Nice to see the consistency! :)
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Nice to see the consistency! :)
Note, this was not sent to me when I joined so I figured I'll fill it out here:
1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?
I've never technically collected it, but I read through all the trades beginning about two months ago from Alpha Flight 1 1983 to Issue 8 of the Unity storyline which I finished about two weeks ago.
2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?
My first memory is from reading The trade Uncanny XMen Volume 1 when I was in middle school and seeing Weapon Alpha attack Wolverine.
3. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight character?
Puck (Eugene Judd). Just I love characters that can crack jokes yet know the exact moments to be serious and just in general be a kind hearted soul that can kick ass. Plus he's an Edmonton Eskies fan!
4. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight character?
I hate saying this as she started off with so much potential but I have to say Vindicator, especially after their tamarind island base got destroyed. She became extremely selfish prone to temper tantrums see her entire early "where's the rat poison" demenor with Goblyn, constantly picking apart her teammates (other than Madison when they were lovers) flaws while rarely giving them confidence boosts and praising their strengths. After she and Madison broke up I was starting to get into her again( I thought her relationship with Diamond Lil at this point was excellent, particularly for her being the one to convince Lil to get her cancer treated). . .until she cold-blooded murdered her cousin and stole her daughter back with out any comeuppance or remorse. Yes she never got the unity process undone, but the way it was written, it seemed implied it was for the best that she didn't get it reversed, which is ludicrous. She is a brainwashed potential threat raising an innocent child.
5. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight villain?
Jaxxon. Simple revenge motivation works best.
6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?
The Sorceror. Just another in a really long line of mystical alpha flight villains, a trait in their villains I thought was wayyyyy too utilized , and he was the worst of the bunch.
7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arc from Alpha Flight?
Best Story arc is issues 1-15 of volume one, specifically the long reveal of Jaxxon, the way Mac died, and Heather's reaction to the man she loved being vaporized in front of her, potentially because she accidently distracted him. That was just epic storytelling
8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?
Guardian, Vindicator, Puck, Sasquatch, North Star, Aurora,
9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)?
Either Diamond Lil or Female Puck.
10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?
tie between Puck and Sasquatch.
11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?
John Byrne
12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?
Whoever penned Volume 3. So much potential story wasted. i like to believe it was Daniel way working under a pseudonym, as virtually every problem I had with his run on deadpool( my favorite comics character) was repeated in volume 3.
13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
John Byrne
14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?
whoever drew the vast majority of Volume 2. Again I'm sorry I don't remember the name.
15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?
The Collective killing them off in New Avengers. yes the majority came back to life eventually but a.) two of the newest characters Mapleleaf and female Puck remained dead, without the latters relationship with her heavily implied biological father The Male Puck ever being explored. Judd has a grandson he will likely never know is his nor does he know he had a daughter and a son in law. Also I wanted to see how Maple leaf and Female puck were handled under a serious writer. I imagine they would be comic equivalents of Wash and Zoe from Firefly. B.) there was no purpose to the team's death other than shock value. It showed immense disrespect to the characters and their fanbase.
I do want to clarify I do not hate Heather McNeil. far from it. I loved her before Macs first death, I loved her as the leader before she became vindicator, I even loved her when she became vindicator. II loved her ithroughout the rest of volume 1 following her and Madison's split. What I hated were the two periods of a.) her entire romance with Madison Jefferies ( I didn't hate the romance, but I hated how on many occasions she put the safety of her lover ahead of the safety of the entire team, and would chew out others at the slightest error ( with Puck topping the frequency) and b.) the ending to the unity storyline. The problem is those two periods i hated soured me so much that i can't honestly say I hate any other character more
You've read quite a bit more than the trades! How did you get your hands on those?
That would be Scott Lobdell. He also had a brief run on volume 1.
I agree with all you wrote for this answer. That was a terrible story.
~ Le Messor
"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."
~ Rabindranath Tagore
I found them online digitally
Of course.
My plan is to eventually buy all the ones I liked. And I'm done for good trying to find comics digitally after my computer got infected with a virus and the hard drive crashed
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Standard Disclaimer:
This site is officially approved, and frequently visited, by Marvel, and the owners here at alphaflight.net do not advocate comic piracy.
[/mod]
First of all I am not advocating comic piracy. If anything I'm speaking about the ills of it, such as my computer crashing which helped me see how what I was doing was wrong, taking money out of writers and artists pockets, which ironically it took taking money out of my own pocket to get the computer fixed, to make me realize. I fully intend to buy over the course of my life a copy of each issue or trades collecting a bunch of issues that I illegally downloaded. And no I'm not saying that to cover my ass, I mean every word of it. Second however, I fully understand if my admittance for this past wrongs leads me being kicked off the site. I don't want people who actually did the right thing to be tainted for something wrong I did
Wasn't a comment, or judgement.
Not saying you're wrong or kicking you off.
Just getting it in there, as standard.
Fair enough.
1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight? (My first issue was #19, but I quickly went back and bought the back issues)
2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction? (The closest that I can recall is the appearance of Talisman on the cover)
3. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight character? (Northstar)
4. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight character? (Guardian. When I first read the comic, the role had been usurped by Delphine Courtney, so I truly thought of Guardian as a villain)
5. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight villain? (Flashback)
6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain? (Gilded Lily)
7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arc from Alpha Flight? (Vol 1, Issue #27)
8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"? (Character wise: Vindicator, Puck, Shaman, Snowbird, Northstar, Aurora and Sasquatch)
9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island) (Shaman)
10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight? (Shaman)
11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer? (John Byrne)
12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer? (Oeming)
13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist? (John Byrne)
14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist? (Dan Panosian)
15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be? (Any of the relaunches after the original series)
Welcome aboard Southstar69!
Yes, welcome!
Excellent tastes there! :)
~ Le Messor
"A poor excuse is like an old bucket; doesn't matter what shape it's in, as long as it holds water."
~ P.K. Shaw
Didn't know the questionnaire was here finally answering
1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight? (My first issue was #19, but I quickly went back and bought the back issues) - collecting since AF# 1 -
2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction? (The closest that I can recall is the appearance of Talisman on the cover) My first memory is of the announcement poster - I was already collecting X-Men so i had all their appearances - the guys at Silver Snail in Hamilton saved the announcement poster for me and never hung it - I was able to get John Byrne to sign it a few years ago
3. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight character? (Northstar) Guardian / Vindicator / Weapon X / Mac
4. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight character? (Guardian. When I first read the comic, the role had been usurped by Delphine Courtney, so I truly thought of Guardian as a villain) Wild Child - dunno why - never clicked for me
5. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight villain? (Flashback) Scramble - the way Byrne drew Heather and the other altered bodies still creeps me out
6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain? (Gilded Lily) The Master or Gary Cody
7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arc from Alpha Flight? (Vol 1, Issue #27) I'm a Purist AF v1 - 1-12 Also like Marvel Fanfare #28 - Was lucky enough to know Ken Steacy and watch him draw it.
8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"? (Character wise: Vindicator, Puck, Shaman, Snowbird, Northstar, Aurora and Sasquatch) Guardian, Vindicator, Puck, Shaman, Snowbird, Northstar, Aurora and Sasquatch
9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island) (Shaman) Snowbird
10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight? (Shaman) Guardian
11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer? (John Byrne) John Byrne
12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer? (Oeming) Anyone from Vol 2 and 3
13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist? (John Byrne) John Byrne
14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist? (Dan Panosian) Anyone from Vol 2 and 3
15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be? (Any of the relaunches after the original series) Guardian's recent dark turn - would love if he and Heather could raise Claire in a loving household together
That's cool; I want to say welcome aboard, but you've been around two years, so…
I agree with most of your choices, too!
But, uh… "Scramble - the way Byrne drew Heather and the other altered bodies still creeps me out"
Byrne never drew them; Scramble came right after he left the book.
… or have I gone insane in the brain again?
You are completely correct - 'twas Mike Mignoloa drawing that arc. two unrelated questions 1) how do i format that list so it's LEGIBLE? i keep editing with spaces to make it clearer and it keeps dumping the text horribly 2) how do i go from being listed as a "New Recruit?" I have every AF comic published - 8 international covers of AF#1, and far more long boxes of AF appearances than my wife would like!
I'm not sure for either. Carriage return seems to work on my computer, like
this, but I'm not sure how to make it work for you. What sort of device are you using? Computer? Phone?
(I've just managed to edit the comment for you, though, to add in carriage returns between questions. Hope that's okay.)
For the other, I think the answer is just to post a lot. This site can't count your collection, but you only have 11 posts here at the moment.
~ Le Messor
I am sure I've answered this (probably a few times, but why not again)....
1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?
Fortunately, I jumped on with Alpha Flight #1 of the original series.
2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?
I am blessed. One of my first comics given to me as a kid was Avengers #159 and Uncanny X-Men #121.
The splash page of Alpha Flight facing off with the X-Men captured me so much.
3. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight character?
I don't think this has ever changed. It's always a toss up - but primarily falls on Snowbird first.
Then Shaman, then Sasquatch, then Aurora/Northstar, then Mac (whatever name he decides to use), then Puck, then Marriana. And those two fall that far down, undoubtedly because they weren't a part of the original team from UXM. Nostalgia is a powerful force.
4. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight character?
Phew. A few got introduced by Mantalo that I didn't care for - but if we exclude them, I'd say Box (Maddison). Because he became this big transformer that was just turning into jets and all this stuff. I liked it better when it was just armor.
5. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight villain?
Master will always be my favorite probably. He felt very Magneto/Apocalypse version to Alpha Flight.
6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?
Easy. Llan the Sorcerer. Good gravy. So much dislike.
7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arc from Alpha Flight?
First 12 issues were character defining.
8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?
Pretty much Alpha Flight #1.
9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)
Snowbird. Always Snowbird. I may be in love with her. Don't you judge me!
10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?
This turns out to be Heather, because she has the most history doing so.
11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?
Byrne.
12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?
Whoever it was helming the story during the Silver / Auric and the dead town gone crazy.
13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Byrne
14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?
I can't remember his name - but worked with Hundall, and drew Llan...
15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?
They're off panel death.
For the love of Brell, I hate that we can't edit posts.
Their off panel death.
Not They're.
I agree with most of what you say; and have had a crush on (Claremont/Byrne) Storm too long to judge you for loving Snowbird. :)
I think it was Hudnall who wrote the #12. arc you speak of - for me, he's done other things in Alpha that I liked, so I wouldn't put him as worst.
I've found that if I open editing in a new tab, it works (I do that by middle clicking on my mouse, but I'm on a PC, not a phone - I don't know what will work for others). You need to copy your whole message first, since it just opens up an empty editing panel.
Ah, yeah. Hundall wrote other good stuff in AF (I mean, by this time, AF was a tragic train wreck with no writers wanting it, no artists wanting it or squabbling between writer and artist) - but that "town gone crazy" story is so absolutely horrid that it even overshadows stuff Mantalo introduced (which, I can't remember who made Walt a woman, also another bad idea) - but the town gone crazy is so seared into my brain. It's literally one of the worse stories I've read in comics. And, I am sure a BIG part of that may have also been the artist doing a HORRENDOUS job (whoever that was) in my opinion. It just felt like - AF, at its worse, with what felt like neither artist or writer even TRYING.
I believe the Walt as a woman was Bill Mantlo.
The town-gone-crazy, iirc, was the result of editorial interference. This is one of my vague memories, but I remember hearing something about how Sandman was popular at the time, so editorial told Hudnall to make Alpha Flight more horror-oriented. And that's how we got that story.
John Calimee drew the arc. He's since come onto this site for an interview; his art has improved a lot since then, and he seems like an okay guy. Just for another side of that. (I don't like the art on that run, either, though.)
Yeah - we interviewed James Hudnall for my podcast (Comic Relief Podcast) - http://comicreliefpodcast.com/archives/1375 (starts at 37:50) - 41:58 we start talking Alpha Flight. Around the 43 mark he talks about how Bill was essentially flailing or bored in Alpha and was asking the editor for ideas when Hundall was brought on. Although, I remember wanting to correct him when he said Dream Queen was modeled after Mephisto - and telling him it was Nightmare, since it was (is? Supposedly?) his daughter. Around the 45 mark he starts talking artist... and he'd wanted Mark Bagley (who he worked with previously)... around the 45:45 mark he starts talking about the artist he got (Calimee) and mentions he wasn't "there yet" (but like you seems to think he got much better... and really, we all get better at a craft we continue to keep at, so I don't doubt Calimee is much better these days then what we got in those issues of AF... also probably helps if you're passionate about your work, and it didn't feel like post Byrne, many were passionate when assigned to AF, which is also a problem), but he goes on to explain that unfortunately he and Calimee didn't gel properly. He does admit that he was by far a bigger DC fan than a Marvel fan.