A Reason For Alpha Flight

[cmdrkoenig67]

Dana: "I don't get why Marvel sees Alpha Flight being "That Canadian team" as such a series-killer...It's Marvel itself whom is to blame for every volumes' failure or cancellation. Why the constant need to reinvent the wheel?"

Well, it's not fair, but Alpha Flight has the stigma of Box Office Poison. Not to us, but to casual Marvel Universe readers. In my opinion, the first step in getting it back up and running is recognizing that.

How is it Marvel's fault, when volume 1 lasted 130+ issues counting Annuals/Specials, and the title was then relaunched 2 more times?

Perhaps I should have more clear, I meant current Marvel of the past 15 or so years...And of course it's their fault...They haven't used the right approach, their most recent screw up was Omega Flight...Marvel execs sabotaged that series before it came out.

Compare AF to the Avengers. Some of the worst comics I've ever read have been certain Avengers arcs... the writing was flat, the art was bland, the characters weren't interesting. But the Avengers don't have that "flop" stigma because it's also produced, by far, some of the best work I've ever seen (same pattern with the X-Men and Fantastic Four). Alpha Flight has had both ends of the spectrum, as well, but it IS seen more negatively. Why? I think it's because it's made ITSELF that sad sack underdog. "We're C-League but we're lovable because we have a unique niche, being 'that Canadian team'. "

The Avengers market themselves as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", and don't think twice about going toe to toe with Galactus. Alpha Flight, on the otherhand, always seemed relieved just being mentioned by the MU upperclassmen.

Alpha has fought Galactus.

So, if Alpha Flight is EVER going to resurface, it has to completely ignore certain elements in order to erase the stigma. As a fan, realize that you have to make compromises. Let the wheel be reinvented, otherwise, keep lamenting, year after year, that Alpha Flight is dead.

Regards,
AK

What does one ignore and what does one use? Byrne's drama-ridden, in-fighting, non-team (which seemed to sell the best)? The government-directed (or in the case of volume 2, government-controlled) team? Lobdell's "All New, All Different with bad comedy" approach (All New and All Different hasn't really worked for any team, except the New X-Men relaunch in the Seventies)?

I guess I shall have to keep lamenting their loss, since Marvel keeps not getting it right.

Dana