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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6127
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| Posted: 12 April 2020 at 12:25am | IP Logged | 1
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I jumped gladly on board and was pulled along utterly until JB left. I dropped it
with a quick glance at the next issue -- a choice I have never bothered to
examine.
I love the characters, handled properly. I yearned for them to experience a kind
of peace that JB seemed determined to NEVER give them.
When he left, I think I didn't believe anyone else had what it took to carry my
wounded AF feelings over the finish line.
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Craig Earl
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 July 2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1259
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| Posted: 12 April 2020 at 4:13am | IP Logged | 2
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I stuck with AF right up until 130, but looking back, I don't know how.
I guess I was hanging on for JB's return, or someone who could at least make the best use of some great characters. Obviously, that never happened.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132384
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| Posted: 12 April 2020 at 1:40pm | IP Logged | 3
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And, btw, I never cared for "Alpha Flight" as a name. That, like Vindicator, was Chris' idea.Of course, we couldn't use the name I came up with during their fan days: the Canadian Shield.
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Craig Earl
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 July 2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1259
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| Posted: 13 April 2020 at 1:52am | IP Logged | 4
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And, btw, I never cared for "Alpha Flight" as a name. That, like Vindicator, was Chris' idea.
----------------------------
Wow. I never knew that. Every day's a school day. I have to be honest, I always loved the team name (and the original logo).
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132384
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| Posted: 13 April 2020 at 8:31am | IP Logged | 5
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I love the characters, handled properly. I yearned for them to experience a kind of peace that JB seemed determined to NEVER give them. •• (singing) You always hurt the one you love.....
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Paul Wills
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 August 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 851
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| Posted: 13 April 2020 at 9:51am | IP Logged | 6
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Then you must REALLY love Guardian!
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7494
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| Posted: 13 April 2020 at 11:41am | IP Logged | 7
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I stuck with AF for a long while after JB left the title, mostly because I was hoping someone would do a good job on the book. I had quite the masochistic streak for a while.
There were creators who had been quite good on other titles who never managed to "get" Alpha Flight. I don't know what it was, but with the changes in lineup, characterization, context... it didn't take long before nothing really remained of JB's creation.
I would love to see someone come in and restart the whole thing, using the original team and erasing all the crud that crusted onto the title over the years. There's a damn good book waiting for someone to do; all it takes is trusting the foundation JB created.
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Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4562
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| Posted: 13 April 2020 at 1:04pm | IP Logged | 8
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I think I would just like any characters being from Canada (but especially if powered by our highly advanced technology!). I don't know how Brits feel about Captain Britain. Did his own early UK comic last awhile? I saw an issue or two and didn't buy, although I liked and grabbed any regular U.S. comic with Spitfire and (a) Union Jack. Captain Canuck had it's moments later on with George Freeman art, but Mac/Guardian was a bit more interesting as a character.
I think Alpha Flight probably sold a lot in Canada. I dropped out after the original Alpha Flight #23 for whatever reason. Sorry about that, I have no idea why that happened. I tried some of the 1998 series, from later in it's run, and it seemed like they must've made a confusing hodge-podge of things in it's earlier issues (plus the grotesque huge muscles and people glowering/posing thing). There was a younger clone Guardian (Heather/Vindicator in green leaf motif was quite a bit older than this one) and he meets the original in a story near the end who explained why he didn't really die, or something, it didn't stink but I think they knew the comic was ending and wanted to wrap things up. I forget if Sasquatch was killed and then un-killed again, but there was another 'real' Sasquatch that was not a person at all and was laughably sabre-toothed of all things. As I say, a right mess! Two brothers who seemed pretty non-descript in costume, and some other similar reserve member additions. I also have a two issue X-Men & Alpha thing from that time period but it has the original classic groups meeting circa the 1981-82 time, a previously 'untold' tale with Hydra and Baron von Strucker. Not a very memorable two issues anyway.
Post-JB I would've cancelled the original series barring some Canadians to work on it. Like The Champions should've had prominent visual west coast U.S. locales featured (there was at least a Hollywood sign in one JB splash page), Alpha Flight needed Canada itself as a feature I think... I can't imagine Bill Mantlo or Mike Mignola or whoever else afterwards having the knowledge or interest for that. Ken Steacy perhaps could've been ideal?
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Craig Earl
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 July 2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1259
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| Posted: 14 April 2020 at 12:22am | IP Logged | 9
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I don't know how Brits feel about Captain Britain. Did his own early UK comic last awhile?
---------------
The first incarnation of the character was a little disappointing, to say the least.The stories and villains really weren't up to par. When Alan Moore revived him and Alan Davis illustrated, it became something very good. If you've never read any Captain Britain then I would check out the TPB of those stories. Again, like AF, the series had a unique style.
While we're at it, Davis' 'Clandestine' series was in a similar vein (and woefully underrated).
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Leigh DJ Hunt
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 February 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1570
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| Posted: 14 April 2020 at 1:39am | IP Logged | 10
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I like Captain Britain a lot but that's mainly because I loved the stories and art that the character had back in the early 80s. I don't have any patriotic love for the character. Likewise I like Union Jack but only because of the Captain America/Baron Blood story by JB and Uncle Rog.
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Greg McPhee
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 August 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5065
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| Posted: 14 April 2020 at 5:14am | IP Logged | 11
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Yeah, it was under Moore and Davis that Captain Britain became very good.
Clandestine really is a criminally underrated series. Davis poured a lot in to that one. Just gorgeous to look at.
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Craig Earl
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 July 2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1259
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| Posted: 14 April 2020 at 5:26am | IP Logged | 12
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I think Captain Britain and Union Jack allow a lot of scope for different types of story. I can recall the Black Knight strip in the UK 'The Hulk' weekly comic where CB reappeared after a bit of time in the wilderness.
But the Moore / Davis run really hit the mark for the character IMO
Back to Alpha Flight - even Jim Lee couldn't help because the stories were so poor
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