Article: Review - Alpha Flight #0.1 - Le Messor's Take

[Le Messor]

You can view the page at http://www.alphaflight.net/content.p...-Messor-s-Take

[zephyr74]

LM,

I agree with your assessment. I was underwhelmed, not so much that I wouldn't give the series a try, but, there were some jarring moments. Shaman leaving his body during open-heart surgery...ludicrous. Kara Killgrave as a villain? No way, especially one that creates a human transformer, which, as you stated, is a physical impossibility. Even if we were to remotely go along with the suspension of disbelief, Kara would not kill/endanger that many people. Then came Marrina's attitude--ridiculous! Not only was the attitude completely out of character, so was the verbiage ("Bite me, earth-media").

The muted, foggy colors were annoying. I did like the art, but, wasn't crazy about Oliver's rendition of Sasquatch. I hope this creative team doesn't add to the existing continuity nightmare that Marvel has made of Alpha Flight.

[bigbloo]

I was not too excited by the previews to this one, and the comic is cool, but not earth shattering or anything.

Re: Snowbird shifting to mess up Kara, I think it works. It has been shown before that when Snowbird shifts, she becomes the animal so completely that she also takes on the animal thought processes, and is actually in danger of losing her humanity. Although, can Kara's pheromones affect animals? I thought they only worked on people...

Completely agree on Dr TwogoungmEn and the open heart surgery.

Reserving judgement on the Marrina recharacterization. She is acting like a rebellious teenager. Makes me wonder if she isn't really one of Marrina and Namors kids... :P

[varo]

i respectfully disagree with your review. i feel the criticisms of the issue are way to picky and reflect how a long-term reader and lover of the series would WANT the characters depicted . I loved this issue because this is the first time in 20+ years the characters i fell in love with finally acted the way i remember.

again, not trying to be direspectful, i just respectfully disagree. fvl is not only trying to satisfy us long term fans but bring aboard new ones to make sure the series continues on. i loved it.

[zephyr74]

Varo,

There's being an old-time fan who wants the characters depicted in a certain way. Then, there's sheer lack of logic. We can all take this revamped Marrina ride, but, the heart surgery and the purple human transformer are just preposterous.

[Le Messor]

Re: Snowbird shifting to mess up Kara, I think it works. It has been shown before that when Snowbird shifts, she becomes the animal so completely that she also takes on the animal thought processes, and is actually in danger of losing her humanity. Although, can Kara's pheromones affect animals? I thought they only worked on people...

I was thinking about those things when I wrote, but decided not to discuss them.
I figured, though, if she gets a completely different mind, she's just an animal, and not of much use as a superheroine. Though Byrne's work would lean towards you being right.

I also decided I'd always assumed Kara's pheremones only affect human beings, but I couldn't actually back that up - so there's no reason to think they wouldn't work on different species. Hasn't she used them on Sasquatch?

i respectfully disagree with your review. i feel the criticisms of the issue are way to picky and reflect how a long-term reader and lover of the series would WANT the characters depicted.

That's fair, and I did point out myself that the purple thing was pickier than I really felt.
I've mentioned on other threads that this review was aimed at existing fans (though it does allow for new ones).
Though, as Zephyr pointed out, there's a difference between how I want it done, and an actual logic problem.

I loved this issue because this is the first time in 20+ years the characters i fell in love with finally acted the way i remember.

That's one thing I did think about, too - if this issue had been released a month after Byrne's AF #28, how would we feel about it?
I decided to judge it based on my feelings for Alpha in general, not on my excitement over seeing them again for the first time in ages.

- Le Messor
"We have to believe in free will. We've got no choice."
~ Isaac Bashevis Singer

[Le Messor]

Reserving judgement on the Marrina recharacterization. She is acting like a rebellious teenager. Makes me wonder if she isn't really one of Marrina and Namors kids...

I've been wondering as well... Maybe it isn't Marrina after all?

[Phil]

Shaman leaving his body during open-heart surgery...ludicrous.

Let's not forget; this is comics.
Shaman being able to leave his body at all = ludicrous.
Why is it much more of a leap for a fictional shaman to be able to have his body carry on doing surgery? It just means we haven't seen it before.
If Xavier can be on the astral plane doing one thing whilst his body is teaching a class or giving a speech on mutants, or whatever it is he's done before, it's not much more of a stretch for Shaman to do that (and yes, we've establishing Shaman's powers are nearer Strange's than Xavier's but I haven't read a lot of Dr Strange to reference).

Kara Killgrave as a villain?

Yet she kidnapped Northstar & Madison before, yes?
And she spent a certain period of time in a mutant death camp which would be enough to possibly give her a sense of hatred for the government and AF for not coming to her rescue.

No way, especially one that creates a human transformer, which, as you stated, is a physical impossibility.

Snowbird's powers aren't physically impossible?
The entrire team coming back from the dead isn't physically impossible?
I admit the giant united people person is a stretch, but I've seen far worse things in comics.

Even if we were to remotely go along with the suspension of disbelief, Kara would not kill/endanger that many people.

Again, we don't know what's behind her attack.
If after #8 nothing's indicated why she did it, then I'll probably agree with you.

Then came Marrina's attitude--ridiculous! Not only was the attitude completely out of character, so was the verbiage ("Bite me, earth-media").

I do agree that it was the most out-of-nowehere part, but again, I'm willing to ride it out for a bit.


All just my thoughts of course, as an introduction to AF and a #0.1 issue in general I enjoyed it a lot more than Vol's 2 &3.

[Ahab]

I think it is interesting that Kara is being perceived as a villain. Don't forget that she is a teenager. Yes, it could be argued that the majority of them ARE villains already (heh), but it helps to explain her behavior. Many teenagers get passionate about certain things and don't necessarily always use their brains when acting. We have no idea what Kara knows or has been told about Gary Cody, Unity or even Alpha Flight at this point. She may know that Alpha died and may not believe that this is really the true Alpha back from the dead. I'm confident that the writers are going to revisit this. They seem to respect this group, so I doubt that they are going to play fast and loose with any of the characterization, as jarring as it may seem in the beginning to long-time fans.

[varo]

I am willing to let fvl/Pak flesh out where marrinas change is taking her since I can't honestly say I know what she is supposed to be like since she only showed up for a few issues and flipped out for one of them.

Also, who's to say Kara and citadel are villains at all, maybe they know something we don't.

[Ben]

My view on the changes in Kara are as follows: She was not a "villain" per say, but lashing out at the political situation in the country. Her evil herritage came through in the means for her "protest"

As for Marrina, my guess is this new personality may be a means for her to control her alien rages, taking on an aspect of this in her self, there by gaining control.

[El-Sol]

I have read this issue many times now and rate the story and art 8 out of 10.

I appreciate this well thought-out assessment, but there are only two problems I have; 1) Shaman leaving his body during open-heart surgery is wrong on so many levels, and 2) The sudden outburst by Marrina was too adolescent. There are many directions to explain her anger and many stories that can be created as well.

So far, I like what the writers have done with all the other characters, especially, Kara’s plot, the connection between Aurora and Walter, Northstar’s relationship with Kyle, and the scene between Kara and Snowbird. The only thing I hope will change is Kyle’s hair style.

I have to say that Puck needs to stay in hell where he belongs! Well, maybe he could end up as a potential villain in the future.

I am very excited to get the next issue and hoping that the powers that be will not stop at issue #8.

[Le Messor]

I appreciate this well thought-out assessment,

Thanks!

Yet she (Kara) kidnapped Northstar & Madison before, yes?

Yep.

Snowbird's powers aren't physically impossible?

Hey, the impossible is what I read comics for. Internal consistency, though, matters.
The big creature isn't possible within Kara's (impossible) powers. That's where my problem lies, not with something impossible happening in comics.

These characters aren't omnipotent.

All just my thoughts of course, as an introduction to AF and a #0.1 issue in general I enjoyed it a lot more than Vol's 2 &3.

Total agreement.

I think it is interesting that Kara is being perceived as a villain. Don't forget that she is a teenager.

People seem to keep using that as (again) a carte-blanche. Teenagers, none of the ones I've known (either in my adult life or when I was one) are a bunch of psychopathic jerks out of all control.
They aren't some other species or wild animals.
They're people, capable of making their own choices, and more often than not make good ones.

Okay, maybe one was a total psycho, but let us never speak of that again...

I am willing to let fvl/Pak flesh out where marrinas change is taking her
Also, who's to say Kara and citadel are villains at all, maybe they know something we don't.

Agreed on both counts. I did get the impression both Kara and Citadel were trying to do something they thought was right; and, as I said in the review, I want to see what they're doing with Marrina in the main series.

- Le Messor
"He has the right to criticise, who has the heart to help."
~ Lincoln

[Phil]

The big creature isn't possible within Kara's (impossible) powers. That's where my problem lies, not with something impossible happening in comics.

That's a very solid argument. I can't really disagree with you.
Secondary mutation or something perhaps? *shrugs*

[Le Messor]

That's a very solid argument. I can't really disagree with you.
Secondary mutation or something perhaps? *shrugs*

Let's go with that. It's established.