• Flashback Fridays - May 2011



    Welcome back to Flashback Fridays, an occasional column where we take a step back in time to Alpha's former selves and celebrate past Alpha-lore!

    In this edition of the column we travel back to this week four years ago...

    May 18th 2011 saw the publication of Alpha Flight #0.1 - the first issue of an Alpha Flight series in 6 years!



    The maxi-series began with an issue of Marvel's latest initiative - the Point One issue, designed to bring readers up to speed and ease them into a storyline.
    We'd seen a similar gimmick with Volume 2's Minus One Flashback issue, but this was a lot more new-reader friendly.

    The issue was written by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente, writers of the maxi-series, with art by Ben Oliver & Dan Green and a cover by Phil Jiminez.

    It sold 25,775 copies, which was an improvement on the last issue of Volume 3 and the Chaos War: Alpha Flight oneshot which began the team's return from the dead.

    The maxi-series wasn't perfect and in the end wasn't strong enough to warrant upgrading to an ongoing series, finishing with #8 but for one brief moment Alpha Flight were back in the Marvel Universe with a bang!

    Did you pick up the issue in question?
    What did you think of it?
    Does it hold up today?
    Let us know below!

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    Comments 6 Comments
    1. DMK's Avatar
      DMK -
      Own the issue, own the entire LS, got Dale Eaglesham to autograph a copy of #1. I really enjoyed it, and despite it being nominally a Fear Itself crossover for the first few issues, I think it holds up quite nicely.
    1. rplass's Avatar
      rplass -
      I have the issue, and had the pleasure of getting it signed by Phil Jiminez at NYCC. It was right after the issue came out and was the first time he had seen the final [colored] version which included the snow. He was really happy about the snow and made kind of a big deal about how colorists can really make a huge addition to a piece.

      And wow, that cover, probably one of the greatest Alpha Flight team images, ever. Totally loved the issue, especially the Anne McKenzie meter maid scene, with the exception of the physically impossible giant made of people, which was silly.
    1. Phil's Avatar
      Phil -
      Wasn't it his Avengers #4 Fan Expo cover that had the snow?
    1. Mokole's Avatar
      Mokole -
      I have all the issues, the Puck cover (my favourite, oddly) and the full graphic novel, and my middle son loved the book, Sasquatch is his favourite character (up with Deapool and Spiderman).
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor -
      Quote Originally Posted by Phil View Post
      Did you pick up the issue in question?
      Yep, absolutely!

      Quote Originally Posted by Phil View Post
      What did you think of it?
      My thoughts at the time are on record around here somewhere (soon to be a major CD release! Watch for it!)... as I remember (not very well, I admit), I enjoyed it, was happy to see a new Alpha book, finally!, but I had a few issues with it (though, obviously, only one issue OF it so far).

      Persuasion insisting on being called 'Purple WOMAN' because she'd graduated from 'Girl' (even though she'd already changed her name to Persuasion) smacked of no research, as did the giant purple people monster - which wasn't even an original idea for me, since I'd just recently seen it in Buffy (where it made more sense).
      In the last couple of weeks - sorry, I can't quite remember where - I've read a MUCH older comic that has the same idea in it, too (and it also makes more sense).
      Oh, and Squirrel Girl's squirrel armour...

      Quote Originally Posted by Phil View Post
      Does it hold up today?
      I haven't read it today.
      (Or recently enough to answer that question.)
      BUT, if it's already old enough that that's a serious question, we need to work on modern attention spans.

      ~ Le Messor
      "I've just realised this entire mountain is made of pure snow! Do you realise the street value of this thing?"
      ~ Better Off Dead
    1. rplass's Avatar
      rplass -
      Quote Originally Posted by Phil View Post
      Wasn't it his Avengers #4 Fan Expo cover that had the snow?
      Oh right. Thanks for reminding me!