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

[DaVeO]

In a world where giant aliens with big purple headgear eats planets. Where a mutant has the power to reshape reality and say the words "No More Mutants" and it is done. Where mysticism and super science go hand in hand and are daily occurrences in New York.
The fact that Shaman can set his body on auto-pilot during surgery while his spirit form battles super villains is just not possible? C'mon people. It can't be that hard to swallow if you accept the rest. The minute you try to argue logic to magic in a comic book you're already walking up a slippery slope wearing sneakers with no treads.

The Purple People Pack I can agree with was impossible given what we know of Kara's powers. But her reasons for the attack as well as Marrina's outburst I think it's safe to say we don't have the full story yet. It was puzzling sure, but until we get more background we can't really say it's out of character. 1) It has been awhile since we saw these women. 2) This series is a soft reboot. Not everything has changed but some things definitely has.

P.S. Except for 1 day of early polls the majority of our voting in Canada IS done on one day.

[Le Messor]

But her reasons for ... Marrina's outburst I think it's safe to say we don't have the full story yet.

Which I allowed for in the review...
Part of the problem I have, though, is that even if it's justified later, I found it poorly handled in this issue. Not that she snapped at all, but that she posed for cameras, then went off at those same cameras.

I think you others are right; we should deal with any logic flaws and move on.
The most they do to me is nag at the back of my mind; but I can deal with it.
(On the other hand, I can deal with it; but they nag at the back of my mind.)

P.S. Except for 1 day of early polls the majority of our voting in Canada IS done on one day.

Do the results get back on that same day?
I don't know how it happens up there.

- Le Messor
"The future starts today, not tomorrow."
~ Pope John Paul II

[Phil]

I still think that leaving possible logic flaws aside and giving slack to allow for things to be followed up on your review still wasn't a bad one.
It wasn't negative and it was all well thought out and constructed.
All of your points were sound, and you still gave it a good rating.

[berserkerclaw]

puck will be back he is on a cover after all which im happy about he needs to be here

[Le Messor]

...your review still wasn't a bad one...

Thanks.
I've been thinking what I should do is write a second review of the issue after I've read #s 1-8.
It wouldn't be a retraction or an overwrite of this one (the issue does have to stand alone, and this review isn't based on unpublished stories), but it might be cool to see how I feel about it when I know everything they're planning for it. It might take away whatever problems I did have with it.

- Le Messor
"Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign that something is eating us."
~ Peter DeVries

[cmdrkoenig67]

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.

Both Snowbird's abilities and Alpha's resurrection are/were the result of magic, Phil...Kara's powers are not. Even in a comic book, there should be natural laws that govern what she's capable of making people do.

The same would hold true if she told them to form a giant human Ferris wheel or a giant human monster truck...it just wouldn't/shouldn't be possible.

Dana

[Phil]

Magic wouldn't/shouldn't be possible either.
You can't say that natural laws apply to certain people but not to others.

I'm prepared to accept the fact of it being possible, in a fictional comic world.

Being part of her particular powerset, based on her previous appearances, however is a different story.

[Le Messor]

Here's the thing:


How is Kyle holding himself up there? To my knowledge, he's non-powered, so he can't do that. And if he can't do that, Kara can't make him do that. Within her established power set.
(Unless it's a secondary mutation we weren't previously aware of.)

- Le Messor
"I’d love to, but I’m building a pig from a kit."

[Phil]

My guess, the two people below are each holding a leg and he in turn is holding on to two peoples legs forming one giant structured chain, akin to a cheerleader pyramid, and that's what they've been 'persuaded' to do.

But that's just me, off the top of my head.
If I start picking apart the physics of it then the entire Marvel Universe will disappear for me.

[Le Messor]

My guess, the two people below are each holding a leg and he in turn is holding on to two peoples legs forming one giant structured chain

For some reason, in my head, his hands have been facing backwards (his palms would be to his back), which would make that near-impossible for anyone without a lot of circus-training, and/or superstrength.
However, reading your comment and looking again, there's no reason he isn't palms-forward, which would be infinitely easier.
Laces out?

- Le Messor
"The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves."
~ William Hazlitt

[DelBubs]

One possible explanation would be that anyone under Kara's control becomes part of a singular mind. They arn't individuals becoming a giant purple people eater, but parts on a single enitiy. Or not as the case may be.

[Ahab]

Del's idea brings back something that was never really touched upon much with Kara. When Goblyn first came into the picture, Kara shared her mind at the end of the fight and realized the truth about her. This hinted at the fact that there is more to her powers than just pheromone control. Just because we've never seen something like this before, doesn't mean that she can't do it. We've seen this with other mutants, so why not Kara? After all, Sunspot and Magma didn't fly until they got older...

[Phil]

That's what I mean, a decent writer with knowledge of AF could quite easily write a scenario explaining how/why Kara was able to do that within her powerset.

Had Walt suddenly stood up and said "Hey, I can fly." and then done so, then I'd have just walked away from the book.

[Ahab]

Bottom line for me is that when I read this part of the story, I thought "That is an AWESOME and creative way of expanding Kara's powers!", not "Wait. There's no WAY Kara could do that." If you get too caught up in real-world physics when reading comics, then you will be pretty busy finding scenarios that couldn't really happen. That is not meant to be a diss on anyone that contributes to this forum. I enjoy reading the debates. I just find it interesting that this created such a stir, not only here but on other forums as well.

[Phil]

But if we all thought the same it'd be boring.
I like coming here and talking about Af no matter how big or small, jovial or serious.
I like the differing ideas and opnions.
Any excuse to induldge really.