Ben's Bit - Alpha Flight #2 Review

[Ben]

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http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_2_review_1.jpg[/img:48c591e2ab]
Writer: Scott Lobell
Artist: Clayton Henry
Story: You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me! Part 2 of 6



OVERVIEW:

This issue begins in the same place as the last issue. The perspective however is reversed. We are now able to see what the "New Alpha Flight" was able to see. The origona members of Alpha Flight (Including Guardian, Vindicator, Snowbird, Shaman, Puck, and Earthmover) all incased in, and restrained by machinery.

[img=left:48c591e2ab]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_2_review_2.jpg[/img:48c591e2ab]Again, like the first issue, the time line changes. We are now able to see the village of Yukon Jack. It seems he is the heir to the thrown of secret civilization of immortal beings. Yukotujakzurjimozoata is drugged by his father, who was paid off by Walter Langkowski. Yukon Jack is loaded onto Walter's plane.

Walt then hits Zuzha Yu's bar. They have a bet on the line over an arm wrestling match. Should Walter win, she has to join his Alpha Flight, should Zuzha win, Walt has to become her "Love Slave" for a year. On the count of three Walter becomes Sasquatch, and tosses her across the room, knocking her out. While picking her up to load her onto his plane, we learn that Zuzha Yu is Eugene Milton Judd’s (The original Puck) daughter!

We next joining Walt and Nemesis just as she is regaining consciousness. Walter explains that her spinal control harness works through the release of Neo-Floxins. He goes on to say her body is dead, and it is her connection to her "living" spirit sword that allows her body to function, and in turn she gives the sword mobility. The device's release of Neo-Floxins can permanently sever this connection, which would kill her in a more permanent way. They then joining their two unconscious team mates. While in flight Walter explains his history with Alpha Flight, and how when everyone had lost faith in him, James MacDonald Hudson. In mid explanation Nemesis starts to freak out about the presence of “pure unadulterated goodness”. As Walter is helping Nemesis off the plane, the are met by Major Mapleleaf riding his horse Thunder over the rooftops! The Major practically begs Walt to let him join the team. Walt agrees, based both on his powers, and his ability to freak Nemesis out. We learn that Mapleleaf's has internally generated bio-centric powers that include some sort of power blasts, invulnerability, marginal strength enchantment, and gravitational negation (this is how he was able to make Thunder ride over the rooftops)

[img=right:48c591e2ab]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_2_review_3.jpg[/img:48c591e2ab]Lankowski leaves Major Mapleleaf in to take care of his two new unconscious teammates, and heads back to the strip bar and met Rutherford Princeton again. Princeton was bemoaning an empty feeling from being comatose for twenty years, waking up old, with super powers. He agrees to join Walt’s team, hoping to fill that void.

The team now assembled Walter explains his reason for bringing them all together. He, along with the other original members of Alpha Flight had been sent on a mission to investigate some great threat to humanity. Walter was the only one to make it back, but with no memories as to what had happened to his teammates. He admits that he could easily have called on the Avengers, or the X-Men for help, but since it was a Canadian problem, he wanted handled it internally.

REVIEW:


I loved seeing the original members in the double splash page. I thought it was clever how Lobell did the whole thing from behind, showing us what the new team was seeing in issue one. Inverting the lettering was a nice touch.

[img=left:48c591e2ab]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/af3_2_review_4.jpg[/img:48c591e2ab]It was nice to lean some more things about the new characters. I liked the idea of Yukon Jack’s background, and LOVED the idea of Zuzha being Eugene Judd’s daughter. I'm also really enjoying the character that Lobell is building for Nemesis.

The main problem I found was having a second issue with no action at all. I was hoping for at least a bit in this issue. I can certainly look past it, but I fear that it may put new readers of Alpha Flight off a bit. I did appreciate the character development however. What I would have liked to have seen was Lobell handling the character introduction much like Byrne did in the beginning of Volume 1. Having the main storyline in the first 12 pages or so, then use the last 5 pages or so to introduce the new characters. I think it would have made the book take off on a better foot, and would not have attracted so much negative attention.

That being said, I certainly did enjoy the issue, and it leaves me really looking forward to the next one. The new team is now assembled, and they are off to save the original members. I'm really looking forward to the interplay between Judd and Zuzha. Nemesis is a great character, and I like how Lobell has explained the nature of her existence.


RATING:

[img]http://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/redleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/greyleaf.jpghttp://www.alphaflight.net/reviews/greyleaf.jpg

[Phil]

I really enjoyed this issue.
The first one dragged a bit, but this one managed to keep my attention throughout the issue.

There seemed to be a lot more characterisation within this issue, and less jokes which for me worked.
It seemed to be about the right balance between the two, and the only thing lacking was, as you stated action.

That's not necessarilly a bad thing, in some ways it's refreshing, yet in some ways it seems kinda false.

I do think Sasquatch is being portrayed correctly, which pleases me, even if his evasion from capture scenario doesn't really flow with me.

Nemesis too is firing up my interest, with plenty of nods to volume one where she's involved.

I'm still not too sure this is going to make it past 6 issues though :(

[Ben]

you never know Phil, so far the review I've seen have been much more positive than #1

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102808

[varo]

i liked this issue. the long term interactions are being set up pretty well.

[gorejeja]

I thought this issue was a lot better than the first issue, too. When Walter pays off whatshisnamethat'salllonglike, I laughed out loud on the bus and people looked at me funny.

Major Mapleleaf makes me say "squee!". Real loud. I wish he were real. Well, maybe notsomuch, because it'd make this stupid city real dangerous, being the hometown of superheroes and whatnot.

[Ben]

Hi gorejeja, welcome!

Yes, this does set a lot of potential character interaction into place. I can just see out prim and proper MM being hit on by Zuzha, and him just freaking out :).

[mreeez]

I dug issue 2, then again its an AF issue so I am biased :D

BTW, who is the guy w/ the glasses that is captured w/ the rest of original AF (between Mac and Snowbird)? Maybe I am having a brain cramp, or missed their last appearence, but I cant figure out who that is.

Riv

[beetleblack]

That's Earthmover. I had no idea who he was either, but there is a thread elsewhere entitled Earthmover where all is explained.

I have to say I'm very much looking forward to reading this issue from what you've all said :)

[kozzi24]

Issue 2 was much better than #1, but hasn't won me over yet.
The exploration of Nemesis is the strongest point. One of the weakest points is the physical depiction of Langkowski. He was a football jock, not the nerdy scientist type, so the change runs contrary to prior depictions and prior characterization.
The bit of paying Yukon's father was funny, but it also jarred me from the reality of the book. My first impression has been stated elsewhere: what's the father going to do with the money. Smart touch not to have colored it green. The joke jarred my "reality" of the comic world it was set in, something the very funny JLI never did.
Weak characterization is also in the female Puck. It needs to be stated right out that she would prefer her father dead, or REALLY explained why she needed such effort on Langkowski's part to recruit her. Also, how does Langkowski know about Puck's daughter when she'd never been mentioned before. I also detest her costume as SENSELESS beefcake. These heroes call Canada--a cold place--home, so there's no sense in the costume if she has no form of power that could protect her from the cold, and the overlapping design of the g-string on the pants is just, er, too much in not being enough.
How convenient for the "mystery story" that Langkowski has no memories of his escape. More realistic to AF history: Langkowski was away at a convention or experienct when the threat became exposed, and he learned of the capture of the team through a blurred mystic beacon from Shaman. The title is clearly running the problem of "comic" writers" that they're putting more work into the jokes than they story cohesion.
The implication that Langkowski will only recruit other Canadians jarred the internal reality for me too. For the story set up, he could have recruited Wolverine, Northstar and any other number of former members, and could have discovered Mapleleaf Jr. when trying to recruit the Senior. He could have discovered Yukon when searching out the native Sasquatches from Volume 2. And to not try to capitalize on the in-law connection with Namor when dealing with an aquatic race such as Plodex seems strange too. By the nature of his power, there no reason Northstar cannot appear regularly in both X-Men and AF.
And, basically, I am finding the same fault with Volume 3 as I did Volume 2 and the latter part of Mantlo's run. Alpha Flight is not the Avengers, with a cast to be rotated at will. It is eight specific very dysfunctional and humanly faulted people. There's complaints that the originals spent too much time fighting among themselves? Look at who they are and imagine them all trying to get along together. Part of that dysfuntional dynamic that really made the originals for me is that they showed excellent teamwork (most of the time) when there's a villain in front of them, and COULDN'T get along when there wasn't.

[Ben]

You lost me on this one...he looks like a pretty big guy to me in the comic.



Issue 2 was much better than #1, but hasn't won me over yet.
The exploration of Nemesis is the strongest point. One of the weakest points is the physical depiction of Langkowski. He was a football jock, not the nerdy scientist type, so the change runs contrary to prior depictions and prior characterization.

[gorejeja]

Cheers, thanks for the welcome, Ben :) I see you're a Haligonian (or at least in Halifax). Small world, I'm returning to Halifax for my summer off from school!

To whomever thought that Walt looks too "wimpy/science geek": Walter's an ex-football player, right? I think it's realistic to think that since he's stopped playing football, his physique has changed. Even if he is still an Alphan (issue 2 is indicative that Alpha Flight's been active lately), maybe the kind of physical activity he's doing is different than training for/playing football, causing his physique to change. I did ballet all my life, and when I stopped that and started doing boxercize, I noticed a difference in the motions I was doing, and consequently, my physical shape (and since I've been not moving around at all, I've changed yet again- though this time for the worst). Also, most of Walt's moving-around-ness as an Alphan is in Sasquatch form, so that could even affect things, too.

[StevenPaul]

YAY!! I got this issue, lol, I didn't get the first issue cause my comic shop sold out.

I liked it a lot.

And for some strange reason I already like Yukon Jack and Zuzha. And considering I was already a fan of Nemesis, all looks good from here :D

[kozzi24]

that since he's stopped playing football, his physique has changed.

Byrne, and most consecutive artists, drew him as a big boned tall man with a square jaw and dressed like he shops in sportswear departments. Now he's drawn short, with a narrow chin, always wearing Oxford shirts and thin ties. At your next HS reunion, check out the x-foorball players. The runners might be dimunitive, but all the big-bones jocks have probably gotten pot bellied or outright fat, not shrunk down.
In the end of Vol 1 #1, Langkowski picked up Puck by the scruss. Does CH's version look capable of that?

[Ben]

kozzi24, I still don't see were he's being depicted this way...In this latest incarnation, he honeltly looks like himself to me. He's tall, wide shoulders, big arms, pretty square jaw (maybe not so much as MM, but still) I don't see him being depicted as you do :)

And to gorejeja, I am currently in Halifax, though I've only been here since November, I'm origonally from PEI, and will always be an islander in my heart no matter whre I go. There is my home :)

[kozzi24]

I have the thin tie and his appearance when first visiting Centennial from ish 1 stuck in my mind, and the manga hair doesn't help. Issue 2 wasn't as bad drawing wise, although his waist looks too proportionately thin and that woman's over-the-hip belt has got to go! The heights of the characters were a bit inconcicstent, especially with Yukon, Mapleleaf & Walt together. I think the lab coat out of the lab also kept the impression with me.

[Nalyd Psycho]

The bit of paying Yukon's father was funny, but it also jarred me from the reality of the book. My first impression has been stated elsewhere: what's the father going to do with the money. Smart touch not to have colored it green. The joke jarred my "reality" of the comic world it was set in, something the very funny JLI never did.

Not only was it not green, but it is a pretty accurate copy of the new 100 dollar bills that were minted within the month, (You can tell by the silver strip on the left side.) really up to date pencils and colouring there. A very impressive little detail.

I think it's makes sense because it's clear Jack's dad isn't on the level so he probably makes frequent excurrsions to the outside world. It even possibly sets him up as a future villain, what exactly does an amoral person like him do in the outside world?

I felt this issue was excellent, better than the first and the first was great. Alpha Flight is fast establishing itself as the best team book on the market. The humour was much more natural and most of the characters are really interesting me. (Reminds me of Wildguard in that regard, it's not about which characters I like, but waiting for that moment where I'll start liking the character. Where as most team books there are one or two characters at least that I don't care for, but I imagine that that won't be an issue here once we get a bit more characterization on them.)

A definate 8 or 9 out of 10 in my book.

[gorejeja]

Kozzi, I went back and looked at AF 1 and 2 and I don't really see where you think he looks short. I can't find any panels that're set up well enough to be able to compare height with other Alphans. There's a few where he looks about the same size as Major Mapleleaf, who's no lightweight himself, in my opinion. As for too skinny... well, I guess I just don't know enough about football players to really make a judgement. However, I wear a girl's 16 or a ladie's 0 and I'm only about 5 feet tall, and when I look at Walt, I do get the impression that he's a big guy. I guess it's all up to the way the reader interprets what he or she sees.

And I can't go to my reunion and look at the football players, we don't play football here ;)

Ben, Halifax is a fun city :D I like it bacause I can walk anywhere I wanna go, as I am without car. It'll be great in the summer, I promise you! The waterfront comes to life, the busker festival is great.

[PWalk]

I really dug this issue.

First off I found a new CB shop right around the corner from my house. W00T!

Anyhow, I really enjoyed the way Lobdell is setting up Nemesis. She was a great character to begin with and she's getting better with every frame shes in.

Yukon Jack is an intriguing character. Kinda reminds me of what Thor might have been if he was a pampered twit. I like it.

[Mystic]

Well, I -finally- got issue 2, and have to honestly say that it is, by leaps and bounds, better than issue 1. The comedy of issue 1 felt like it was forced. Actually, everything about issue one felt forced to me. This issue really expands things and puts some of my doubts to rest (plus, it was nice to see the 'Classic' AF team again).

I'll keep buying it because it's Alpha Flight. And I'll love it if the stories are more fluidic, like in 2. Loebdell may have been an awful choice for vol.1, but he seems to be doing better with vol.3

Cheers,
Mystic

[Ben]

X-Fan Review is prett good:

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26893

[DelBubs]

A nice concise reasonable review at

The X Axis (http://www.thexaxis.com/alphaflight/alphaflight2.htm)

=====================
Sasquatch repeats his attempt to put together a new Alpha Flight, and this time everyone ends up joining - some more willingly than others. To be honest, this is the sort of story that might have worked better in a double-sized opening issue, since we're now a third of the way through the opening arc and we still haven't really established what the wider plot it (besides knowing that the rest of Alpha Flight have gone missing and Sasquatch is assembling a new team to rescue them). But it's worked reasonably well as an introduction for the new characters.
=====================

I still ain't got the ****ing thing :x

[Major Mapleleaf Jr]

I liked it a LOT more than the first issue, mainly because I got to see more Map'leaf, and I learned a little bit more about each of the characters (minus Centennial). I was very satisfied. :)

[DelBubs]

Another good review, it's gonna go to Lobdells head I tell ya :-)

SilverBulletComics (http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/reviews/108179365744779.htm)
=====================
However in spite of the familiar plot, I have to confess I did find myself quickly warming to this new group as they openly questioned the wisdom of sending them up against a threat that had managed to capture the original team, when they have zero experience, and are likely to be about as useful as an anchor on a sinking ship. Still, one has to imagine that Sasquatch was set free so he could gather up more victims, and watching how this new, untested group performs now that they've been sent tumbling out of the frying pan should be a lot of fun.

In any event this issue does suffers from the simple fact that the new characters still haven't emerged as anything all that interesting, as there's a detached quality about them that leaves me a bit cold. I mean perhaps this will improve when we start getting issues that offer up some internal character exposition, as right now the only character whose head we've been allowed to get inside is Walter's, and these scenes are entirely devoted to his thoughts of this new cast of characters.
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The Fourth Rail (http://www.thefourthrail.com/reviews/critiques/040504/alphaflight2.shtml)
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A "Canadian" problem calls for a Canadian solution. In other words, there's NO explanation as to why this new team is necessary. Lobdell's script not only points out that lack of logic, but it makes note of the clearly gratuitous nature of Puck's ensemble. I find it odd that the writer acknowledges the plot's shortcomings rather than trying to correct them.

[Nalyd Psycho]

The Fourth Rail (http://www.thefourthrail.com/reviews/critiques/040504/alphaflight2.shtml)
=====================
A "Canadian" problem calls for a Canadian solution. In other words, there's NO explanation as to why this new team is necessary. Lobdell's script not only points out that lack of logic, but it makes note of the clearly gratuitous nature of Puck's ensemble. I find it odd that the writer acknowledges the plot's shortcomings rather than trying to correct them.


I've noticed one problem reviewers have, they are either unfamiliar with Giant Sized X-Men 1, or unaware that You've Got To Be Kidding Me is a parody of said comic. Why didn't Xavier ask the Fantastic Four or the Avengers for help? Why'd he travel the globe recruiting mutants from Russia, Japan, Africa etc and not just recruit American mutants, he had cerebro. Scott's make those previous plot holes obvious in Alpha Flight as a dig as GS X-Men.

[DelBubs]

I finally got it today. We all know the story, I like the art, it's cartoony, but's it's not making me reach for the sick bag, like Calimee and Roulleau's art did.

After picking up comics today, I wandered into a local hostelry and partook of a lager, while reading AF#2. I did exactly the same with AF #1, it's a nice habit and one I wouldn't enjoy, unless the reading matter made me laugh while at the same time not ridiculing the characters. Lobdells AF does this, more so #2 than #1, but it's much better than vol2 already IM...etc

[DelBubs]

Finding Our Audience (http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/108262640457116.htm) at SilverBulletComics, a nice ariticle, with a positive mention of AF towards the bottom of the piece.

Forget these hot, new, creative teams, and their bold, new directions. Give John Byrne, Walter Simonson, Bob Layton et al back the reigns of the characters they helped shape in the Bronze Age and the 80s.

And most of all, tell the elitists to shut the **** up.

Or maybe I should? I don't know, you tell me. As usual, I'm very easy to get a hold of. If you don't want your letter printed in the column, please mark, "UNFIT TO PRINT." If you ever need anything about anything,...

[Richv1]

Well I am still not sure if Marvel is totally serious with this new team or just kidding us with it. And they plan to replace it with the original team that was captured. Its hard to tell sometimes.