Article: Marvel Premier Classics X-Men: Alpha Flight HC

[rplass]

Solicited for Feb 2011: X-Men and Alpha Flight (both series) along with Uncanny X-Men #s 109, 120, 121, 139 and 140! With a variant cover reprinting Cockrum's Weapon Alpha! Awesome.

Love,
rplass

[suzene]

Any price-tag on that puppy? Because that sounds tempting, but paying money for Ben Raab's work ever again puts me on the fence so far as acquiring it goes.

[Flightpath07]

Cool.

[rplass]

Here's the cover which I love love love:
611
And the variant
610

The price is $34.99 (for each)

Love,
rplass

[Tawmis]

Yeah the variant is by far superior.

[humanracin]

Fantastic!
Will buy this for sure, even though I usually only buy softcovers.
So we have Alpha action in new comics and trades...cool!
Next I would like:
1 A new Alpha Flight ongoing
2 Alpha Flight Classic Volume 2 TPB
3 Alpha Flight Vol 2 (90s) Ultimate Collection TPB (complete series in 1 volume)
4 Northstar limited series + extras TPB

[suzene]

And a pony.

[humanracin]

Yes a pony in a Guardian suit...why didn't I think of that!

Seriously though, how many bloody Avengers trades do we get every month, it's not too much to ask for a couple of AFs?

And we get what 5 or so Deadpool comics every month, just give us 1 AF comic... that is all, end rant!

[Phil]

Kinda bummed I bothered buying the Asgardian Wars HC now, but there's no way I can't pick this up....

[Phil]

And the variant is the Smith cover, not the other one(which they list as being by Byrne).

[Ben]

that's great for new readers, so they can enjoy some of the harder to find important AF stuff!

[Phil]

I wonder if it'll be the standard versions of the story or the Classic X-Men version with the extra pages...

[Tawmis]

I wonder if it'll be the standard versions of the story or the Classic X-Men version with the extra pages...

... the classic x-men issues had more pages?

*head desk*

I bet it's the standard though...

[rplass]

And the variant is the Smith cover, not the other one(which they list as being by Byrne).

Are you sure about this? I'm fairly certain I did this right, the Cockrum cover being the partial reprinting of the cover of UXM #109 as the variant and the Smith cover reprinting the wraparound cover of the X-Men Alpha Flight crossover is the regular cover.

EDIT: I fixed the OP with the correct info

Don't make me come over there! >:)

Love,
rplass

[rplass]

... the classic x-men issues had more pages?

*head desk*

I bet it's the standard though...

Yes, the Classic X-Men versions of UXM#'s 109, 120 and 121 had additional material, a few extra pages:

Classic X -Men #16: This issue is a reprint of Uncanny X-Men #109, with some extra material. The cover is an amazing rendition by Arthur Adams of events within UXM #109, where Mac first pops up out of the ground. The extra AF-related material is on p6, where Mac briefly recaps his association with Logan and dons his cybernetic helmet and on p21, where he reviews his performance and flies back to 138A Laurier Drive and finds Heather Hudson at home.

Classic X-Men #26: This issue is a reprint of Uncanny X-Men #120, with some extra material. The cover says, "And now... Sasquatch!", and shows Sasquatch's arm. The extra AF-related material is on p3, showing Mac in the Dept H. control room, viewing the team roster, then calling Heather and talking about the upcoming mission.

Classic X-Men #27: This issue is a reprint of Uncanny X-Men #121, with some extra material. The cover says, "Along came… Alpha Flight" and shows a very evil shadowy team standing in angry victory over fallen X-Men. The extra AF-related material is on p20, an epilogue page depicting events after Logan's escape. The interior cover also shows a Polaroid of Hudson and Logan in civilian clothes enjoying a beer and a cigar as well as an image in f/b to the fight sequence of UXM #109, shown below.
619
620

Love,
rplass

[Tawmis]

I may need to go back and find these again...

[Phil]

Are you sure about this? I'm fairly certain I did this right, the Cockrum cover being the partial reprinting of the cover of UXM #109 as the variant and the Smith cover reprinting the wraparound cover of the X-Men Alpha Flight crossover is the regular cover.

Check any of the other Marvel Premiere Classics series, the 2 layered colour version is always the variant.

[Le Messor]

Check any of the other Marvel Premiere Classics series, the 2 layered colour version is always the variant.

Yes, I've posted that I've been collecting all of them - so this will be mine either way.
That said, I really can't predict whether they'll include the bonus material, but knowing them I'm leaning towards 'yes' - but I wouldn't be surprised if it was tacked on to the end.

But I can confirm what Phil posted - the 2 layered colour version is always the variant. And really annoying when the three you had to buy over Amazon turned out not to be the variant!


And a pony.

Aww myannnn, Suzene, you know my horse is dead!

- Le Messor
Okay, maybe you didn't know that...


Buffy: How was school today?
Dawn: The usual, big square building filled with boredom and despair.
Buffy: Just how I remember it.

[Le Messor]

That said, I really can't predict whether they'll include the bonus material, but knowing them I'm leaning towards 'yes' - but I wouldn't be surprised if it was tacked on to the end.

A little research later:
The Wikipedia page for Marvel Premier Classics says it'll reprint Uncanny X-Men, not Classic X-Men, so I'm not going to hold my breath for the bonus material.

- Le Messor
Husband: Darling, will you love me when I'm old and feeble?
Wife: You bet I do.

[Phil]

Wikipedia's Wikipedia though... but yeah, I thought it was unlikely, but hey...

[Le Messor]

Wikipedia's Wikipedia though... but yeah, I thought it was unlikely, but hey...

True that, but it's been fairly accurate so far at this GN series.
The series does seem to want to give us as much as possible though. There've been little bonuses in the past.

- Le Messor
Spike: How was your walk, pet?
Drusilla: I met an old man. I didn't like him. He got stuck in my teeth.

[Le Messor]

Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you: The spice exists on only one planet in the known universe.

Also, and slightly more relevant to this thread, I can come close to guaranteeing that the special features for this hardcover will be Marvel Universe Handbook entries; one on Alpha as a whole, probably one or two on the original original six - the Hudsons, but probably not everybody.

- Le Messor
"I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either."

[rplass]

Add up the pages from the issues stated, subtract from the solicited page count, what do you get?

[Le Messor]

Maths headache?

[Le Messor]

But seriously folks, the page count won't help, it'll only tell us whether there are more pages than the original print - not what's on them.

I've been saying that there'll be OHOTMU pages. That's based on the fact that between #s 28 and 52, all of them had OHOTMU pages in the back. (Which would confuse the page count idea.)
(I haven't gone and looked at them all, but I noticed they were in there on reading, and it seems to start at #28.)
#54 does not.

So, I'm going to take back my 'guarantee' that they'll be in there. I will state with absolute certainty that AF's OHOTMU pages might or might not be in there.

- Le Messor
"I demand that I may or may not be Vroomfondel!"
- HHGTTG

[Le Messor]

Now that my attention's been drawn back to this thread, more on the 'Marvel Premiere Classics' special features issue:

MPC #52 was the last of mine that had OHOTMU pages as features, and I'm now up to #58.
The Alpha Flight one will be #66 (two gn's before Dr. Strange's first, btw!)

What they have been doing lately is reprinting 'extra pages' in the back - pages that were meant to align the page count properly in previous trade printings, so that two-page spreads would still be two-page spreads (I noticed with one of them that they were probably meant to replace double-pages). When they exist, of course.
That doesn't quite apply to the Classic X-Men pages, but it's the closest I've got.

- Le Messor
"I have understanding... of digital watches. And soon I shall have understanding of videocassette recorders and car telephones. And when I have understanding of them, I will have understanding of computers. And when I have understanding of computers, _I_ shall be the supreme being."
~ The Evil One, Time Bandits

[Phil]

The advance solicitation date of this for May makes a lot more sense now!
4th May shipping, so perhaps Vol 4 #0.1 the same week or the following week!

[Le Messor]

The advance solicitation date of this for May makes a lot more sense now!
4th May shipping, so perhaps Vol 4 #0.1 the same week or the following week!

Ooh, you're so right!

- LM
Debbie: I just can't tell, does he like me at all?
Morticia: Of course he does. He vomited.
Debbie: That's true. Does he do that with all the women he likes?
Morticia: Oh no. Just you.

[Phil]

According to Diamond (http://previewsworld.com/public/default.asp?t=2&m=1&c=6&s=451) the HC has been pushed back to 8th June which is the same date as Volume 4 #1 rather than #0.1

[Ahab]

Which is my 15th year anniversary. I wonder if my wife will appreciate a copy of Alpha Flight #1 for her anniversary gift? :-D

[Phil]

Finally in stores today!

[rplass]

Awesome. Mine comes in 2 weeks. Phil, which cover are you getting, the variant or the regular cover?

[Le Messor]

Awesome. Mine comes in 2 weeks. Phil, which cover are you getting, the variant or the regular cover?

I'm not Phil, but I thought I'd mention I'm getting the variant... but I get all the MPC variants.

- Le Messor
"The purpose of all war is peace."
~ St. Augustine

[Phil]

I ordered mine online to save 35% so I've gotta wait 4 weeks, so I still don't know if it's got the Classic pages in or not.
I've ordered the MPC Variant.
I'll possibly pick up the standard in a few years when it's cheaper.

[Le Messor]

I ordered mine online to save 35% so I've gotta wait 4 weeks, so I still don't know if it's got the Classic pages in or not.
I've ordered the MPC Variant.
I'll possibly pick up the standard in a few years when it's cheaper.

Good, but trust me - don't go the other way around. I've still got one of the standards and I can't find the variant anywhere. :(

- Le Messor
"A good horse should seldom be spurred."
~ Thomas Fuller

[Phil]

Yeah, all of mine are the DM edition apart from 2. I think the spine looks better on a shelf too.

[Le Messor]

I think the spine looks better on a shelf too.

Me three!

[Le Messor]

My local LCS ha sent me an email telling me my copy's in! Yay!
I may have to wait a month before I can pick it up, though. I might be able to get it after church tomorrow, but as I'm leaving the country the day after...

- Le Messor
"If you enjoy what you are doing, you can always find time for whatever you want to do."
~ W.G.P.

[DelBubs]

Going Anywhere nice?

[Le Messor]

Hope so. I haven't brought it up because it'll be unpossible for me to get a chance to meet anybody, but I'm hoping to see for the first time:
San Francisco (the non-airport portion)
The Grand Canyon
Vasquez Rocks

I'll also go to my grandparents' house (remind me to wear a red hood and not talk to any wolves).

I'll obviously (probably) not be doing much posting for the next month.

- Le Messor
"Income is a fixed sum of money that is hard to live within, but harder to live without."
~ W.G.P.

[rplass]

Also, and slightly more relevant to this thread, I can come close to guaranteeing that the special features for this hardcover will be Marvel Universe Handbook entries; one on Alpha as a whole, probably one or two on the original original six - the Hudsons, but probably not everybody.

- Le Messor

Is this guarantee rock solid? For those of you who have this in your hands already, are there Handbook entries?

[Le Messor]

Is this guarantee rock solid? For those of you who have this in your hands already, are there Handbook entries?

I took it back after that post. Roughly twenty in a row (#s 28-52) had them, but they stopped shortly after I put that up there - in fact, I'd come closer to guaranteeing (now) there won't be any.

- Le Messor
"Water finds its own level - except in a storm."
~ P.K. Shaw

[Phil]

My copy turned up today! So much for 4-6 weeks delivery window!

The extra is the X-Men & Alpha Flight cover & interview from Marvel Age #32 and the Cockrum cover of the 1998 reprint
No introduction, but to be fair there's a lot of pages for your money when you consider there are some MPC's with only 4 issues in.

It's the standard issues, rather than the Classic additions.

It's all in chronological order:
UXM 109, 120-121, 139-140
X-Men/Alpha Flight(Raab/Cassaday) 1-2
X-Men & Alpha Flight (Claremont/Smith) 1-2

[DelBubs]

I picked my copy up yesterday while up the city. Forbidden Planet may be devoid of atmosphere, but they do have a great selection. Was tempted to pick up vol 2 of the Classics, but my LCS has reserved me a copy.

[Le Messor]

Congrats, Del!
It is a good HC - and I like that the order is chronological, not publishing order (ie: X-Men / Alpha v2 is before v1).

Forbidden Planet has no atmosphere? I thought it did, but it's been a loooong time since I've been there.

- Le Messor
"If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?"

[DelBubs]

Long been my issue with Forbidden Planet. I like to go into a store and chat about comics to assistants who know what they are talking about. Seng described it as very super market.

Still, can't fault the HC, got the #109 cover.

[Le Messor]

Ah. It wasn't like that when I went there.

- Le Messor
"If I were a good man, I'd understand the spaces between friends."
~ Roger Waters

[DelBubs]

Don't get me wrong, it has everything a comics fan could want. It probably does comics more good as being in such a prime location it pulls in passing punters just window shopping. I just like my LCS. Been going there for nearly 30 years, The owner is more of a friend and his manager Paul has shared many a rowdy evening with me. Also their knowledge of comics lends itself to hours of conversation.

[Le Messor]

I understand what you mean; of the two in town, one of them feels small and homey, the other is very supermarket.
I've only been to Forbidden Planet once, and that was many years ago. It didn't fit that description then, but I have no reason to believe it doesn't now.

- Le Messor
"If I tried something big, I'd change. And then it's all black hair and veins and lightning bolts. I can hardly do a locator spell without getting dark roots."
~ Willow

[Phil]

I have to say, the stores I've spent the most amount of money in over the years, be it comic, book or record, have been independant stores where I know the shopkeepers names and they know mine, they stop and chat and make you feel welcome.

[Le Messor]

I have to say, the stores I've spent the most amount of money in over the years, be it comic, book or record, have been independant stores where I know the shopkeepers names and they know mine, they stop and chat and make you feel welcome.

Yeah, I love that.
(Oh, I get it from both my LCSs, by the way... just one feels too clean. If that makes sense.)

[DaVeO]

I just picked this up from the Toronto library, will read it after I'm done with Swamp Thing. :)

[Flightpath07]

I just picked this up from the Toronto library, will read it after I'm done with Swamp Thing. :)

Wait a minute...what are you doing with Swamp Thing?!? I hope you aren't making him do mundane chores around your house...

[Phil]

Looks like this is getting a softcover reprint later in the year:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1302900250

[Le Messor]

That'd be the second softcover, then. All the Marvel Premiere Classics seemed to have softcover versions, didn't they?

[Phil]

It's the first one, they've just taken a while to get round to it!

[Le Messor]

I might be getting confused between the first softcover and the other hardcover. They definitely all had two hardcover editions!

~ Le Messor
"Everyone is brilliant some of the time, and no one is that way all the time."
~ Kathleen Cushmes

[Phil]

Yeah, the Standard and the Direct Market variant were both HC's.