Guardian! Shaman! Snowbird! Aurora! Northstar! Puck! Marrina! Sasquatch! Exploding from the pages of X-Men, Alpha Flight goes solo! Canada's premiere super human strike force, Alpha Flight was brought together by Department H for the greater good of humankind, to battle injustice and evil forces across the globe - including the Master of the World, Tundra, Kolomaq, Deadly Ernest and Delphine Courtney! Featuring cameos by the Sub-Mariner, Invisible Woman, Wolverine and Nightcrawler! Collects Alpha Flight #1-8.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
So reads the beginning caption to issue #3 in Byrne's unique, 28-issue stint with a distinctly Canadian team...
Quick: how many Canadian super-teams can you currently name off the top of your head? My guess is: not many. Credit Byrne with bringing Canada back into the mainstream in 1983 with Alpha Flight #1- the biggest selling comic of its day- 500,000 copies! While Byrne was born in England, he lived in Canada between the ages of 8 and 30 before moving to the States in 1980. Who better, then, to write & draw a distinctly Canadian team?
His most popular works may be X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Superman, but I *equally* love his lesser-known efforts: his 6+1-issue run on the Incredible Hulk (in '85-'86... a personal favorite!); his great '80s covers for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition; his distinctly Canadian Alpha Flight; and even his quirky & fun run on She-Hulk (which is also deserving of its new TPB!). And today, it's Alpha Flight that gets the spotlight again in this new & high-quality collection. It really contains: Issues 1-8; an '80s Marvel Age preview article; and even a few '80s entries from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe(!). Thankfully, Marvel treats Byrne's paperbacks right with a decent grade of paper, something the Distinguished Competition (Man of Steel maybe?) could learn a little something about.
While Byrne has gone on record as saying Alpha Flight never really gelled for him artistically or story-wise, I still think quite highly of it.... Read more ›
Quick: how many Canadian super-teams can you currently name off the top of your head? My guess is: not many. Credit Byrne with bringing Canada back into the mainstream in 1983 with Alpha Flight #1- the biggest selling comic of its day- 500,000 copies! While Byrne was born in England, he lived in Canada between the ages of 8 and 30 before moving to the States in 1980. Who better, then, to write & draw a distinctly Canadian team?
His most popular works may be X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Superman, but I *equally* love his lesser-known efforts: his 6+1-issue run on the Incredible Hulk (in '85-'86... a personal favorite!); his great '80s covers for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition; his distinctly Canadian Alpha Flight; and even his quirky & fun run on She-Hulk (which is also deserving of its new TPB!). And today, it's Alpha Flight that gets the spotlight again in this new & high-quality collection. It really contains: Issues 1-8; an '80s Marvel Age preview article; and even a few '80s entries from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe(!). Thankfully, Marvel treats Byrne's paperbacks right with a decent grade of paper, something the Distinguished Competition (Man of Steel maybe?) could learn a little something about.
While Byrne has gone on record as saying Alpha Flight never really gelled for him artistically or story-wise, I still think quite highly of it.... Read more ›
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
John Byrne has gone on record saying that his heart was never really into "Alpha Flight", that they were basically created as a team that could successfully battle the X-Men. Despite all this, Byrne's run on AF (he did 28 issues total) are an example of his mastery of the form and yet another look at how much the comics medium has fallen since the 80s. There's never been another book like "Alpha Flight." The team had been created four years before the book came out, but Byrne was faced with the task of instilling each character with a personality and origin, which he painstakingly did, bit by bit.
Included here are the first 8 issues of the book presented in a nice new format. Some people have said the new format is a little too bright, but I think it works well and doesn't take away from the stories at all. We get the classic battle with Tundra, Snowbird's battle in a blizzard which has to be "seen" to get the full effect, the troubled twins - split-personality Aurora and gay Northstar - as well as the development of James Hudson's cyber helmet that started the whole mess. My only complaint is that there should have been more issues included because it will take us that much longer to get to my favorite part of Byrne's run: issues 18-28.
It's so much fun to revisit these characters and adventures again but those discovering them for the first time will have just as much fun. Thanks to all who finally put this book together.
Included here are the first 8 issues of the book presented in a nice new format. Some people have said the new format is a little too bright, but I think it works well and doesn't take away from the stories at all. We get the classic battle with Tundra, Snowbird's battle in a blizzard which has to be "seen" to get the full effect, the troubled twins - split-personality Aurora and gay Northstar - as well as the development of James Hudson's cyber helmet that started the whole mess. My only complaint is that there should have been more issues included because it will take us that much longer to get to my favorite part of Byrne's run: issues 18-28.
It's so much fun to revisit these characters and adventures again but those discovering them for the first time will have just as much fun. Thanks to all who finally put this book together.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By R. Rodriguez
Format:Paperback
I've never read any Alpha Flight comics before, so I figured this was a good place to start. The way John Byrne writes and draws the series makes me wanna go to Canada. I think my favorite stories were the ones with Northstar and Aurora.
It seems like Marvel's Classic series is like the Essentials but in color and on a smaller scale. I'm looking forward to the second volume that comes out in a few months and will get it not long after. My guess is it'll include #9-15 and their first annual.
It seems like Marvel's Classic series is like the Essentials but in color and on a smaller scale. I'm looking forward to the second volume that comes out in a few months and will get it not long after. My guess is it'll include #9-15 and their first annual.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jason
Format:Paperback
AF #1 was one of the first comics that I purchased with my own money.
This volume zapped me back to 1983.
The stories have the trademark Byrne 'depth' to them - little details that were over my head then, but were funny and interesting now.
The line work in these stories represent a favorite Byrne period of mine. His inking work was 'chunky' and 'thick' during this phase.
Re-reading the stories in order is a lot of fun.
This volume zapped me back to 1983.
The stories have the trademark Byrne 'depth' to them - little details that were over my head then, but were funny and interesting now.
The line work in these stories represent a favorite Byrne period of mine. His inking work was 'chunky' and 'thick' during this phase.
Re-reading the stories in order is a lot of fun.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Knueppe
Format:Paperback
One of the greatest ever Marvel Comics teams, and series. This is an amazing trade, not to be missed. In fact, BOTH volumes are mandatory for fans of John Byrne in specific, and the comic book medium in general. Vol. 1, released 2007, covers issues 1-8, and Vol. 2, released 2011, covers issues 9-19 and X-Men # 109.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Nothing is worth the so-called $80 price tag that's being priced out for a 6-issue TPB by any of these sellers.
Avoid this, not because of the stories or art, but for the unreasonable price tag.
Avoid this, not because of the stories or art, but for the unreasonable price tag.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Todd Miller
Format:Paperback
Alpha Flight has been through many iterations since it premiered years ago, but the orginal series (at least Byrne's run) is still the best. This volume collects the 1st 8 issues of the series, and what's good about it is that it isn't like many other comics that you'll read that bring together groups of superheroes. Basically, everyone on the team has some sort of issue, and Byrne crafts great back stories for each character.
The artwork is dead on, and it's a great read.
The artwork is dead on, and it's a great read.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Am Totally Amazed
I had only read a few of John Byrne's Alpha Flight as a kid so I was not totally in tune with the groups early adventures or individual character origins so this book totally took... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Royland Odell Owens
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Comic, Horrible Price
Got nothing to add to the previous reviews, except this; here in Norway I just bought a mint copy for the total price of 4 $. HAHA!
Published 6 months ago by ParrotHead
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun read but....
Toronto is not the capital of Canada. French Canadians neither speak nor act that way. Byrne could have done a jot of research and it wouldn't have taken much to improve. Read more
Published 17 months ago by John Schippersd
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genius
Byrne's characters have scars,both in body and mind.Alpha flight in particular.Great deal of antagonisms and schisms among the diverse members. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Kirk Alan Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars
John Byrne--WORLD's Best Storyteller!!
I will never get tired of a good, old-fashioned John Byrne story. He is always able to take and insignificant book/character and give it cosmic importance. Read more
Published 22 months ago by S. Varela
4.0 out of 5 stars
Alpha that makes me want to read more
I've not known Alpha flight very well but my curiosity was well struck to be canadian and to read about them in an X-men being a child. Read more
Published on February 1, 2011 by Sébastien Industrial Design Student
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alpha Flight Soars
As a kid/teen in the 1980s, I used to love to read Alpha Flight by John Byrne. Byrne had the most creative ideas and could take minor characters and turn them into the most... Read more
Published on October 1, 2010 by Eric A. Klee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh Canada!
During Chris Claremont and John Byrne's revolutionary run on Uncanny X-Men, the duo introduced Alpha Flight: Canada's premiere superhero team that has a connection to Wolverine. Read more
Published on July 25, 2007 by N. Durham
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