in and agrees to lead a team that has already started assembling. S.H.I.E.L.D., under Tony Stark’s direction, has agreed to lend the services of three Americans (U.S.Agent, Arachne and an unidentified member that we can presume is Michael Pointer, the man behind The Collective).
The title takes a bit of a surreal turn when Talisman is introduced. She’s amidst a rather spiritually-abstract (and visually intensive) storytelling session at a festival. Before long, her vision is broken up by inquiring minds and she’s startled to see Sasquatch awaiting her. She turns down his offer to join the team, citing her father’s wishes and her own responsibilities. Unfortunately, the drama behind her refusal is a little weak given her placement on the front cover!
The story ends with a battle between a brazen Wrecking Crew and a severely ticked-off Sasquatch, going at it alone. Dr. Langkowski is still racking his brain over heading up the new Omega Flight when he gets a call about the Wrecking Crew’s entry into his country. The ending of the battle is a bit harried and confusing but it looks like Sasquatch is going to need Omega Flight to save him.
The artwork in this issue really intrigued me. It’s not heavy on ink nor is the color too bold and bright, instead going with a more muted look. Kolins does a great job giving the action a unique and almost quirky look to it. His take on the ending battle is action-packed and fun, giving a traditionally-illustrated Sasquatch a lot of moments to shine. (Langkowski in general spotlights the entire issue.) Also notable is the sequence with Talisman as well as the rather attractive cover.
There’s a rather newsworthy movement to make Omega Flight an ongoing series. It’s rather ironic then that it would arrive the same week as Avengers: The Initiative, a title that itself was supposed to be a limited run but was given ongoing status before its first issue. I won’t spend time comparing the two since one of my colleagues is reviewing that title but suffice it to say that I think Marvel gave the wrong title an indefinite run. Here you have characters with rich history in a relevant setting while that other title focuses on silly unknowns with retread powers and awful codenames (Emo Boy? C’mon!) being trained by a badly-stereotyped guy with a gigantic glove.
Hopefully Omega Flight doesn’t depart on us too soon. Oeming has crafted a compelling intro to the series, with enough reverence of Alpha Flight and Canada to show respect to its history, but also enough allusion to the current state of the Marvel Universe to keep things fresh and relevant. It’s odd that a limited series about a team would kick off without appearances by most of its members (really my only complaint), but Oeming could be setting up Omega Flight to be a new player in the Marvel Universe, with or without its own title. It remains to be seen how the team dynamic will play out, with such a varied group of characters yet to interact. Or what the ultimate climax of the series will be. But right now, it is worth anticipating.
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Originally Posted by mreeez
To be honest I have seen very little in the way of negative reviews to Omega #1. Mostly positive and some neutral but by and large a good reaction. I can only hope that Marvel sees the positive reaction and strong sales and makes it ongoing
