No Alpha in the Near Future Confirmed

[Ahab]

Speaking of Canada, perhaps the most frequently asked question on the CUP O’ JOE megathread on the CBR boards is when it will be time to announce a new "Alpha Flight" series? Any chances of that happening this weekend?

Joe Quesada: Nope, sorry to say it won’t. However, if we were to have done it, Toronto would have been the place.

(NOT THAT THIS IS SURPRISING - aHAB)

[Mokole]

And once again, another year where Marvel gets no money or interest from me.

[Adam]

The panel confirmed this as well...

A Possible Alpha Flight return was hinted at by the next slide in Singh’s presentation. But, much to the dismay of the canuck crowd, the panelists were just having their fun.

However, Alpha Flight action figures are out there.

Still dead, though, sorry folks.

“We’re very aware of the passion people have for Alpha Flight and I think we all agree that’s it better we do a book when we have the right people involved than just putting out a book,” said Singh “I mean we could easily do ‘Dark Alpha Flight, right?’”

You know what, I'm actually ok with this.

Marvel's got a problem right now keeping books their more niche team books alive. Look at all the relaunches and uncertainty surrounding books like Agents of Altas, New Warriors, Captain Britain, etc. I'd rather Marvel figure out how to make a book at that level (which is where Alpha probably would be) survive before launching a new Flight book only to have it die on the vine after 12 issues.

...and that makes me wonder if there's just a different way to do a book like this nowadays. I rather like the model that John Arcudi and Mike Mignola are using for their B.P.R.D. series. It's for all intents and purposes an ongoing, but it's presented as a series of 6 issue mini series with a few month gap (if any) between the end of one and the start of the next. Or perhaps there's some way to do it digitally or as a backup in an existing book. I'd rather something that could have some longevity than another series that's doomed from the start.

[Flightpath07]

Speaking of Canada, perhaps the most frequently asked question on the CUP O’ JOE megathread on the CBR boards is when it will be time to announce a new "Alpha Flight" series? Any chances of that happening this weekend?

Joe Quesada: Nope, sorry to say it won’t. However, if we were to have done it, Toronto would have been the place.

(NOT THAT THIS IS SURPRISING - aHAB)

I agree, no surprise.

[Flightpath07]

Ignore this post.

[Legerd]

And once again, another year where Marvel gets no money or interest from me.

Ditto.

Am I wrong in believing that if Joe wanted a new book written, then as EIC he could mandate it?

[cmdrkoenig67]

Gasp! I'm possitively shocked by this news...

Legerd, You're entirely correct.

I personally believe Joe Q violently (due to letting them be slaughtered) dislikes/hates/despises Alpha Flight.

Dana

[cmdrkoenig67]

The panel confirmed this as well...

A Possible Alpha Flight return was hinted at by the next slide in Singh’s presentation. But, much to the dismay of the canuck crowd, the panelists were just having their fun.

However, Alpha Flight action figures are out there.

Still dead, though, sorry folks.

“We’re very aware of the passion people have for Alpha Flight and I think we all agree that’s it better we do a book when we have the right people involved than just putting out a book,” said Singh “I mean we could easily do ‘Dark Alpha Flight, right?’”

You know what, I'm actually ok with this.

Marvel's got a problem right now keeping books their more niche team books alive. Look at all the relaunches and uncertainty surrounding books like Agents of Altas, New Warriors, Captain Britain, etc. I'd rather Marvel figure out how to make a book at that level (which is where Alpha probably would be) survive before launching a new Flight book only to have it die on the vine after 12 issues.

Adam,

I don't believe Joe Q wants Alpha to survive (in any form)...

Alpha Flight was killed off in New Avengers (as we all well know)...The Internet fairly exploded with cries against their deaths from Alpha fans, retired/alienated fans (who absolutely hated volume 3) and from folks who weren't fans, but thought it was a horrible way to treat characters. Their deaths even made some non-fans interested in finding out who these Alpha Flight folks were. Interest was at it's highest in years...

Joe Q killed Omega Flight too...Before it's first issue even came out (cut from and ongoing to a five issue mini). The series sold 40,000 + for next few months, yet he didn't make it an ongoing...To me, it felt like Marvel (Joe) was saying "Here's a mini, now shut the hell up Alpha Fans"...

Call me paranoid (and maybe I am), but I feel Joe has been sabotaging AF...first with Volume 3, then with Omega Flight, then with the constant jokes at Alpha's expense at every convention...He's still laughing (apparently, the recent Con panel in Canada was in on the joke too). I feel they've been horribly disrespectful to Alpha fans, to their fans in general (even the fans of New Warriors have gone through a similar ordeal to ours)...

It's why I buy mostly one book from Marvel now (Guardians of the Galaxy, which I've been enjoying)...I buy an occasional X-Book that may feature Madison or Jean Paul, if they're appearance is quality (I may pick up the mini story with Aurora in Dark X-Men: Beginnings)...If the characters I like are in one panel, it's not worth $3.99...

I can't stand most of their books, I can't stand the way they've treated most of their characters and I really hate they way they've acted toward Alpha Flight fans at conventions.

Dana

[cmdrkoenig67]

I have to say this also...

I'm a bit disappointed in many of my fellow Alpha Flight fans...I've seen very few (from this board) make their voices heard in the "Bring Back Alpha Flight" threads at the Marvel boards, on Newsarama (the thread died from lack of posting and the change over to a new format...Nobody has created a new thread, so I just did) and elsewhere...I thank and commend those who have...Many have joined in at the Marvel thread...Legerd (who started the Marvel thread), Varo, Garry/Al-fan, Flightpath, Dfense and even think Ben did too, but how does it look to anybody when only the same four or five people keep those threads alive?

I also have to thank and commend folks who have created Alpha Flight and AF character Appreciation threads on other boards.

Some of you may have alternate names on other boards, but there isn't a lot of us posting in any of the threads I mentioned (there should be hundreds/thousands of us posting there!)...The Marvel thread is only 22 pages long...It's should be hundreds of pages with hundreds of voices!

The few of us who still post in those threads have done our best to keep those threads going (and on the first page of the forums), but we can't do it alone. Perhaps if more Alpha Fans actually showed that they cared and wanted the team back (at least on the Marvel boards), maybe Joe Q's mind could be changed, or at least let him know there is an actually large fanbase out there...I don't know what else to say...I apologize if I sound overly harsh, but I've found the last few years to be so frustrating as a fan of Alpha (I'm sure many of you have too).

Dana

If anybody feels like helping out, here are the links...

http://marvel.com/forums/viewtopic.p...er=asc&start=0

http://newsarama.com/common/forums/v...hp?f=12&t=9258

[Flightpath07]

Perhaps if more Alpha Fans actually showed that they cared and wanted the team back

Maybe it is time we organized a little better, and started our assault on Disney! Surely they must have some sort of website that we can attempt to over-flood with requests for Alpha Flight?

[Ahab]

I have to say this also...

I'm a bit disappointed in many of my fellow Alpha Flight fans...I've seen very few (from this board) make their voices heard in the "Bring Back Alpha Flight" threads at the Marvel boards, on Newsarama (the thread died from lack of posting and the change over to a new format...Nobody has created a new thread, so I just did) and elsewhere...I thank and commend those who have...Many have joined in at the Marvel thread...Legerd (who started the Marvel thread), Varo, Garry/Al-fan, Flightpath, Dfense and even think Ben did too, but how does it look to anybody when only the same four or five people keep those threads alive?

I also have to thank and commend folks who have created Alpha Flight and AF character Appreciation threads on other boards.

Some of you may have alternate names on other boards, but there isn't a lot of us posting in any of the threads I mentioned (there should be hundreds/thousands of us posting there!)...The Marvel thread is only 22 pages long...It's should be hundreds of pages with hundreds of voices!

The few of us who still post in those threads have done our best to keep those threads going (and on the first page of the forums), but we can't do it alone. Perhaps if more Alpha Fans actually showed that they cared and wanted the team back (at least on the Marvel boards), maybe Joe Q's mind could be changed, or at least let him know there is an actually large fanbase out there...I don't know what else to say...I apologize if I sound overly harsh, but I've found the last few years to be so frustrating as a fan of Alpha (I'm sure many of you have too).

Dana

If anybody feels like helping out, here are the links...

http://marvel.com/forums/viewtopic.p...er=asc&start=0

http://newsarama.com/common/forums/v...hp?f=12&t=9258

Maybe it's an indication of what the real fan support is out there. Yes, there are those of us that are passionate about Alpha Flight. But then again, we have other things that can easily detract from"the cause". Kids. The current economy and resulting stress. School. Whatever. That's not to say that we couldn't post, but sometimes it gets passed over for other things. It shouldn't be on just our shoulders to get things going, and if it really is necessary, maybe that is the true indication that there just isn't enough interest to support an AF book right now. Sadly.

[Adam]

Adam,

I don't believe Joe Q wants Alpha to survive (in any form)...

...

Call me paranoid (and maybe I am), but I feel Joe has been sabotaging AF...first with Volume 3, then with Omega Flight, then with the constant jokes at Alpha's expense at every convention...He's still laughing (apparently, the recent Con panel in Canada was in on the joke too). I feel they've been horribly disrespectful to Alpha fans, to their fans in general (even the fans of New Warriors have gone through a similar ordeal to ours)...

Dana I totally appreciate how passionate you are about this.

Now I know nothing of the man's motivations so I'm not going to speculate on what opinions Mr. Q may or may not hold. In fact I'm willing to accept that he made a lot of those decisions with the best intentions in mind for Marvel, however ill conceived they ended up being. I'm more willing to believe people are fallible than malicious I guess.

Even if Joey loved Alpha Flight I still believe they'd face the same problems as Agents of Atlas and Runaways, which are books Marvel's editorial are supposedly big fans of. Short of sticking them with a top drawer creative team that will draw in sales on name recognition alone, Marvel in the past few years haven't had a lot of luck making their fringe team books work in the market. I'd just hate to have to go through the disappointment of seeing another Alpha series start and die by issue 12. I want a plan for longevity.

Maybe Disney will be good for us in this matter. DC's corporate backing has allowed them to keep lower selling books alive where as Marvel's had to cut titles more aggressively. Maybe that will change.

[cmdrkoenig67]

Adam,

I don't believe Joe Q wants Alpha to survive (in any form)...

...

Call me paranoid (and maybe I am), but I feel Joe has been sabotaging AF...first with Volume 3, then with Omega Flight, then with the constant jokes at Alpha's expense at every convention...He's still laughing (apparently, the recent Con panel in Canada was in on the joke too). I feel they've been horribly disrespectful to Alpha fans, to their fans in general (even the fans of New Warriors have gone through a similar ordeal to ours)...

Dana I totally appreciate how passionate you are about this.

Now I know nothing of the man's motivations so I'm not going to speculate on what opinions Mr. Q may or may not hold. In fact I'm willing to accept that he made a lot of those decisions with the best intentions in mind for Marvel, however ill conceived they ended up being. I'm more willing to believe people are fallible than malicious I guess.

Even if Joey loved Alpha Flight I still believe they'd face the same problems as Agents of Atlas and Runaways, which are books Marvel's editorial are supposedly big fans of. Short of sticking them with a top drawer creative team that will draw in sales on name recognition alone, Marvel in the past few years haven't had a lot of luck making their fringe team books work in the market. I'd just hate to have to go through the disappointment of seeing another Alpha series start and die by issue 12. I want a plan for longevity.

Adam, I get your point about Marvel trying to make an Alpha Flight series that has a better possibility of succeeding, however....they have constantly tried to reinvent what Alpha flight is. I feel this is their biggest mistake (I'm not alone in this opinion)...Most fans want the original team reunited, Marvel execs/editorial has refused to do this with each volume, following Volume One. I consider 130+ issues a success, compared to 22 or 12. What I really don't get is...The largely successful Omega Flight mini was not renewed as a series, then largely ignored (save for showcasing the one character most everyone hated for killing Alpha Flight)? Why?

Maybe Disney will be good for us in this matter. DC's corporate backing has allowed them to keep lower selling books alive where as Marvel's had to cut titles more aggressively. Maybe that will change.

Which is why I made the suggestion of perhaps putting out a two or a few minis a year (and maybe an Annual?) at Newsarama. perhaps Disney will push Marvel to explore more international-flavored comics (Maybe Alpha Flight and Captain Britain MI13/Excalibur will get more chances or exposure?)...Disney seems to like to be inclusive internationally, right?

Dana

[mos_def]

maybe Quesada has a figure in the shadows telling him not to bring them back...Byrne?

I get mad when I see really bad issues printed by Marvel and Alpha getting no attention. There were 4 different one shots this month by Marvel. THough I want to pick up that Arkarus/ Vision jammy and Ghost Rider HEaven on Fire has been DOPE. Focus on the fans. Disney is good with that. I dont want to see Alphans in X-Men. X-Men has been really bad lately. I hated Utopia. I think Fraction sux.

[Flightpath07]

I agree. As far as I can see, X-Men has been spiralling downhill for a while. And, being that the X series are Marvel's biggest draws, you would have to think that they are getting nervous in their corporate office. I bet they have started to lose a lot of cash. Which, of course, leads us right into the acquisition by Disney.

Disney has money. I wonder if I could convince them to acquire the rights to Captain Canuck? With Mac dead and raised and dead and raised and dead again (did I miss any?), we have no real Canadian icons anymore in comics. And, I think it is time James STAYED dead. Heather coming back? I could live with that, as long as she stays out of "the suit" and concentrates on raising her child (and that child does not end up a mutant/serial killer/abducted by aliens). Puck coming back? Yep, as long as he comes back as the compressed, tumbling, one-liner-spouting bundle of fun that he used to be. Beyond that, leave 'em dead, i say.

But let the new Alpha be lead by Captain Canuck, Canada's greatest superhero...that'd be cool. He had the fighting skills and spirit of Captain America, with the detective skills of Batman, and he never lacke din courage or decision-making prowess.

I say, "Give us Captain Canuck in Alpha Flight!"