From Claremont to Claremont, Episode 2g - Alpha Flight #102 (1991)

From Claremont to Claremont: An X-Men Podcast

Episode 2G

Alpha Flight #102 (November, 1991)

"El Equipo Primero! Part One"

Writer - Scott Lobdell

Pencils - Tom Morgan

Inks - Chris Ivy

Letters - Janice Chang

Colors - Bob Sharen

Edits - Bobbie Chase

Chief - DeFalco

Cover Price: $1.50

Kicking off the Scott Lobdell era of Alpha Flight!

For this segment, Sean (@Sean42AZ) and I take a trip down to Tierra del Maiz, where Diablo is doin' some hoo-doo with some some phony Vibranium, Northstar baptizes a child - and our team gets a mysterious new member!

Also: Sean sits in on the dreaded Pod-File!

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From Claremont to Claremont, Episode 1g - Alpha Flight #101 (1991)

From Claremont to Claremont: An X-Men Podcast

Episode 1G

Alpha Flight #101 (October, 1991)

"Death and How to Live it"

Writer - Fabian Nicieza

Pencils - Tom Morgan

Inks - Chris Ivy

Letters - Janice Chiang

Colors - Bob Sharen

Edits - Bobbie Chase

Chief - DeFalco

Cover Price: $1.50

Sooo... is Alpha Flight an X-Book?  Well, if you ask my pal Sean (@Sean42AZ) and I, yeah - it totally is!

If only we had a better issue to bring you to kick off our coverage... because, friends - this is a weird, uneven... and mostly "deck-clearing" endeavor to make way for next creative team!  We've got a Doctor Strange guest-appearance, lotsa "potty faces" and a highlight in the form of a Diamond Lil subplot being paid off.

Also: Sean shares with us his life and times as a comics and X-Fan - and sits in to rundown the October, 1991 Cool-O-Meter!  It's a great time, and I'm looking forward to more!  I hope you are as well.

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@acecomics / @cosmictmill / weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

chrisandreggie.podbean.com

chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

https://www.pulp2pixel.com/

facebook.com/groups/90sxmen

Alpha Flight #101 (1991)

Alpha Flight #101 (October, 1991)
"Death and How to Live it"
Writer - Fabian Nicieza
Pencils - Tom Morgan
Inks - Chris Ivy
Letters - Janice Chiang
Colors - Bob Sharen
Editor - Bobbie Chase
Chief - Tom DeFalco
Cover Price: $1.50

While the "Gold Product Experts" at Google/Blogger continue to blame their users (while likely not being bloggers themselves) for the inability of this platform to properly upload images... we, stop... breathe... and revisit another synopsis that likely nobody has seen before.

We've looked at classic Alpha Flight here at the blog before... now, get ready for what happens when the Alphas meet the 1990's!

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Issue opens with Hercules delivering a wallop of a punch into Sasquatch's mush... which sends him flyin'!  Some of the other Avengers present (She-Hulk, Quasar), question the logic of using such aggression, to which it would seem Herc's just havin' a good time.  Sasquatch does not seem to share that opinion, and so he lunges at the Olympian... until Quasar interjects to separate them so that cooler heads might prevail... and they do!

We shift scenes to Greenwich Village, where Northstar, Northstar's Mullet, Sersi, and Vision are paying a visit to Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum in hopes that he might be able to assist in tracking down Jean-Paul's sister, Aurora (plus some other missing Alphans for good measure).  Wong greets them at the door, and allows them entry.

Doctor Strange appears... and, from the looks of it, just had a very unexpected accident in his pants.  I mean, dude looks absolutely freaked out here!  Northstar explains their situation... Aurora and some others vanished during a battle a few issues back, and he'd really like to know where they might've gone.

With a horribly pained look on his face, Stephen Strange contorts his body a bit in order to pontificate and begin his search of the Cosmos.  Before we know it, we're at the Interdimensional Crossroads of Time!  This sort of reminds me of the place the Sovereign Seven used to hang out.

Doc Strange begins floating... and allows the Eye of Agamotto to "pierce the dimensional veil" to locate the missing Baubier.

We shift scene to a cemetery in Ottawa, where Gene and Heather are visiting the comically over-sized grave-marker of James Hudson.  Puck almost looks like he's standing on the edge of a football field in comparison.  They lament the fact that Mac's recent "return" didn't turn out the way they'd hoped.

After Heather shares her feelings... in how this time, her losing Mac feels a lot different than the first time... the pair of Alphans are met by Kerry Patrick and Jeremy Clarke from Department H.  They express their condolences, and assure Heather that the Canadian government has Alpha Flight's back from this point on.

Speaking of Alpha Flight and Department H, we next pop over to Toronto to check in on some of the rest of the crew.  There, Madison Jeffries prepares Diamond Lil for a procedure involving a weird alien laser that might just be able to penetrate her diamond-hard skin in order to see if she has cancer.  Lil's a bit freaked out, but trusts enough in Box that she'll undergo the deal.  Turns out, it works!

We rejoin Sasquatch and the Avengers (also, Windshear and "Her")... where I guess whatever job they had to do is done?  Can't tell much from the art, so we'll just have to take Quasar's word for it.  As the heroes prepare to split, "Her" decides to take a tour of the planet.  Quasar offers her a chaperone any time she needs one.  Whatta dork.

Back at the Crossroads, Strange is... from the looks of it... laboring over a stool.  He reports that despite the Eye's best efforts, he cannot find Jeanne-Marie and the other Alphans.  All he is able to do is open some sort of "doorways"... which he, Northstar and Company can peer through... if they dare!

Vision wonders aloud if, by opening these "doorways", aren't they running the risk of unwanted guests escaping from them?  Well, before he can even finish the thought, that very thing happens!

A battle rages... for about two-pages, ending with Vision trapping the baddies in a bubble while Strange continues his psychic search for the missing Alphans.  Vision suggests Strange take a break... or perhaps even call it a day, but Stephen is steadfast in his resolve.  They've come too far to give up now.  Northstar agrees with Vision... and manages to get Strange to end the search... for now.

Northstar and the Crew are returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where plenty of "thanks anyways" are exchanged.  He then heads back to the Great White North for Mac's memorial ceremony.  Heather says a few words... drawing particular attention to the fact that Mac just wasn't all that great a superhero... but, dammit, he was her's... before leaving a single rose on his grave-marker.

We wrap up back at Department H where the results of Diamond Lil's biopsy are in!  She... does not have Cancer.  The team celebrates!

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Kind of a mixed bag, innit?  On just about every front.

Before we hop into the actual book, this was an issue we covered on From Claremont to Claremont... because, Alpha Flight is sorta/kinda an X-Men book.  Or, at the very least, X-Adjacent.  Before committing to the bit, I did ask around on the social medias to see what folks thought about Alpha Flight, and their association to the X-Books... and overwhelmingly, folks said - Yes, Alpha Flight is an X-Book.  Only a couple of people didn't think so.

I, personally, feel like Alpha Flight is definitely X-Adjacent enough to include.  Here's the thing that kind of set it (and a few of the books we covered in the first episode of FCTC) apart... whereas during "current year"/"current decade", when a line or family of books gets a "new direction" or some sort of "jumpstart" point, all of the books in the family/line get a big kick-off.

For the X-Books in particular, I'm thinking about things like Regenesis, or the still-ongoing Dawn of X - each of the titles involved get themselves a brand-new logo/branding... and the stories all go in new thematically similar direction.  Back in 1991, however, when the X-Books had arguably their biggest "shakeup", only the "core four" (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men (vol.2), X-Factor, X-Force) really felt those reverberations... at least that first month.

Just something that struck me as a bit weird when I was revisiting these books.  Alpha Flight would sort of shift into their "new direction" with the next issue... which, if I'm being honest, is a heckuva lot better than this one.

So, let's look at this one.  First, the good!  The Diamond Lil bits were pretty great.  I thought Fabian did a wonderful job with her and Madison.  It was the only part of this issue that really managed to hold my attention.  Their happy ending was especially nice.

Everything else?  Well, it's hard to really say it was "bad", per say... because so much of it was predicated on clearing the deck for the next writer (Scott Lobdell).  That clearing the deck even included the Diamond Lil subplot I liked so much... so, I guess I'm speaking out both sides here.

The Avengers showing up (back when this was a novelty... believe it or not, there was a time in Marvel Comics when the Avengers didn't show up every third page of every single book) was... ehh.  This isn't my favorite Avengers team.  This probably wasn't anybody's favorite... though, in the age of the "lol, random" internet, I'm sure it now has its fans for being so, well... random.

The fallout from Mac's return and redeath was okay.  Here's where I get a bit conflicted as a "reviewer".  I was a bit lost in the reread... and had to actually do a little bit of research about what had gone down in the issues preceding this.  That annoyed me... even though it probably shouldn't have.  I feel like I projected onto this issue that is should be a "jumping on point" in accordance with the rest of the X-Men line... so, I'm kinda blaming it for not being what I expected it to be... which really isn't fair.  Could it have been easier to follow for someone coming in "fresh"?  Sure.  Did it have to be?  Nah, not necessarily.

The Doctor Strange portion of this issue was also a bit baffling to me coming in (relatively) "fresh".  Again, not the fault of the issue... but, really didn't do much to inspire any interest or investment in the subplot.  Also, these are the scenes where the art really suffers.  This art isn't great to begin with, however, when Doc Strange is on panel... oof.  He makes plenty of "potty faces".  It's really disturbing.  Also, Northstar's mullet appears to be sentient... which ain't a good look.  It's hard to believe anyone ever thought it was.

Overall... yeah, it's kind of a mixed bag... but a decent enough "clearing the deck" for Scott Lobdell's impending arrival and slight shift in direction.  Mind you, this is several months before Lobdell (and this issue's very own Fabian Nicieza) became the driving force behind the X-Men family of books.

Is it worth a look?  Ehh, unless you're doing a "full read though" of this volume, it's probably not... 

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Letters Page:

Mr. Mxyzptlk #1 (1998)

Mr. Mxyzptlk #1 (February, 1998)
"Invader From the 10th Dimension"
Writer - Alan Grant
Penciller - Tom Morgan
Inker - Scott Koblish
Letterer - Janice Chiang
Colorist - Glenn Whitmore
Asst. Editor - Maureen McTigue
Editor - Joey Cavalieri
Cover Price: $1.95

When I think of April Fools Day, I usually furrow my brow think of how un-fun it is to browse the internet on this day.  You gotta brace yourself for all the news that's fit to fool, and take eeeeeverything with a grain (or shaker) of salt.  Well, not here!  Here, we are going to review and discuss a one-shot featuring Superman's most enduring and endearing prankster.

I think we'll be safe in his minuscule mitts.  I mean, what's not to trust?

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It's the Fifth Dimension!  We join Mxy and company as they go about their day.  Suddenly a tall woman with long dark hair enters the scene.  Smitten, the Mxy bunch all gathers around her, especially the artsy looking one with the beret.  Our lady compliments his good looks, and as they appear to be going in for a kiss... she swallows him whole.

This is no lady, it is the personification of the Tenth Dimension, the Ultimator!  The beast must eat other dimensions to survive, and four have already fallen... prey.

The Mxy bunch pleads with the beast to spare their dimension, even engaging in dance in attempt to please their would-be conqueror!

When all hope is lost, Mxy retreats to his odd-shaped home.  It is there that he keeps his magical comic collection with which, he hopes to defeat the beast!

First stop!  Logjam of Super-Heroes #100...

Once inside, our Imp finds himself in the middle of a Legi... Logjam roll call featuring such luminaries as Batter-Eater Lad, Butter-Eater Lad, Butler-Eater Lad, and Button-Eater Lad!  Mxy's sudden appearance catches the Logjamaires off guard, and before they can get an explanation, the Ultimator busts into the scene!

Despite the Logjamaire's best efforts and promises of eating buttons and butlers, they prove no threat to the Ultimator.  Rather than risk his own skin, Mxy pops out the back of the mag.

Next stop... JLA: Just-Us League of America #1...

Here we meet some proper heroes!  Souperman with his cans of chunky clam chowder, Gatman with his darkness gun, Wondering Woman who isn't quite sure what to make of things, and Martian Womanhunter who spits game at all the dames.  Once more, Ultimator makes short-work of the good-guys.  Supervillain, No-Brainiac is watching and pontificating... until he too becomes a snack.

Mxy then pops into Aquamint Man #27, featuring the King of Atlantis that replaced his missing hand, not with a hook... but with a toothbrush.  Mxy don't dig that... next stop, Young Heroes unLoved #0 (Izzat a Zero Hour tie-in?).  Seeing their book as too much of a sitcom, Mxy bails once again.

Jack Kirbptlk's Farce World #8 is next!  Mxy immediately finds himself lost in the miasma of continuity this book weaves and runs for the hills!

Finally, Mxy strikes gold.  After entering Lobo's Nephews #17 (which features the torture of Ziggy Starman! no less) Mxy enlists the aid of the Frag-tastic Four in his efforts to push back against the Ultimator.  Despite some of their best fraggin', the Li'l Lobos also prove ineffective against our dimension-eating foe.

In a great bit, Mxy writes the Ultimator's name backwards in attempt to get it to "pop" back to it's home dimension.

Last stop!  an issue of Zzzandman.

Mxy arrives only to find all of this issues's inhabitants asleep... all except the zzzZandman himself, Mopius!  Mopius goes into a purple soliloquy... that just will not end.

The Ultimator is soon fast asleep.  Mxy makes his escape, and seals the this issue in triple-strength mylar (imagine if CGC grading was a thing in 1998!).

Now, for the kicker.  It turns out this entire escapade was just a story Mxy was telling to (Electric-Blue) Superman and Lois Lane in an attempt at creating the best super hero adventure.  Superman and Lois pretend to have also fallen asleep.  Irritated, Mxy sends himself back to the Fifth Dimension... Leaving Lois and Clark to celebrate finally finding an easy way of ridding themselves of Mr. Mxyzptlk!

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I know I probably say "this book was fun" a bit too much here on the blog... but, well.. ya know.  This book was crazy fun!  This book poked fun (somewhat playfully) at a lot of DC's late-nineties output, and showed readers what a strange time in DC history the late-nineties were.  This is that odd post-boom era, where titles were a bit more experimental.  Seeing a reference to Young Heroes in Love, especially, was a treat.

I do gotta wonder, how biting the commentary was meant to be.  Young Heroes in Love's sitcom/soap opera elements were, if I'm remembering correctly pretty well received... at least initially.  Jack Kirby's Fourth World was quite continuity heavy... I wonder if this was a sorta meta-commentary on that.  The Jack Knight Starman was one of those books I'd never have imagined would be parodied, especially during this vintage.  The Legion always appeared convoluted to me, so many "lads" "boys" "lasses" that it scared me off as a kid (hell, despite owning a few hundred issues of the Legion of Super-Heroes... I still don't get them!) So much interesting stuff!

As the cover so aptly illustrates, this story takes place during Superman's "Electric Blue" phase.  This is an era I am almost wholly unfamiliar with. but one I am quite interested in learning more about.  My Electric-Superman library is unfortunately quite spotty at this point in time, and I want to fill in a few of the larger holes so I can give it a fair shake.

This book is recommended for its novelty.  This is a parody-like nickel tour of the non-mainstream DC Universe circa-1998.  If you squint real hard, you may find you're looking at something of a time capsule.  Even if you only have a peripheral understanding of this era of DC Comics, the references made are not too "inside baseball".  That is to say, you'll probably "get" a lot of the gags... and you'll likely have a really good time.

Snap this one up, if you come across it!

Also, best of luck this April Fool's Day.  Don't take any wooden nickels... and remember if you hear some crazy rumors about... I dunno, Action Comics going back to it's legacy numbering this June... just take it with a grain of salt... ain't nothing nutty like that gonna happen any time soon... right?

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Interesting Ads:

Sweet, New Smashing Pumpkins album!
Wait, what?

I looked at this ad for a full minute before realizing it wasn't for Twisted Metal

Remember that time in DC Comics where like EVERY back cover was for The GAP?
At least this one doesn't have a creepy kid winking at us!