Alpha Flight, Vol 1: You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me
Author:
Genres: Teen & Young Adult, Comics & Graphic Novels
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Teen & Young Adult, Comics & Graphic Novels
Book Type: Paperback
The new X-Men were formed when one member of the original team escaped capture and gathered a new group of heroes to rescue his mates. This new team went on to incredible popularity (and incredible sales). Perhaps The Powers That Be wanted to replicate this success when they sent Walt "Sasquatch" Langkowski across Canada to recruit members to a new Alpha Flight. Or they may have been paying homage to Claremont's and Cockrum's story in X-Men #94. OR maybe the Marvel Universe has gotten so big and its history so complex that no one drew the parallel between the stories.
Still, "Alpha Flight: You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me!" was a successful collection of 6 comics that showed the potential for this new team (team of heroes, and the team of its creators as well). The interplay demonstrated between the new (and borrowed) characters for this new team is well done and bodes well for future stories. I especially enjoyed watching the characters and the narrator flirt with the 4th wall they may not talk to the reader directly, but they are certainly aware that they are in a comic book, with its storytelling strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies.
The thing I didn't like about the story were the characters names and often, their origins. Yukotujakzurjimozoata?? (shortened to "Yukon Jack") From a secret civilization in Canada's west? C'mon, how many such things can exist in the Marvel Universe, especially in someplace like Canada? "Womangirl?" Seriously? And her "superhero father" background seems to dovetail too closely with the new Major Mapleleaf's "superhero father" backstory.
Despite its imperfections, I think this series has some potential and I look forward to future stories.
RATING: 3 1/2 stars, rounded up to 4 stars where 1/2 stars are not permitted.
Still, "Alpha Flight: You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me!" was a successful collection of 6 comics that showed the potential for this new team (team of heroes, and the team of its creators as well). The interplay demonstrated between the new (and borrowed) characters for this new team is well done and bodes well for future stories. I especially enjoyed watching the characters and the narrator flirt with the 4th wall they may not talk to the reader directly, but they are certainly aware that they are in a comic book, with its storytelling strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies.
The thing I didn't like about the story were the characters names and often, their origins. Yukotujakzurjimozoata?? (shortened to "Yukon Jack") From a secret civilization in Canada's west? C'mon, how many such things can exist in the Marvel Universe, especially in someplace like Canada? "Womangirl?" Seriously? And her "superhero father" background seems to dovetail too closely with the new Major Mapleleaf's "superhero father" backstory.
Despite its imperfections, I think this series has some potential and I look forward to future stories.
RATING: 3 1/2 stars, rounded up to 4 stars where 1/2 stars are not permitted.
