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Alpha Flight Classic
Alpha Flight Classic, Vol. 3
Concluding John Byrne's legendary run! Canada's mightiest heroes face threats of all sizes, ranging from the overweight Pink Pearl to the maniacal alchemist Diablo! And when the terrible secret of Sasquatch's origin is revealed, Alpha Flight must battle the Great Beasts in their own realm - and pay a fearsome price! Then, Alpha Flight's former leader, Guardian, returns from the grave - or does he? What's he doing palling around with the villainous Omega Flight? And where does the Beyonder fit in? Finally, when Alpha Flight goes fishing in another dimension, they accidentally hook the Incredible Hulk! Will the jade giant smash the heroes beyond all repair? Only the series' new creative team knows! It's north-of-the-border action just the way you like it! Collecting ALPHA FLIGHT (1983) #20-29 and INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #313.
280 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2012
14 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
John Byrne
2,962 books362 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 29, 2023
It’s a very strange experience re-reading these as an adult. Alpha Flight was spottily distributed in the UK, and so (for instance) the only part of the “Return Of Guardian” story I owned was the middle one, which I read and re-read so often that it felt like an epic years in the making, instead of a rapidly done heel turn in a story which mostly exists to prove the point that Guardian couldn’t and shouldn’t come back. But then I also owned Alpha Flight 24, which genuinely WAS an epic years in the making and which felt like a mind blowingly grand comic full of unexpected arrivals and reversals (it now seems to me that Alpha Flight polish off the Great Beasts a little easily, but the comic’s mix of black and white and coloured art is still tremendously effective)
What I was vibing on as a tween reader is the sense that these comics mattered, and what I now see is that this vibe came from the fact they mattered to John Byrne, whose work here is miles away from his self appointed role as guardian of Real Marvel on his Fantastic Four and other runs. On Alpha Flight all the toys in the toybox are his and he’s liberated to continually change and move their plots along, secure in the knowledge that none of it really affects his precious wider Marvel Universe because, well, it’s Alpha Flight.
This is the wrap-up phase of Byrne’s run and he puts most of his plots to bed in ways that work out happily for some and miserably for others - irrepressible himbo Sasquatch gets a particularly rough time of it. Even at the end there’s still room for new characters and ideas, though - the highlight of Byrne’s final issue is a chat between new character Madison Jeffries and villain Diamond Lil, establishing both as ordinary working class Canadians with a bit of shared history who’ve ended up adversaries through bad luck as much as poor judgement - it’s a lovely bit of offset to the mysticism and melodrama elsewhere.
Jeffries is also the last to be introduced of the original Alpha, Beta and Gamma Flight members pictured in the very first issue, drawing a tidy line under the Byrne run and giving the sense of him saying, ok, here are my Canadian superheroes, do with them as you will.
In most cases what Marvel willed was rubbish. The first issue of the Mantlo/Mignola Alpha Flight is reprinted here; it’s woeful, immediately giving us characters that don’t at all feel like the ones we’ve been reading about and marinating them in off the shelf angst. All you really need to know about this follow up run is that it’s never been reprinted despite chunks of it being by a bona fide industry legend - that’s how shit the stories are. (Albeit said legend is poorly suited to doing straight superhero work, but DC has ruthlessly compiled everything Mignola touched for them) Within a few months the comic was doing a story about how Puck’s dwarfism was a magical curse and it was obvious how quickly Alpha Flight had been ruined.
I doubt John Byrne enjoyed seeing his characters misused - though he quickly jumped ship to DC anyway - but perhaps it didn’t matter: he’d told the story he wanted, and while it’s not a towering classic of the form it’s one of 80s Marvel’s most enjoyable by-ways.
What I was vibing on as a tween reader is the sense that these comics mattered, and what I now see is that this vibe came from the fact they mattered to John Byrne, whose work here is miles away from his self appointed role as guardian of Real Marvel on his Fantastic Four and other runs. On Alpha Flight all the toys in the toybox are his and he’s liberated to continually change and move their plots along, secure in the knowledge that none of it really affects his precious wider Marvel Universe because, well, it’s Alpha Flight.
This is the wrap-up phase of Byrne’s run and he puts most of his plots to bed in ways that work out happily for some and miserably for others - irrepressible himbo Sasquatch gets a particularly rough time of it. Even at the end there’s still room for new characters and ideas, though - the highlight of Byrne’s final issue is a chat between new character Madison Jeffries and villain Diamond Lil, establishing both as ordinary working class Canadians with a bit of shared history who’ve ended up adversaries through bad luck as much as poor judgement - it’s a lovely bit of offset to the mysticism and melodrama elsewhere.
Jeffries is also the last to be introduced of the original Alpha, Beta and Gamma Flight members pictured in the very first issue, drawing a tidy line under the Byrne run and giving the sense of him saying, ok, here are my Canadian superheroes, do with them as you will.
In most cases what Marvel willed was rubbish. The first issue of the Mantlo/Mignola Alpha Flight is reprinted here; it’s woeful, immediately giving us characters that don’t at all feel like the ones we’ve been reading about and marinating them in off the shelf angst. All you really need to know about this follow up run is that it’s never been reprinted despite chunks of it being by a bona fide industry legend - that’s how shit the stories are. (Albeit said legend is poorly suited to doing straight superhero work, but DC has ruthlessly compiled everything Mignola touched for them) Within a few months the comic was doing a story about how Puck’s dwarfism was a magical curse and it was obvious how quickly Alpha Flight had been ruined.
I doubt John Byrne enjoyed seeing his characters misused - though he quickly jumped ship to DC anyway - but perhaps it didn’t matter: he’d told the story he wanted, and while it’s not a towering classic of the form it’s one of 80s Marvel’s most enjoyable by-ways.
Read
November 15, 2020Reading its conclusion at last, I feel so lucky this run was one of my introductions to superhero comics. Yes, it has the flaws of its era, the dialogue obliged to carry exposition and reintroduction each issue. Yes, some of the components were already getting a little hoary - the return from the dead, the evil double. But it's all carried off with such assurance and energy that it works. Members of the team are offed or altered in a way that makes developments feel consequential, especially when none of them are big franchise characters who'll inevitably be reset (although of course most of that has since been undone, precisely because this run was so loved that later creators raised on it wanted their old friends back). It feels ahead of its time in all sorts of ways, some deliberate - the crazy visuals of shattered worlds and the madness inside Shaman's pouch - and others unselfconscious: even now, a big Marvel team with two First Nations and one disabled character would be noteworthy. Most of all, it's fun, big and crazy yet also thoroughly human and engaging.
And then, after 28 issues, Byrne hands off to Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola, and the series experiences the most sudden, crashing quality drop of any comic I can recall, becoming a mess of leaden poses, implausible anatomy and deadening walls of text. All the stranger given the same team's work on Hulk was so much better, as proved by the crossover issue also included here. Albeit, oddly, at the end, out of story sequence - as also the crossover issue of Secret Wars II, though you can see why they'd want to hide that away, given it's a notoriously terrible series and this installment in particular reads like a collaboration between an incel and a simpleton.
And then, after 28 issues, Byrne hands off to Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola, and the series experiences the most sudden, crashing quality drop of any comic I can recall, becoming a mess of leaden poses, implausible anatomy and deadening walls of text. All the stranger given the same team's work on Hulk was so much better, as proved by the crossover issue also included here. Albeit, oddly, at the end, out of story sequence - as also the crossover issue of Secret Wars II, though you can see why they'd want to hide that away, given it's a notoriously terrible series and this installment in particular reads like a collaboration between an incel and a simpleton.
November 22, 2023
"In the past we have stood firm despite defeat, stood strong despite our suffering, stood together despite all attempts to divide us! To give up the fight now would be to disgrace the memory of those who died, and to dishonor those who stand ready to carry the banner of Alpha Flight into the future!"
"That's some speech, Snowbird--one I've waited a long, long time to hear! And I've just come from Ottawa to inform Alpha Flight that you'll never have to face another unconventional enemy in the defense of Canada alone again--EVER!"
"Gary Cody!"
"For once the bearer of good new, Puck! Department 'H' has been refunded--without limits!"
"Why, Gary? Department 'H'--so called because that's where my late husband, James MacDonald Hudson, developed Alpha Flight--was cut by the government!"
"Governments change, Heather!"
from "Cut, Bait, and Run"
John Byrne's run of Alpha Flight ends in this third collection--and it's by far the best of the lot. Through these stories Alpha Flight loses people, gains people, rediscovers people, is betrayed, fights, whines, celebrates, moves on. All the deep character dives and dramatic twists come together in a climax in which Alpha Flight accidentally bring The Hulk to Vancouver in an attempt to find a suitable host capable of holding the life essence of Walter Langkowski, aka Sasquatch, who lost his alter-ego when Alpha Flight discovered and killed the beast which was using him.
This Canadian band of superheroes is silly yet fun. I doubt they will ever make their debut in the MCU, but their legacy is a worthy deep dive for any avid comic book fan.
"That's some speech, Snowbird--one I've waited a long, long time to hear! And I've just come from Ottawa to inform Alpha Flight that you'll never have to face another unconventional enemy in the defense of Canada alone again--EVER!"
"Gary Cody!"
"For once the bearer of good new, Puck! Department 'H' has been refunded--without limits!"
"Why, Gary? Department 'H'--so called because that's where my late husband, James MacDonald Hudson, developed Alpha Flight--was cut by the government!"
"Governments change, Heather!"
from "Cut, Bait, and Run"
John Byrne's run of Alpha Flight ends in this third collection--and it's by far the best of the lot. Through these stories Alpha Flight loses people, gains people, rediscovers people, is betrayed, fights, whines, celebrates, moves on. All the deep character dives and dramatic twists come together in a climax in which Alpha Flight accidentally bring The Hulk to Vancouver in an attempt to find a suitable host capable of holding the life essence of Walter Langkowski, aka Sasquatch, who lost his alter-ego when Alpha Flight discovered and killed the beast which was using him.
This Canadian band of superheroes is silly yet fun. I doubt they will ever make their debut in the MCU, but their legacy is a worthy deep dive for any avid comic book fan.
January 24, 2023
Satisfying end to John Byrne's run. He did a great job of creating and building up this diverse cast characters. It's a shame Alpha Flight isn't available in collected editions beyond this.
November 18, 2023
These are some of my favorite comic books from my youth. I bought every issue off of the stands within their original publication month on the spinner racks at 7-11. John Byrne has said that he never really cared for these characters, that they were two-dimensional, and other things along those lines. While the creator may not have felt that these characters meant much, they meant the world to this 11-turning-12 year old kid in 1984-1985. Issue 20 was on the stands in December of 1984, and I picked up Issue 21 at the only Direct Market shop in town, The Book Bin, on Christmas Eve, 1984, a few weeks ahead of the newsstand release.
Issues 20 and 21 are brilliant, with Sasquatch and Aurora stumbling upon Gilded Lily in Langowski (Sasquatch)'s long abandoned family home. The cover for issue 21 was deceptive, as Diablo appeared only in the flashback portion when Gilded Lily told her origin. That scene in issue 21 with Aurora tied up while wearing a bikini made my then 11-year old self feel...funny. I liked it but wasn't exactly sure why. Let's just say that ol' Aurora became this prepubescent kid's favorite on the team back then.
Fortunately there was a lot of other interesting storylines going on that held my interest in other, less raging hormone levels. Issue 23 was another winner, with the fate of Snowbird and Sasquatch coming to a head. I remember walking up to 7-11 with my sister on a brisk, sunny March Sunday morning and buying that one. I read it three or four times that day alone. I could not believe what happened in that issue. I was devastated. That is one of the biggest drawbacks to the Internet: the joy of discovery. In these Little House on the Prairie-esque pre-Internet days, the term spoilers did not exist. In fact, barring missing an issue, nothing was ever spoiled for me back then. It is a luxury that modern day fandom can never regain, for better or for worse.
Issue 23 was the first issue featuring the then-new flexograph printing process, which used water based ink instead of the traditional oil based ink. It also employed plastic/rubber plates instead of metal ones. The results were underwhelming to me as a kid. The colors looked overly bright and garish, the blends were horrid, with blacks just sitting there, and the printing was even less consistent than the old four color printing process. I remember this being touted as a printing breakthrough on the old Bullpen Bulletins page. The paper was a brighter white and smelled different, and everything just felt cheap to me. It was bad enough that comics had recently been jacked up 5 cents in price, but now we had inferior printing processes too? It was enough to give my 11-going-on-12-years-old OCD self the blues.
Issue 24 was a double-sized extravaganza which found the team on a quest to recapture the soul of Sasquatch (Walter Langowski). Lots of cool battles with The Great Beasts in that issue. The return of Guardian in issue 25 made me happy, and the return of Omega Flight in issues 26 and 27 and that reveal was another jarring experience for me as a reader. I looked so forward to each and every issue, and I would devour them as soon as I got them, doing re-reading marathons every month.
It was around issue 27 when Byrne's artwork made a transition from his more polished style to a slightly looser, rawer one. This would continue until his artwork devolved into a scratchy mess in the late '90s. Fortunately he has seen a remarkable return to form over the past decade and is producing some great stuff over at IDW (Cold War, Next Men, etc.)
The pages from Secret Wars II No. 4 are included as a bonus bridging material in between issues 27 and 28. Their inclusion is necessary because they show how the Beyonder rescued Talisman from Shaman's medicine bag. While it was recapped in issue 28, it is a nice bonus and a shining example of how Marvel's Collected Editions Department is way better at what they do than DC's Collected Editions Department.
Issue 28 was also, unbeknownst to me until reading the final page, John Byrne's final issue. I was horrified. How could Byrne do this to me? How could he leave my beloved Alpha Flight? It was announced that The Incredible Hulk creative team of writer Bill Mantlo and artists Mike Mignola (pencils) and Gerry Talaoc (inker) would be swapping titles with Byrne. Byrne went to their title, and they went over to Byrne's. Also clever was how the swap occurred during a crossover. Not only was issue 28 a Secret Wars II crossover, but a Hulk one as well! So Mantlo wrapped up his years-long Crossroads saga with the Hulk coming back to Earth. I ran out and bought Incredible Hulk No. 313 to sample this new creative team. I enjoyed how they showed what was going on from the Hulk's viewpoint before he came back to our dimension. Very cleverly orchestrated, bringing three titles in sync like that while switching creative teams.
These days Alpha Flight and Hulk would both be given new number 1s. Back then, numbering was sacred. I miss that. Another interesting thing is how Mantlo hit the ground running on Alpha Flight. He obviously studied the entire series and came aboard full of references to past storylines and a pretty good understanding of the characters to boot. Bill Mantlo was the victim of a hit and run accident while he was on rollerblades and is living in deplorable conditions in an assisted living home. I hope that the royalties he gets from these reprints in collected editions like this help him out.
Mike Mignola was pretty much a nobody at this time. I knew of him from the Rocket Raccoon mini-series (yes, I was one of five people who actually bought it at the time). Gerry Talaoc was, unbeknownst to me at the time, a veteran DC artist. Issue 29 was completely different in tone and feel but was still really good. I stuck with the title until issue 70 or so. I really hope that this line of trade paperbacks continues, as Mignola is a big name these days with Hellboy, and later issues feature artwork by some new guy that never amounted to anything: Jim Lee.
Issues 20 and 21 are brilliant, with Sasquatch and Aurora stumbling upon Gilded Lily in Langowski (Sasquatch)'s long abandoned family home. The cover for issue 21 was deceptive, as Diablo appeared only in the flashback portion when Gilded Lily told her origin. That scene in issue 21 with Aurora tied up while wearing a bikini made my then 11-year old self feel...funny. I liked it but wasn't exactly sure why. Let's just say that ol' Aurora became this prepubescent kid's favorite on the team back then.
Fortunately there was a lot of other interesting storylines going on that held my interest in other, less raging hormone levels. Issue 23 was another winner, with the fate of Snowbird and Sasquatch coming to a head. I remember walking up to 7-11 with my sister on a brisk, sunny March Sunday morning and buying that one. I read it three or four times that day alone. I could not believe what happened in that issue. I was devastated. That is one of the biggest drawbacks to the Internet: the joy of discovery. In these Little House on the Prairie-esque pre-Internet days, the term spoilers did not exist. In fact, barring missing an issue, nothing was ever spoiled for me back then. It is a luxury that modern day fandom can never regain, for better or for worse.
Issue 23 was the first issue featuring the then-new flexograph printing process, which used water based ink instead of the traditional oil based ink. It also employed plastic/rubber plates instead of metal ones. The results were underwhelming to me as a kid. The colors looked overly bright and garish, the blends were horrid, with blacks just sitting there, and the printing was even less consistent than the old four color printing process. I remember this being touted as a printing breakthrough on the old Bullpen Bulletins page. The paper was a brighter white and smelled different, and everything just felt cheap to me. It was bad enough that comics had recently been jacked up 5 cents in price, but now we had inferior printing processes too? It was enough to give my 11-going-on-12-years-old OCD self the blues.
Issue 24 was a double-sized extravaganza which found the team on a quest to recapture the soul of Sasquatch (Walter Langowski). Lots of cool battles with The Great Beasts in that issue. The return of Guardian in issue 25 made me happy, and the return of Omega Flight in issues 26 and 27 and that reveal was another jarring experience for me as a reader. I looked so forward to each and every issue, and I would devour them as soon as I got them, doing re-reading marathons every month.
It was around issue 27 when Byrne's artwork made a transition from his more polished style to a slightly looser, rawer one. This would continue until his artwork devolved into a scratchy mess in the late '90s. Fortunately he has seen a remarkable return to form over the past decade and is producing some great stuff over at IDW (Cold War, Next Men, etc.)
The pages from Secret Wars II No. 4 are included as a bonus bridging material in between issues 27 and 28. Their inclusion is necessary because they show how the Beyonder rescued Talisman from Shaman's medicine bag. While it was recapped in issue 28, it is a nice bonus and a shining example of how Marvel's Collected Editions Department is way better at what they do than DC's Collected Editions Department.
Issue 28 was also, unbeknownst to me until reading the final page, John Byrne's final issue. I was horrified. How could Byrne do this to me? How could he leave my beloved Alpha Flight? It was announced that The Incredible Hulk creative team of writer Bill Mantlo and artists Mike Mignola (pencils) and Gerry Talaoc (inker) would be swapping titles with Byrne. Byrne went to their title, and they went over to Byrne's. Also clever was how the swap occurred during a crossover. Not only was issue 28 a Secret Wars II crossover, but a Hulk one as well! So Mantlo wrapped up his years-long Crossroads saga with the Hulk coming back to Earth. I ran out and bought Incredible Hulk No. 313 to sample this new creative team. I enjoyed how they showed what was going on from the Hulk's viewpoint before he came back to our dimension. Very cleverly orchestrated, bringing three titles in sync like that while switching creative teams.
These days Alpha Flight and Hulk would both be given new number 1s. Back then, numbering was sacred. I miss that. Another interesting thing is how Mantlo hit the ground running on Alpha Flight. He obviously studied the entire series and came aboard full of references to past storylines and a pretty good understanding of the characters to boot. Bill Mantlo was the victim of a hit and run accident while he was on rollerblades and is living in deplorable conditions in an assisted living home. I hope that the royalties he gets from these reprints in collected editions like this help him out.
Mike Mignola was pretty much a nobody at this time. I knew of him from the Rocket Raccoon mini-series (yes, I was one of five people who actually bought it at the time). Gerry Talaoc was, unbeknownst to me at the time, a veteran DC artist. Issue 29 was completely different in tone and feel but was still really good. I stuck with the title until issue 70 or so. I really hope that this line of trade paperbacks continues, as Mignola is a big name these days with Hellboy, and later issues feature artwork by some new guy that never amounted to anything: Jim Lee.
July 7, 2015
This concludes John Byrne's run on the book featuring characters he created. Another decent read. We get a confrontation with The Great Beasts here, one that is not without its costs. We also have the return of Omega Flight to harass our intrepid heroes. Not a bad read. To the best of my knowledge the subsequent issues of the first Alpha Flight series have never been collected so for those interested these three volumes are all that exists collecting that title. If you are a Canadian comic fan and are willing to pay the price for them these books probably would be a good addition to your collection. For anyone else they won't be out of place.
May 12, 2020
The end of an era. I haven't read everything since then but at least with Alpha Flight vol. 1 it never got better then the first 28 issues scripted and drawn by it's creator John Byrne. This collection sees Alpha confront the great beasts, the relationship between Aurora and Sasquatch and Northstar develop, a couple odd one-shot villains like the Gilded Lady and Pink Pearl and the return of Omega Flight plus other surprises. It ends with the first issue of a new creative team which is a nice touch as it would be a cliff-hanger otherwise but that first issue already you can see the writer just doesn't get the characters Byrne spend years developing.
April 3, 2015
Most of Byrne's art seemed to improve in this volume. This is strange, because most artists tend to get sloppier after a long run. I also noticed something he started doing in the previous volume, he liked to add a good dose of cheesecake to every issue. There were lots of voluptuous poses and sexy angles, which in itself isn't a big deal. I just haven't seen it done so obviously in 80s Marvel stuff, which was very comics code oriented. Anyway, good art, but terrible dialogue. Lots of superheroes giving speaches about their feelings which does nothing for any of the stories.
March 26, 2013
Great stories, as always. Some awesome lines near the end, too.
For example, on page 147, when Walter (as Box) says "And I thought that kind of thing only happened in comic books!"
Or page 188, when Talisman is being choked by the robot impostor and she tells him, "Go climb your thumb, creep."
I do want to know how Talisman grew up around Calgary and has never been to West Ed, because it's one of those places you go if you live in Alberta. ;)
For example, on page 147, when Walter (as Box) says "And I thought that kind of thing only happened in comic books!"
Or page 188, when Talisman is being choked by the robot impostor and she tells him, "Go climb your thumb, creep."
I do want to know how Talisman grew up around Calgary and has never been to West Ed, because it's one of those places you go if you live in Alberta. ;)
February 19, 2020
Some fun stories with some great art, but overall, a very odd team book. Throughout the first 29 issues the team actually assembles only two or three times. Most stories focus on two or three members having adventures together. The stories themselves have been entertaining, but it is really more of an ensemble book following different characters lives than actually being a true team book where they all work together to stop some grand villain.
July 31, 2017
I've always enjoyed John Byrne's Alpha Flight work, and this continues to have the great art and fascinating plotting of the rest of his run. Byrne took Alpha Flight in unconventional directions, always doing the unexpected with this title.
November 11, 2020
John Byrne goes out on a high note, wrapping up most of his ongoing plot lines while still leaving some interesting threads for his successors to pick up on. This volume is also notable for featuring some early work by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.
July 13, 2024
The end of Byrne’s run. Some neat stuff but the last set of stories show he was very tired with it. Of course, the rest of the run is so unloved you can’t read it unless you feel like getting floppies.
The Secret Wars II crossover is weird, not gonna lie.
The Secret Wars II crossover is weird, not gonna lie.
February 15, 2014
Johny Byrne's classic run on Alpha Flight ends with a bang. Fantastic art and great well paced storytelling. A shame his run did not last years longer.
June 17, 2015
This volume starts to deal more with real monsters than the inner monsters of the characters. Overall, still 4 stars. Hulk #313 3 stars.
July 29, 2016
the best creation of byrne !!!!
August 29, 2017
A solid end to Byrne's run
A solid finish to John Byrne's run on this series. Plus the bonus of early Mike Mignola work. A must if you enjoyed the first two volumes.
A solid finish to John Byrne's run on this series. Plus the bonus of early Mike Mignola work. A must if you enjoyed the first two volumes.
July 28, 2020
Some great art in this collection. The ‘Final Conflict’ issues are particularly good from an art perspective. The plots are ok, but the art more than makes up for that.
Read
April 1, 2023Good ending from Byrne & Co
John Byrne did good but it made me remember how bad Secret War II story and Art were. Bill Mantlo is not one to let the pistures tell the story.
John Byrne did good but it made me remember how bad Secret War II story and Art were. Bill Mantlo is not one to let the pistures tell the story.
October 16, 2023
Heroic and nostalgic, just like me!
May 11, 2025
The third and final instalment of John Byrne’s legendary run in Alpha Flight, and what a banger to round it out!
If you are going to read these you are going to have to also read Secret Wars II #4, Incredible Hulk #312 (and probably it’s preceding issues) and follow the Hulk and John Byrne from IH #314.
Okay, come along with me on a multi part crossover with the Hulk that also crosses over with company wide crossover Secret Wars II, I don’t think this one has ever been successfully or completely collected. Far more than these issues are involved.
We have the conclusion of the Crossroads saga in Hulk, the culmination of Alpha’s conflict with Omega Flight (stemming from the earliest issues). A new era for both series, and two great teams swapping era defining runs. All in the middle of possibly the largest crossover ever up to that time…
If you are going to read these you are going to have to also read Secret Wars II #4, Incredible Hulk #312 (and probably it’s preceding issues) and follow the Hulk and John Byrne from IH #314.
Okay, come along with me on a multi part crossover with the Hulk that also crosses over with company wide crossover Secret Wars II, I don’t think this one has ever been successfully or completely collected. Far more than these issues are involved.
We have the conclusion of the Crossroads saga in Hulk, the culmination of Alpha’s conflict with Omega Flight (stemming from the earliest issues). A new era for both series, and two great teams swapping era defining runs. All in the middle of possibly the largest crossover ever up to that time…
April 14, 2022
And so I've finished John Byrne's run on Alpha Flight. I liked it. It's an unconventional take on a superhero team and has some really good characters. My favourites are Puck and Talisman, one of three (!) First Nations characters on the team. However, I never really felt as immersed in the plots as I'd have liked. There's a disconnect there that I can't quite explain.
After Byrne left the title, Alpha Flight continued for another 102 issues but they have never been collected nor are they on Marvel Unlimited so I won't be reading them. Judging by the poor quality of the final issue of this volume, by Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola, John Byrne's successors, that's not a huge loss.
After Byrne left the title, Alpha Flight continued for another 102 issues but they have never been collected nor are they on Marvel Unlimited so I won't be reading them. Judging by the poor quality of the final issue of this volume, by Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola, John Byrne's successors, that's not a huge loss.
May 12, 2017
Se volete leggere la mia recensione, cliccate qui! http://ascwblog.blogspot.it/2017/05/a...
April 10, 2023
Some of the psychedelic sequences are fun, but this run has fallen off a cliff in terms of narrative and dialogue.
March 22, 2015
John Byrne termina la sua corsa sulla serie del gruppo che ha creato con il botto, e con un crescendo di storie magistrali, in parte spoilerate dalla copertina del volume. Sono grandi storie ottimamente disegnate, in cui l'anglo-canadese naturalizzato statunitense ci mostra come si possono gestire bene la morte e il ritorno di un gran personaggio senza perdere di vista nessuno degli altri di un gruppo eterogeneo come questo.
Inoltre porta a risoluzione, in modo deciso e definitivo, la sottotrama delle Grandi Bestie, e trova il modo di passare la testata a Bill Mantlo mentre lui si trasferisce su Hulk con una bella storia di commiato.
Inoltre porta a risoluzione, in modo deciso e definitivo, la sottotrama delle Grandi Bestie, e trova il modo di passare la testata a Bill Mantlo mentre lui si trasferisce su Hulk con una bella storia di commiato.
April 14, 2019
Solid 28 issue run for a team book that doesn’t really follow the conventions of a team book. The nods to Canada throughout the run show a nice attention to detail during a time when no one cared about such things, especially the respect and incorporation of First Nations culture into the superhero genre. The individuation of each character is well handled, and major kudos to Byrne for the creation and elevation of Heather McNeil Hudson as a fully realized female character with natural leadership qualities and no superpowers.
Astounding to keep in mind that Byrne was wearing both writer and artist hats for Alpha Flight AND the Fantastic Four simultaneously on a monthly basis, while also preparing for his revamp of Superman soon after his runs on these books.
Astounding to keep in mind that Byrne was wearing both writer and artist hats for Alpha Flight AND the Fantastic Four simultaneously on a monthly basis, while also preparing for his revamp of Superman soon after his runs on these books.
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