Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    Featured

    COMICS PORTAL: Alpha Flight Returns to Its Canadian Roots!

    Wayne HallBy Wayne HallJune 24, 20195 Mins Read

    One of the super-teams I’ve always liked has been Alpha Flight from Marvel. I enjoy finding out about various cultures from comics, and Alpha Flight helped me begin to understand our neighbors to the North.

    They’ve been through various incarnations, but none of them were as engaging as that initial group drawn by John Byrne.

    Now Marvel is bringing back the original AF team, and the creative team is from Canada!

    ABOUT ALPHA FLIGHT

    Alpha Flight, Teen Titans, New Teen Titans, Outsiders, JSA, Elementals, Bill Willingham, Dan Jurgens, Jim Zub, Jed MacKay, Ed Brisson⁠, Max Dunbar, Djibril Morissette-Phan, Scott Hepburn. Nick Bradshaw, Puck, Snowbird, Talisman, Northstar, Marrina, Guardian, Vindicator, Justice League, America, CanadaHere are important parts of the recent news release from Marvel about the book:

    This September, the Marvel Universe’s most captivating Canadian crew comes back in ALPHA FLIGHT: TRUE NORTH #1!

    And—brace yourselves, committed connoisseurs of the Commonwealth—the entire creative team is composed of cunning and cuddly Canucks! Written by clever creatives Jim Zub, Jed MacKay, and Ed Brisson⁠, the comic has art crafted by co-conspirators Max Dunbar, Djibril Morissette-Phan, and Scott Hepburn with a kinetic cover by compatriot Nick Bradshaw!

    Featuring three brand-new tales no one has ever told before, ALPHA FLIGHT: TRUE NORTH #1 sees Canada’s greatest creators unearth the secret history of squad stalwarts Puck, Snowbird, Talisman, Northstar, Marrina, Guardian, and Vindicator!<<

    Chris Robinson, the editor (who is not Canadian), said, “To celebrate the Toronto Raptors winning the NBA Championship, we’re bringing back the greatest of the Great White North, Canada’s premiere super-team Alpha Flight! And we’ve assembled a super-team of Canadian talent behind the scenes for extra authenticity. Trust me, these guys are going deep into the Deparment H files to tie-up those loose Alpha Flight story threads that have been keeping you all up at night. You wanted dip with the chips? Here it is!

    Here’s some background on the team from Wikipedia:

    Created by writer and artist John Byrne, the team first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #120 (April 1979).

    Most team members have distinctly Canadian attributes, such as having Inuit or First Nations heritage. Throughout most of its history, the team has worked for Department H, a fictional branch of Canada’s Department of National Defence that deals with super-powered villains.

    The team was originally merely a part of the backstory of the X-Men’s Wolverine but, in 1983, Marvel launched an eponymous series featuring the group, which continued until 1994, lasting 130 issues as well as annuals and miniseries. Three short-lived revivals have been attempted since, most recently an eight-issue limited series in 2011–12, after the resurrection of the team in the one shot comic Chaos War: Alpha Flight during the Chaos War event.

    There have been several groupings of Alpha Flight, but they never lasted very long.

    SOMETHING DIFFERENT

    Alpha Flight, Teen Titans, New Teen Titans, Outsiders, JSA, Elementals, Bill Willingham, Dan Jurgens, Jim Zub, Jed MacKay, Ed Brisson⁠, Max Dunbar, Djibril Morissette-Phan, Scott Hepburn. Nick Bradshaw, Puck, Snowbird, Talisman, Northstar, Marrina, Guardian, Vindicator, Justice League, America, CanadaTeam books have often been groups have been centered around one concept. An example is the Teen Titans, based on a specific age group. Also, Justice League used to end with the words “of America,” so there are many examples of teams having a single focus.

    Alpha Flight was such a group, with the nation of Canada being its focus. Personally, I never could understand things like powers that wouldn’t work outside the nation’s limits, but this is a comic, so I roll with those kinds of things. It’s also fun to have people from that nation working on the title!

    I always liked Snowbird and Vindicator best. Snowbird was just a cool concept, but Vindicator wore a costume that resembled the flag of Canada. Eventually, Vindicator was replaced by his wife, and that was when I started noticing things falling apart.

    Puck was kind of the group’s Wolverine, even short as the latter was at the beginning of his existence. I don’t remember him being as smelly as Wolverine was in those days, though.

    I know that the New Teen Titans was an update on the original group, and it turned into a success, but that doesn’t mean the same thing works all the time. For example, when Dan Jurgens took over the Titans, he introduced many new members, all of which have since faded away. Lightning didn’t strike twice.

    So I’m happy that Marvel is returning Alpha Flight to their roots instead of yet another garbled attempt at making the basic concept work. I hope it will lead to more of this group coming back. After all, if you want to make a team with mostly new members, I think you should start off with a new group. To me, that’s a duhhhh!

    MORE GROUPS RETURNING?

    Alpha Flight, Teen Titans, New Teen Titans, Outsiders, JSA, Elementals, Bill Willingham, Dan Jurgens, Jim Zub, Jed MacKay, Ed Brisson⁠, Max Dunbar, Djibril Morissette-Phan, Scott Hepburn. Nick Bradshaw, Puck, Snowbird, Talisman, Northstar, Marrina, Guardian, Vindicator, Justice League, America, CanadaAround the era of New Teen Titans and Uncanny X-Men, teams were all the rage. Since then, the focus in comics has been more on individual characters, from Batman to Spider-Man, even though they often work with others.

    If Alpha Flight takes off, there are several teams that I’d like to see come back. Those include The Elementals from Bill Willingham and the aforementioned Teen Titans from Dan Jurgens.

    We’ve already seen The Outsiders return, and the JSA is on the way back, so this could be a new team era!

    What do you think? Do you tell creators how much you enjoy what they do? Has something you said ever helped a creator make even better creations? Are you a creator who has made multiple creations or had to stop at one? Whatever your opinion, be sure to share your opinion and thoughts in the space below!


    Dear Spoilerite,

    At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

    alpha flight Bill Willingham Comics Portal dan jurgens Djibril Morissette-Phan Ed Brisson⁠ Jed Mackay Jim Zub max dunbar opinion
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleTony Stark: Iron Man #13 Review
    Next Article Counterfeit Girl TPB Review
    Wayne Hall
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.

    Related Posts

    Critical Hit #790 – Graduation Day (MWS01-E01)

    Read More

    Legion Clubhouse #190: The Validus Plague

    Read More

    Dune: Messiah Casts Paul Atreides’ Children – week of Friday, June 19th, 2025

    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    AMAZON AFFILIATE

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    8.0
    June 20, 2025

    Jeff the Land Shark #1 Review

    4.0
    June 20, 2025

    Toxie Team-Up #1 Review

    8.3
    June 17, 2025

    Giant-Size Dark Phoenix Saga #1 Review

    7.7
    June 17, 2025

    Supergirl #2 Review

    6.0
    June 16, 2025

    Runaways #1 Review

    Patreon Support
    Major Spoilers Store
    Recent Comments
    • Derrigable on COMICS PORTAL: Where Is All The Cool Merchandise?
    • ZackaryTobias on COMICS PORTAL: Where Is All The Cool Merchandise?
    • Nathan on Wayne’s Comics Podcast #696: Interview with Creators from Concrete Arcanum
    • Austin Cowboy on FIRST LOOK: Conan the Barbarian #21
    • Frank on COMICS PORTAL: Batman Meets… Deadpool!?
    Subscribe to the Major Spoilers E-Mail List
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2025 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT