new maxi series................alpha flight!!!!

[Flightpath07]

What a great character until....well we all know....

...he got legs, they were dead legs, Aurora used him, he went crazy, Scramble absorbed him, he got killed. Yup, we know.

[cmdrkoenig67]

Ugh...Yeah. Roger was an interesting character under Byrne...It's still horrifying to see how Bill Mantlo just destroyed him (Again, I love Bill's other work in The Micronauts and Rom...I just don't get why he did what he did in Alpha).

Dana

[Le Messor]

I have a trope called 'Sowing the weeds', where a writer sets up really cool ideas or leads us down the garden path or something, then the next writer comes along, looks only at the surface, and uses what the original writer wrote to completely ruin it.

Examples here are Byrne making Roger look evil for a bit, so that Mantlo could go 'oh, he's evil'... (Okay, not a great example of this...)
The big one, of course, is Mac's infamous return from the dead; the deliberately stupid cover story by Courtney later said to be true.

- Le Messor
"You get a TV guide, you don't need a TV."
- Grandpa, The Lost Boys

[Canucklehead]

I have a trope called 'Sowing the weeds', where a writer sets up really cool ideas or leads us down the garden path or something, then the next writer comes along, looks only at the surface, and uses what the original writer wrote to completely ruin it.

Examples here are Byrne making Roger look evil for a bit, so that Mantlo could go 'oh, he's evil'... (Okay, not a great example of this...)
The big one, of course, is Mac's infamous return from the dead; the deliberately stupid cover story by Courtney later said to be true.

I was just thinking today (after reading the first 29 issues again over the week) what some of you would have done differently if you were handed over the reigns with issue 29 instead of Mantlo. Obviously Byrne set up a lot more good potential then what we received...

[kozzi24]

I'm not sure how it all works nowadays, but post-Chaos War, can't just about any character be back from the dead with little explanation, such as Roger and Gary Cody>
What was the line in the Alpha one shot that said they rescued every Alphan from the dead that they could? NOTHING says everyone rescued went to the same spot that Heather, Mac, Shaman and Marrina appeared at.

[Le Messor]

I was just thinking today (after reading the first 29 issues again over the week) what some of you would have done differently if you were handed over the reigns with issue 29 instead of Mantlo.

I'd have moved out of home a lot sooner, that's fur sherrr.

[Flightpath07]

Well, my first villain would have been The Dudemeister, who just happens to be a huge fan of the Bill & Ted movies. And likes to rob video stores.

[Legerd]

I'd have moved out of home a lot sooner, that's fur sherrr.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

[Le Messor]

Well, my first villain would have been The Dudemeister, who just happens to be a huge fan of the Bill & Ted movies. And likes to rob video stores.

I'd have called him De Nomolos... or Ed Solomon...

- Le Messor
"Their music ends world hunger, cleans up the ozone layer, brings about world peace... plus, it's excellent for dancing to."
~ Rufus

[Raja]

I'd love to see Wild Child back. but not completely retconned. He was a great grey-area character and I think that can still be pulled off here, if there's space. I really hope Pak et al don't retcon out Aurora and Wild Child's own romantic connection in favor of Walter and her. Sure, even if he's a twisted eloquent trickster, he still has people to call friends, and he loved her. Even if they're not together, I hope it's not retconned right out of existance.

[Le Messor]

I really hope Pak et al don't retcon out Aurora and Wild Child's own romantic connection in favor of Walter and her.

Given that Sas and Aurora was Byrne, and Wild Child and Aurora wasn't, I'd think the former would be more likely.
That said, it doesn't have to mean a full retcon.

- Le Messor
"I took an IQ test and the results were negative."

[Phil]

Another FVL interview

Some choice snippets:

“We're retaining a lot of elements that have been introduced to the characters since the Byrne series. Sasquatch has led the team a couple of times, most recently in OMEGA FLIGHT, so there could be some friction with Guardian as a result. We're retaining the boyfriend, Kyle, Northstar acquired in NATION-X -- he's a major character in the new book. I think one of the best Alpha Flight stories I ever read was Aurora's battle with Norman Osborn in DARK X-MEN -- we're definitely showing how therapy has improved her life. But will it be enough...?
Marrina is getting a complete redesign, both visually and in attitude. Too often she's been defined by the men in her life, whether The Master or Norma. And she's too much of a goody two shoes for my taste. So she's losing the Shrinking Violet aspects of her personality and really coming into her own in this book. Early prediction: She will be the runaway fan favorite.
But of all the characters, I'd say the one undergoing the most significant changes is Purple Girl. Or should I say Purple Woman...?”

[suzene]

Already said my bit on the Aurora thing, so I won't rehash it again. As for the rest:

Kara? Serious squee! She was about the only thing I liked about the Mantlo run, and I was seriously annoyed that she nearly got an off-panel death.

Kyle as a major character? HELL YES! I need a dance partner, ya'll -- can't sit still!

Likewise pleased by the news of Marrina coming into her own, though I do want to see her kick Namor in the head still.

Is it May yet?

[Sypes]

Super excited about Kyle and Marrina! Never been a big fan of Purple Girl, but still excited to see what they are gonna do that could make her more interesting in my eyes! These cannot come out soon enough!

[Flightpath07]

I'll predict it here; Purple Woman is in charge of hunting down Alpha Flight! And she uses her powers to make Puck join her!

The biggest mystery, though, is why are they being so strange about Puck? They keep inferring that he probably won't be in the series, yet they put him on the variant cover of issue 2 (plus on a wanted poster on issue 1 cover)! What the heck!?!

Actually, the more I think about it...the less certain i am that it is Puck on that cover...I mean, it is definitely Puck's BODY, but is Puck inside it, or somebody else?...