Byrned and it felt so good - Alpha Flight #1

The time they appeared in the X-Men was really my only exposure to Alpha Flight for a long time. The team just didn't click with me. I had a vague idea about the characters and stories from seeing covers and reading tidbits here and there. Now that I've picked up and read the first ten issues I've really enjoyed it so far.

              The cover says it all,
"Exploding from the pages of the X-Men!" 

 

Love the cameos by Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Daredevil and of course two of the X-Men on the cover. 

The first issue says it picks up two weeks after Alpha Flights appearance in Uncanny X-Men #139-140,1979. The rest of the series takes place in normal Marvel continuity of the 1980's.

I have these X-Men issues some where in my collection. I hope to get the chance to re-read and post my thoughts about them too.

Department H has now broken up and disbanded Alpha Flight along with the other two Flight teams, Beta and Gamma.

 I didn't realize there were other teams. It makes sense there would be a back up/training team, I just never really thought about that.

Vindicator, now calling himself Guardian, learns of a new potential threat and sends out an alert to all Alpha members and two members from Beta Flight.

Sasquatch and Snowbird have the most visually interesting reactions and transformations. 

Marinna and Puck, from Beta Flight, both respond to the alert in their own unique ways too.

Is Marinna an Atlantean like Namor? Does Puck have super powers or is he a normal human? Have to wait till future issues to find out.

Snowbird is the first Alpha to encounter the threat and boy is it a biggie, pun intended. Tundra towers above Snowbird as she stands in the lower right corner.

Sasquatch also arrives, but he too is no more than a flea compared to Tundra's size.

As the rest of the team arrives, Sasquatch's attack has given Shaman an idea. He uses his magicks to summon a fierce storm. Letting nature and the awesome combined forces of wind and rain corrode Tundra back into the earth. 

John Byrne really showed the size and scale of Tundra by contrasting against the size of Alpha Flight.

 

With the threat defeated Alpha Flight returns to Jim MacDonald Hudson's (Guardian) home to discuss the future of the team. It is decided that even though Department H has disbanded, Alpha Flight will go on. 

This first issue has set up the team as independent from the Canadian government. The next several issues spotlight individual characters and the whole team, we also get second feature origin stories. 

I've always been a fan of John Byrne, have most of the comics he's worked on from Fantastic Four and X-Men at Marvel to Next Men and Babe at Dark Horse. Not sure why its taken me so long to connect with Alpha Flight but I'm glad I have and look forward to reading more.

Merry Christmas!

Santa, I got a few things to add to my list.

I so wanted Lazer Tag, but instead I think I got a BB gun.

Okay, I did get all of these but I want them again.

I'm even including an order form

The DC Minimates are better but I have those already.

I need new socks and a wallet

Retro Groovy Read - the Falcon w/ President Ronald Reagan ... really!

This Falcon 4part mini is more funky then groovy really. Its got everything from amateur villain Nemesis, to a gang riot, to the kidnapping of President Reagan. Captain America also makes an appearance.

Sam Wilson is known by another name, the Falcon! Unfortunately this first issue doesn't really deliver. The enemy of the piece is a slick slum lord turned no name, amateur villain Nemesis.

Nemesis was trying to destroy his own buildings to collect the insurance money.
                     How original!
He's easily defeated by Falcon after a brief battle through the subway and onto a train.

The art by Paul Smith was great. The issue didn't seem tied into the next three or to set up the mini series. I think it might have been a one off story to sell the series.

Issue two starts with new artist Mark Bright showing Falcon carelessly flying through the air. Till he rips a parachute and has to rescue the parachutist.

Action also kicks up when Falc is suddenly attacked by an old Sentinel

left over from a battle with the X-Men.

Falcon mentions Prof X saying he might have a latent mutant power. I think it was the ability to talk to his pet bird, Redwing.

He eludes the Sentinel and does his best to destroy it.

Of course the Sentinel just rebuilds itself.

Falcon is eventually able to defeat the Sentinel. With Redwing's help.

Before being attacked by a giant, self repairing robot, Falc had promised to help the former street gang Legion. They were wanting to parade in the neighborhood wearing gang colors. Falcon was supposed to talk to the police, so there won't be any trouble.

That didn't work out so well.

Which leads us to issue three and the kidnapping of President Ronald Reagan.

The riot and death brings the president to the neighborhood. The gang attacks his motorcade, taking him hostage. Not knowing he's come on a fact-finding mission.

Electro also uses this opportunity to show up.

Issue four has Falcon still fighting Electro.

He hasn't been able to try and rescue the president yet.

So enter Captain America

Captain America and Falcon have been friends and partners for a long time. I'm sure Cap would have shown up regardless but when the president is kidnapped you call in the big guns.

Falcon and Electro's battle has let them right to where Captain America has found the kidnappers.

Cap handles them with a throw of his shield

while Falc is finally able to stop Electro

Falc confronts the kidnappers. Telling them the president's purpose for visiting. 

Once the police finally arrive the tables have turned. The gang is sitting, listening and President Reagan is in charge. Sure it helps that Captain America and Falcon are standing over their shoulders. 

This is pretty much ends the series. Now that I've read it again and written this out, it was better than I first thought. I'm sure I bought it out of quarter bins at a comic convention. That's where most of my collection has come from. Sometimes you come across a real stinker and sometimes you find a story worth a quarter. 

With the Captain America movie coming out next year he's going to be in demand. I should read the other Cap and Falc comics I have. 

IMO - Read for the art: Superman-For Tomorrow

Superman: For Tomorrow,12 part story running through Superman #204-215. The main (only?) reason to read this story is for the art by Jim Lee.

Superman has gone to help Kyle Rayner, Green Lantern, in deep space.

When he returns to Earth Superman discovers that Lois, along with a million other people, have disappeared in what is being called The Vanishing.

Superman locates the source responsible for all the disappearances in the Middle East. He dis-arms two warring countries and finds the device guarded by Equus.

Equus activates the device causing another world wide vanishing. This new incident along with Superman's presence and political interference gets the attention of the JLA.

They question his handling of the situation and the backlash from the public towards Superman and themselves.

Superman seeks out Batman after discovering device is a Phantom Zone type projector. He takes full responsibilty and decides to use the device on himself.

Wonder Woman wants to stop Superman, and heads to Fortress of Solitude.

There they have the obligitory hero vs hero battle.

 

After 'defeating' Wonder Woman, Superman activates device and is transported to another realm. This is when the story jumps the rails and seems to lose something.

In this other realm Superman not only discovers Lois alive

he also comes face to face with Clark Kent?

and his parents Jor-El and Lara? 

Obviously this new world isn't real or all peaches and cream, as Zod is present too. Intent on destroying Superman as usual.

Zod challenges Superman to a final showdown.

After the long battle with Zod 

Superman is able to activate exit portal and returns all the Vanishing victims to Earth. 

Again this really is all about the art. The story itself is kinda so-so and probably didnt need 12 issues to be told. Since Lois is one the Vanishing, you know they aren't dead and will all be returned some how. Once Superman entered the alternate reality I didn't care for the story. The story was too self contained and nothing from it mattered or changed anything going forward.

Brain Azzarello and Jim Lee also worked together on a Batman story. I'll re-read that one and see if its better. I remember it having more lasting effects, like Hush.