patience grasshopper.

[varo]

well, i guess we'll need to exercise some patience.


NRAMA: Fair enough... back to Mark Millar’s interview. He states that there is already at least a writer attached to Alpha Flight, and a full creative team for a Thor revival. Can we make this a big Joe Fridays’ week and reveal some of these plans today?

JQ: You realize that if we were doing such things we would be talking about books that come out sometime after Civil War, putting them in December or better yet in 2007.

No.

[varo]

btw. northstar 12 o'clock.




http://www.newsarama.com/JoeFridays/JF46art/XMEN188COVER1_400.jpg

[varo]

WHOA!!!!


JUST NOTICED AURORA IN THERE AS WELL!!!

OLD SCHOOL UNI'S TOO.

[DelBubs]

The url for that image mentions X-Men, is there any reference to what that image pertains too? I'm off to my pit and have decided to leave reading the column until morning.

[varo]

i should have kept reading.


color me beyond confused.


Again, because you know how much we like playing Nancy Drew… From the promo art it appears Wolverine is on Cap’s side (which would be consistent with his character), we know that there is a huge split in the Avengers, that Alpha Flight involves (at least in part) heroes fleeing there, and let us add to that Alpha Flight has always been a tough sell, marketing wise. A character like Wolverine (who happens to be from Canada) could go a long way to elevating the status of an Alpha Flight revival…

How we doing so far?

JQ: This feels like an episode of the X-Files with all the conspiracy theories you’re laying on me here. You realize that all these Alpha Flight rumors are based on the word of sneaky ol' Mark Millar. How about this, there will be no Alpha Flight.

NRAMA: All righty…Finally, in respects to the Millar interview, he mentions there are around five series being set-up for a revival he helping set-up via Civil War. We’ll assume something-kind-of-like-but-not-called Alpha Flight, Heroes for Hire, and Thor are three. That would leave (according to Millar) about two more?

We in the ballpark?

JQ: Yes, relatively in the ballpark, and absolutely out in left-field. There’s some very cool and interesting scenarios that no one will be able to guess until we get there so I need to hold onto those cards.

[Adam]

I wouldnt read those quotes out of context. That entire section of the interview was purposeful misdirection and goofing around. I think more of the Alpha issue is in the open than Quesada wanted, so he's going to play hard to get for some time.

[Transmetropolitan]

Bah. Joe Q can't be trusted at all.

It's in neither his interest or in his nature to give anything away.

[varo]

if this is some inside oceans 11 type inside joke to mess with alpha flight fans i am going to lose my mind.

[Adam]

I think this is going to be a frustrating few months in terms of new information, but the fact that a new Alpha book is even in the cards right now, and so relatively soon after the Vol 3 failure, is far more than I ever expected.

[Mokole]

Joe Q. said basically that he's not going to talk about series coming out in December or 2007. In July or August or September, that'll change.

The 'there will be no Alpha Flight' thing is probably him shooting off his mouth at the interviewer because he doesn't want to talk about Alpha Flight until the summer or later, but it's a sure thing. After all, right after that they ask about Alpha Flight being one new title with Thor and Heroes for Hire and Joe Q. says that's pretty much right, his 'in left field' confirms that Alpha Flight is coming and that it may not be what the rumours say it is.

In his reign it has been normal Marvel policy to refuse to discuss new titles until, at earliest, 6 months before the debut. And its rare for them to hype a new book 6 months early. 4 months early has been the norm. Heroes for Hire was confirmed last week, 4 months before its debut. New Exaclibur was specifically shot down one week in Joe's Fridays, then two weeks later it was confirmed as an ongoing spinning out of HoM in 3 months.

So I put all of this down to Joe Q. holding to his policy of not discussing future titles until artwork et al is done and sanctified, in other words in a few months for us. :roll:

That's all it means, Millar isn't lying, just getting ahead of Joe Q. :o

If Ben can get anything else, or Phil, we'll see, but I know my reading of Joe Q. is spot-on this time.

[varo]

yeah, i agree. i just thought that follwing up millars interview joeq would have something to say about a possible relaunch.

wasn't looking for a "no alpha flight" quote though.

[Mokole]

He's been getting asked Alpha Flight questions by Newsarama, almost weekly, since early January. And posters like Defunct and Scratchy and more have been asking Alpha Flight questions on his thread for longer, usually 3-4 a week. So maybe he's tired of dealing with it and wants people to give it a rest. Of course, simply saying, "yes, Alpha Flight, Heroes for Hire, Thor make 3, more are under consideration" would make it easier but that's not how he sees it. He wants stories and artwork in his hands so he can promote the series and not be made out to be a liar. The 4 month rule in other words, though 6 months isn't unheard of. Note he won't confirm Thor either, and he didn't confirm New X-Men changes until about 3 months before HoM, even though Nunzio and Christina made it official 4 months before that (In November they said Craig Yost would be replacing them, Joe Q. confirmed it in February or March 2005).

Millar didn't lie, why would he at all? Joe Q. has a motivation to avoid topics until art is done et al (remember the trouble with the Cable miniseries around 12 years ago? It came out about a year and a half late, I'm sure he remembers that). 8)

I trust what Mark Millar said, he's using Alpha Flight, and Alpha Flight or something associated closely is spinning out of it between December 2006 and February 2007. :wink:

[Mokole]

I think this is going to be a frustrating few months in terms of new information, but the fact that a new Alpha book is even in the cards right now, and so relatively soon after the Vol 3 failure, is far more than I ever expected.

I guess, but remember that New Excalibur replaced Trash Excalibur awfully fast.

[varo]

the new excalibur is not that much better than the old. :shock:


but at least excalibur fans are getting a series.

[Adam]

I think this is going to be a frustrating few months in terms of new information, but the fact that a new Alpha book is even in the cards right now, and so relatively soon after the Vol 3 failure, is far more than I ever expected.

I guess, but remember that New Excalibur replaced Trash Excalibur awfully fast.

Did "Trash Excalibur" ever have any connection to the old Excalibur series at all? I know Alpha fans have to deal with "all new, all different" a lot but at least we haven't had a total fake-out like that Excalibur series yet :)

[Mokole]

btw. northstar 12 o'clock.


What are those things fighting the X-Men supposed to be? And is Aurora fighting Sabretooth, Northstar fighting Iceman?? Or are they all fighting the robot guys? And what's with the pig robot by Mystique?

I figure they're fighting robots, but I wonder why the Beaubiers are there helping them and nobody else. :oops:

[Alpha Fan]

I have downloaded that image and it states that it is the cover to X-MEN 188. Taknig into account that the Apocalypse storyline end in issue 186 I suppose we'll see the twins in issue 187 (or maybe even before if they fit in the Apocalypse's storyline). I am very gald to see them finally together. What was the last time we saw them together? The last issue of AF v2?

To me it didn't make sense that knowing about Weapon X and his sister's situation he didn't spend all his efforts in finding her so I hope that the current writer in X-Men comes up with a good idea to join my favourite twins together again. It is time.