Article: Alpha Flight Returns in Chaos War:Alpha Flight

[MistressMerr]

It was bleeding sales because Marvel reduced it from an ongoing to a mini which forced Oeming to rewrite issues 2-5. As a result the story suffered and the readers (many of whom didn't know the poor writing was due the change in the books status) left. Who knows what could have been had it remained an ongoing and Oeming had told the story he planned. AFter all, the first issue sold around 71 000 books including the 2nd printing. That was the book that was untouched by the decision to reduce the series to a mini.
And AF is a proven product, at least it was before years of crap treatment left the team a joke in most readers' eyes. As far as I'm concerned, Brevoort is just using the pat industry line to hype up sales with no intention of following through on it just like with OF. I guess we'll have to wait and see though.

I agree that Marvel's decision to hack it down to a mini was a ripoff, but that's a whole different matter entirely. What matters in the end is how much got sold, and how much likely would have continued to sell had they put out further OF projects and going by what got sold, the answer was 'not enough'. AF hasn't been a proven product in decades.

If the AF one-shot does spectacularly, of course they'll put out more. History shows, however, that it probably won't.

[Legerd]

I agree that Marvel's decision to hack it down to a mini was a ripoff, but that's a whole different matter entirely. What matters in the end is how much got sold, and how much likely would have continued to sell had they put out further OF projects and going by what got sold, the answer was 'not enough'. AF hasn't been a proven product in decades.

If the AF one-shot does spectacularly, of course they'll put out more. History shows, however, that it probably won't.

You're right that the reduction to a mini was a ripoff, but that's beside the point. I'm not complaining that I'm upset about it (which I was/am) but trying to say it definitely had a negative effect on the sales of the subsequent issues. Issues 1 & 2 sold out and had second printings, but the story suffered due to the last second rewrite which (and rightly so) caused readers to abandon the book later on. It had nothing to do with whether or not the idea or the team were viable but rather the story (the heart of all successful AF books) wasn't up to snuff due to editorial interference.
And you're also right that AF hasn't been a proven product in the last twenty years, but it has nothing to do with the characters. They are who they have always been, what changed was the writing. Don't blame the art if the artist(s) don't do a good job. History may show the last couple of decades (when the title said Alpha Flight, but they weren't in it) sucked for AF, but before that (Vol. 1) they were gold. If McCann can bottle that lightning then the one-shot should do well.
I think readers are ready for good stories again after all the "event fatigue" and "fanwank" writing that has been going on for the last ten years.

[MistressMerr]

You're right that the reduction to a mini was a ripoff, but that's beside the point. I'm not complaining that I'm upset about it (which I was/am) but trying to say it definitely had a negative effect on the sales of the subsequent issues. Issues 1 & 2 sold out and had second printings, but the story suffered due to the last second rewrite which (and rightly so) caused readers to abandon the book later on. It had nothing to do with whether or not the idea or the team were viable but rather the story (the heart of all successful AF books) wasn't up to snuff due to editorial interference.

I'm not sure I entirely agree (that's probably just because I actually liked Omega Flight, though), but it's still not the point. It doesn't matter WHY the book didn't sell enough, all that matters to the people running the show is that it didn't. Excuses can be made until hell freezes over for every title that's ever been cancelled, that doesn't mean all of them are going to get second/third/fourth chances to prove themselves.

And you're also right that AF hasn't been a proven product in the last twenty years, but it has nothing to do with the characters. They are who they have always been, what changed was the writing. Don't blame the art if the artist(s) don't do a good job. History may show the last couple of decades (when the title said Alpha Flight, but they weren't in it) sucked for AF, but before that (Vol. 1) they were gold. If McCann can bottle that lightning then the one-shot should do well.
I think readers are ready for good stories again after all the "event fatigue" and "fanwank" writing that has been going on for the last ten years.

This sounds overly optimistic with a bit too much faith in the general reading public (Wolverine: Origins did manage to last for 50 horrible issues and Uncanny is still the best-selling X-title, after all), but in this, I hope to heck you're right because I do have a lot of faith in McCann's ability to tell a good, relatable story with the essence of what made AF solid gold way back in the day.

[cmdrkoenig67]

So...Check it out, Jean Paul is wearing the uniform from the cover of the Chaos War one-shot here in the battle against the vampires in the Curse of The Mutants: Storm and Gambit one-shot...

http://i37.tinypic.com/vreqn7.jpg

Maybe that's why he later has it on during the Chaos War?

Dana

[MistressMerr]

So...Check it out, Jean Paul is wearing the uniform from the cover of the Chaos War one-shot here in the battle against the vampires in the Curse of The Mutants: Storm and Gambit one-shot...

http://i37.tinypic.com/vreqn7.jpg

Maybe that's why he later has it on during the Chaos War?

Dana

Ooh, good catch! Looks like Bachalo put him back in the costume he designed back in Supernovas and then they just ran with it for his next appearance.

[Le Messor]

Looks like Bachalo put him back in the costume he designed...

Credit where it's due... It's more a costume he re-designed.

I suspect the problem Legerd is talking about isn't so much that Omega was cancelled as that the editors made a bad decision, and when that decision caused the series to tank, they used it as an excuse to shut it down, and blamed the team instead of themselves.

- Le Messor
"He who looks like his passport photo is not well enough to travel."

[sylum69]

Oh, and my interest level in the rest of this crossover is holding steady at zero.

I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Civil War was the last crossover I was excited for and ultimately I felt that Marvel dropped the ball with it.

Also, I thought I read somewhere that SIEGE was supposed to mark an end, or a drastic reduction in company wide crossovers. Anyone else hear that?

[Le Messor]

Also, I thought I read somewhere that SIEGE was supposed to mark an end, or a drastic reduction in company wide crossovers. Anyone else hear that?

For reasons unknown, I believe they still sell comics. So, there probably won't be much of a drop.
SIEGE is supposed to end the decade-long story arc* that was Civil War - Secret Invasion - Dark Reign - Siege. Am I forgetting anything?
(Oh, and all that leads into the Heroic Age now.)

* Your length may vary.
- Le Messor
"He who receives a benefit with gratitude repays the first installment on his debt."
~ Seneca, Moral Essays

[Flightpath07]

It doesn't matter WHY the book didn't sell enough, all that matters to the people running the show is that it didn't.

Which is exactly why most things Marvel, suck. They have no interest in fixing what is broken, so they just go on and break more things as they go. They do not learn from their past mistakes, and so are doomed to repeat them.

How many successful companies are run this way? I can only think of one - the government. All private businesses that are run in this manner, eventually fail.

[Sasquatch17]

I'll be picking up this issue.

But, I agree with you that Marvel has really dropped the ball on Alpha Flight for decades.

[Legerd]

I'm not sure I entirely agree (that's probably just because I actually liked Omega Flight, though), but it's still not the point. It doesn't matter WHY the book didn't sell enough, all that matters to the people running the show is that it didn't. Excuses can be made until hell freezes over for every title that's ever been cancelled, that doesn't mean all of them are going to get second/third/fourth chances to prove themselves.

Of course it matters why a book doesn't sell. If you don't learn what went wrong you can't fix the problem. Marvel is a company that publishes comic books, if they're constantly failing with one or more titles then there's a problem. A company won't last if it doesn't fix problems with its product.
Of course if Marvel was simply looking for an excuse to not make OF an ongoing they would have had it and wouldn't have cared beyond that. But so many people were hyped for OF which was reflected in the first two issues selling power, it was a major mistake on Marvel's part to downgrade the title before it even came out. One they have never admitted to and refuse to believe impacted the title. Remember, the characters are only as good as the creators choose to make them. If a title tanks, then it shouldn't be a reflection on the fictional characters but on the real, flesh-and-blood people producing the comic.

This sounds overly optimistic with a bit too much faith in the general reading public (Wolverine: Origins did manage to last for 50 horrible issues and Uncanny is still the best-selling X-title, after all), but in this, I hope to heck you're right because I do have a lot of faith in McCann's ability to tell a good, relatable story with the essence of what made AF solid gold way back in the day.

I'm not going on faith, but on what I read on various sites and hear in my LCS. People want well written stories again and are tired of events. Even Bendis is losing his shine in some people's eyes, and he's the golden boy of Marvel who can do no wrong.
Yes, hopefully McCann can dazzle not just us with his AF one-shot, but other readers, some of whom may have little knowledge of the team. I have faith too that he is capable of doing that.

[DaVeO]

Well I'm getting the main series along with this so I'll be sure to let you know if we have any Alpha appearances there.

[Le Messor]

How many successful companies are run this way? I can only think of one - the government.

Wait... You think the government is successful?
... and a company?

hopefully McCann can dazzle not just us with his AF one-shot,

'Dazzle'? Pun intended?
Yeah, I was impressed with his Dazzler one-shot, and so at first was pleased to hear that he was writing the AF one-shot.
Now, however, I'm still pleased to hear that he is writing the AF one-shot.
What? Nothing's changed yet.

DaVeO - thanks, I'll want that kind of filter. 'Coz I'm tired of events, and only get the AF appearances because they're AF appearances.

- Le Messor
"Government of the money, by the money, for the money..."
- me

[Flightpath07]

Of course governments are successful, Mik! They are extremely good at doing what they do - screwing over the people who elected them, and pocketed exhorbitant amounts of money.

Much like Marvel....ah, I guess i really shouldn't go here...ne'ermind. For a time, i might as well be happy with Marvel - the near future will tell me whether or not to pick up my Marvel rants again. For now, I'll hold onto them...

(That's Marvel "rants", not Marvel "pants". If I had Marvel pants, I'd wear them everywhere, all the time, obviously.)

[DIGGER]

Don't know if they have Marvel pants but they do have Marvel pyjama pants. I know 'cause I got some for Father's Day.

DIGGER