After Alpha #12

[Ahab]

Wouldn't it be interesting if Marvel let the results of time travel by this new rendition of Alpha Flight actually wipe out all of the horrible plotlines and retcons that have occurred during Alpha's many series? This would be a way to clean up and simplify the team, making Alpha more accessible to new readers. I realize that this is a controversial subject and I am not necessarily condoning the idea, but it would be an interesting solution to some of the convoluted messes that have occurred...

[Le Messor]

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but I'm not sure it could work logically.

For one thing, most of those things were 'in the past'; before the times they've been travelling to, therefore before they influenced them.

Unless they travelled far enough back to stop Puck getting Raazered (and who could? Nemesis?), for example, they couldn't retcon a bad retcon.

- Le Messor
"Better to kill time than have it kill you."
- karl

[Ottawa Renegade]

I hate re-written history. Rather than write something out of continuity completely, I'd rather have a rather make use of it, even if it's in fun. Like someone making a joke about Walt once being a woman.

[varo]

they just need to start a ultimate alpha flight series.


:D

[Phil]

Hang on, hang on, hang on... you're telling me Alpha Flight has had horrible plotlines and retcons :shock:

[HappyCanuck]

Hang on, hang on, hang on... you're telling me Alpha Flight has had horrible plotlines and retcons :shock:

Um Phil, where have you been for the last 162 issues (well, not quite, since 11 and 12 aren't released yet, but I like to be inclusive), and three annuals?? Alpha Flight is all about bad plotlines, stereotypes and creationary/destructionary (neither of which are words, I'm sure) retcons...

:o don't tell me, old man, that yer deluding yourself again! :evil: what did I say about that? :roll: <sheesh> kids these days...

[Ahab]

You can't blame Phil. Reality is subjective to him at his age...

[HappyCanuck]

You can't blame Phil. Reality is subjective to him at his age...

Which says something about me, since he's less than a year younger than me :D

[Phil]

I can see I'm gonna haveta dust off the sarcasm tags.... :P

[DelBubs]

You can't blame Phil. Reality is subjective to him at his age...
Reality is an illusion bought about by lack of alcohol. Lunchtime doubly so.

[Phil]

Reality is an illusion bought about by lack of alcohol.

I have no problem there tonight.

[DelBubs]

Reality is an illusion bought about by lack of alcohol.

I have no problem there tonight.
Ahh, like me you have experienced reality and have found it wanting. (Wanting to get pissed like the rest of us) :-)

[tkmadison]

they just need to start a ultimate alpha flight series.


:D
oh god no.
i can't stand the 'ultimate universe.'
some of the titles are written well, but do we really need a comic company to wrap it's characters up in 3 or more different realities in order to make more books?
:D Well, maybe in the case of the x-men...it's the only way you could explain how they seem to do so much and appear so often (particularly wolverine - one has to wonder if his healing factor precludes the need for sleep!)

But what do we have already?
The 'regular' marvel universe, the 'ultimate' universe, the 'manga' universe...plus one other...

[HappyCanuck]

LOL, Tk, I think Varo was commenting on the fact that our very own Ed Northcott is already working on an "Ultimate Alpha Flight" - due for release as soon as his schedule permits.

(PS: Ed - any idea when we'll be getting a sneak-preview of UAF? I know I'm dying of curiousity!)

[tkmadison]

LOL, Tk, I think Varo was commenting on the fact that our very own Ed Northcott is already working on an "Ultimate Alpha Flight" - due for release as soon as his schedule permits.

(PS: Ed - any idea when we'll be getting a sneak-preview of UAF? I know I'm dying of curiousity!)

Well I don't object at all to an Alpha Flight series starting up. I'm hoping that it's better than v3.
:D
My negative comments towards the ultimate universe were for Marvel in general. I don't mind the concept so much but I just think Marvel has convoluted all their other titles by adding them to the ultimate universe...and since alpha flight v3 seems to be temporary, I'm not, like I said, going to complain.
;)

[Ottawa Renegade]

You may have seen, by the way, that Marvel made a wallpaper of issue #12's cover...

http://marvelcomics.com/wallpaper/papers/ALPHAFLIGHT_12_800.jpg

[cmdrkoenig67]

Maybe...just maybe....issue 12 is the "last" issue that ANAD Af appears as a team and the originals return(absorbing most of the new team into themselves?)? Too much to hope for?....probably, but it's just a thought.

Dana

[Legerd]

Maybe...just maybe....issue 12 is the "last" issue that ANAD Af appears as a team and the originals return(absorbing most of the new team into themselves?)? Too much to hope for?....probably, but it's just a thought.

Dana

Never give up hope Dana! Maybe all the emails and snail mails and maple syrup will get someone at Marvel to pull their head out of their butt and do something to keep Alpha going.

[Ben]

you would think that if they had plans of doing something like that, they would have made it public knowlege by now, if for no other reason to keep from "ticking" to many fans off. I would love for something like that to happen, but I don't think we'll see a new AF book within a year or two at leat. But it's well worth making a stink, and shouting out what we wanna see!

As of tomorrow it will have been a week since I publically (on HIS forum) asked for JoQ to address fan concerns about AF's cancellation, lack of advertising, and lack of commitment to re-tooling the book, with no respons, and likewise a week tomorrow since I responded with the same concerns to his form letter he sent a bunch of us, again with no response. Tomorrow I will just have to say how dissapointed his attitude of ignoring AF fans has been, and make much more of a stink about it. I'm officially one pissed off hippy, and that aint a pretty sight!


Ben

[Mokole]

Well, to be positive when ANADAF was to come out Marvel never said so and the buzz was coming from who knows where until what, August or September? So I expect about the same level of non-publicity from Quesada this time, if there is a this time.

Wait too long, Marvel, and lose another half million dollars in revenue. Again. :roll:

[cmdrkoenig67]

marvel will lose my money with the end of AF....It is the only Marvel book I'm getting(besides the ocassional Handbook), since Weapon X was cancelled. After that, goodbye marvel...(At least until the Weapon x mini comes out....if it's any good...oh...and only if it has Former Alphans in it :wink: ).

Dana

[HappyCanuck]

Maybe...just maybe....issue 12 is the "last" issue that ANAD Af appears as a team and the originals return(absorbing most of the new team into themselves?)? Too much to hope for?....probably, but it's just a thought.

Dana

Sooo, sorta like what they did at the end of V2? Yeah, remember how well THAT ended up? Yeah, exactly...

[cmdrkoenig67]

Maybe...just maybe....issue 12 is the "last" issue that ANAD Af appears as a team and the originals return(absorbing most of the new team into themselves?)? Too much to hope for?....probably, but it's just a thought.

Dana

Sooo, sorta like what they did at the end of V2? Yeah, remember how well THAT ended up? Yeah, exactly...


That's not at all, what I meant.

Dana

[HappyCanuck]

Sooo, sorta like what they did at the end of V2? Yeah, remember how well THAT ended up? Yeah, exactly...


That's not at all what I meant.

Dana

I know it wasn't Dana, I was just making a point.

[kozzi24]

Hey Dana, hope you picked up (no adjective) X-Men #163. Good Northstar/Sabretooth fight.

[cmdrkoenig67]

Yes, I did pick that issue up. I just wish that if the writers of the X-books want to hold on to Northstar, that they would actually use him(like in these issues)...instead of having him just as a teacher and appearing randomly(when the urge hits them).

Dana

[Phil]

Let's see how #12 ends up, eh? 8)

[Mokole]

Come on Phil, you sound like you know something we don't. Now how can that be?

[kozzi24]

Yes, I did pick that issue up. I just wish that if the writers of the X-books want to hold on to Northstar, that they would actually use him(like in these issues)...instead of having him just as a teacher and appearing randomly(when the urge hits them).

Dana

I dunno what was with that. Reading between the lines of some of the Austen-leaving interviews on Newsrama and around, I think Austen may have wanted to just explore Northstar's love life, and I do think that cheapens him as a character. There's a lot of untapped backstory.
I guess it is good if New X-Men will use him as a teacher, it's what he was brought in for. Maybe if he is picked up by an X-writer that wants to use him for strong and entertaining (if abrasive) character in a group, we'd see more of him.

[cmdrkoenig67]

AFAIC...Northstar belongs in AF, where he's an actual member of the team. He should be used and developed THERE, not in a stupid(because there's a billion of them, with a billion characters in each) X-book. :evil:

Dana

[Mokole]

But people are always happy to see AF characters exist in some book (3-4 in Weapon X, 1 in X-Men) than see them all in limbo.

To me, that's one way to deal with all the characters; ANADAF, Byrne AF in space, ex-Afers being criminals, 2 in X-Men, one in Avengers, 3 in Weapon X... At least it shows that some of these characters (notably Sasquatch, Northstar, Box, Aurora, and Wild Child) are popular with comic writers.

[Le Messor]

But people are always happy to see AF characters exist in some book (3-4 in Weapon X, 1 in X-Men) than see them all in limbo.

What people?

Me, I very quickly tend to put them in the 'no longer AF' category when they're in another team. Marrina, Northstar, Aurora, WildChild (especially), I don't have all their appearances, and don't plan to.

Unless they rejoin for v4... Please...

- Le Messor
Calvin: People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don’t realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.
Hobbes: Do you know your fly's undone?

[Mokole]

But I'm a character guy, so if Box is being used I'm not sad about it. After all, not being a Hudson fan I found ANADAF more likeable. Play the same game but with the Hudsons et al going after the Plodex and I doubt I would've bought 2 issues.

That being said, it's hard to deal with everyone in AF in one book, given that they keep bringing back dead players (Mac, Snowbird, Mac, Mac, now maybe even Marrina :roll: ).

Keep v4 early on Byrne AF, then have a trauma to allow two or three other characters to come back and replace the Hudsons or one Hudson and whoever. It could be done long term with a Dreamqueen storyline too, with her affecting people's dreams to rid Earth of the people who could stop her (Talisman, Pathway, Witchfire, Goblyn, most anyone ever in AF because they would realize the danger, Avengers and X-Men wouldn't deal with it quickly and she'd gain her victory). Byrne AF would realize too late that everything that's happened to them in the last 10 issues, including all those deaths, are connected to Dreamqueen and they'd have to take the fight to her before they're all dead and she has a free pass to our reality.

[Le Messor]

Keep v4 early on Byrne AF. It could be done long term with a Dreamqueen storyline too, with her affecting people's dreams to rid Earth of the people who could stop her.

That's pretty much exactly what I'd always planned to do, when I was a rich, famous writer in charge of AF. But I'm not rich, not famous, and definitely not in charge of AF.

So, I just imagine, if there's a v4, it'll be yet another unrecognisable group of strangers, in a completely different style.

- Le Messor
"Celebrate Hannibal Day today. Take an elephant to lunch."

[cmdrkoenig67]

I need to be more positive and hope for a more familiar line up in vol 4. As I've said...new faces are great, but not an entirely new cast with every relaunch. There HAS to be something familiar or they might as well title the book something else.

Dana

[Northcott]

(PS: Ed - any idea when we'll be getting a sneak-preview of UAF? I know I'm dying of curiousity!)

I know, I know... I'm bloody late in responding. Tom's currently waiting for my next inked pages, since he's got the first couple coloured. Here's a one-panel sample of how things should end up looking. Even though it'll just be a fanfic looking at an alternate view of the early days of Alpha, we're working hard to make sure this is as professional-looking as possible.

http://home.golden.net/~enorthcott/misc/panelsample.jpg

[HappyCanuck]

:shock: Okay, that's it, I offically claim envy-rights on Ed...

But could you give us a bit MORE of a peek - like at a character or twelve?! Pweeaassee??

No? Aw... :(

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sit in this corner and cry... :cry:

[varo]

very nice.

where is said book gonna be available?


here on af.net?

[Northcott]

I was planning on putting it up on my website -- already got a page cleared for it. There just happens to be nothing there at the moment. :)

Edit: BTW, Allan, don't underestimate the impact of Tom's colouring. His colours are amazing. I'm hoping to drag him into the industry if I end up getting a few paying gigs... I doubt they'll let me pick the colourer I work with, but if so, it'll be him.

[HappyCanuck]

Oh, trust me, Ed, I don't. That's part of the envy I claim: not only your talent, but the talent you work with. The fact you get to work with these people on a semi-regular basis, makes me want to scowl....

[varo]

this you?

http://home.golden.net/~enorthcott/html/main.html


if so you need to shamesly self promote more. i had to google it!! :lol: :lol:

[Northcott]

That's because I use it as a targetted marketing tool. :) It's basically an online portfolio that gets sent out to art directors, editors, etc. The general public has little to no interest in my work, so my site has remained off the indexes like Yahoo.

[varo]

ahhhhhhh.....


ic.

well, your art looks awesome, and its good yo know that someone as talented as you is whole heartedly interested in alpha.


the big 2 are crazy for not hiring you.

[Northcott]

Thanks. We'll see how things go in the coming year: I've been on the fringe with them for years, with some editors having a long list of complaints about my work, and others having only one or two niggling little details. Another simply said that if he'd had work for me at the moment, he'd have given it to me... but then later on recanted that and suggested there were areas that needed improvement before he'd hire me. *shrug* I often think that opinion depends on what kind of a day they're having before they see my work. :)

But there's a couple possible things in the air right now, and time will tell how they turn out.