Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1993-06-01 03:02:30 |
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Alpha Flight #122
Issue(s): Alpha Flight #122
Cover Date: Jul 93
Title: "Holy Terror part I"
Credits:
Simon Furman - Writer
Pat Broderick - Penciler
Bruce D. Patterson - Inker
Rob Tokar - Editor
Review/plot:
Alpha Flight has such a large cast that it has the luxury during these Infinity crossovers of sending the core (i.e. mostly Byrne created) team off to stand around in the background of the crossover while focusing on the secondary characters. That's largely what happened in Infinity War and that's mostly the case here as well (although some of the main characters will get involved beginning next issue). The problem with this approach is that the core characters are the only ones anyone really cares about. If you wanted to see Persuasion, Wyre, Goblyn, Manikin, and Pathway learning the origin of Witchfire, these issues are for you...
...but i imagine that's a pretty niche audience. And as i've noted before, these crossovers may have been necessary due to Alpha Flight's low sales, but this sort of plot isn't exactly putting your best foot forward. If there was anyone left that was still picking up all the tie-ins to these Infinity crossovers, i can't imagine they were too pleased with what must have been a pretty bewildering plot about secondary characters that never fought the X-Men. And when we do see the characters that people might know, they are looking mighty odd.
Diamond Lil once sliced Snowbird's throat with a single strand of her hair. I hope her hairdresser was wearing gloves when she got that perm.
Truth be told, as i go through this issue, i realize i'm actually overselling it. Basically nothing happens in this issue. The main development is from the final page (the scan at the top). Beyond that, there's a training sequence, a bunch of scenes repeated from Infinity Crusade #1, and a 7 page back-up story.
Quality Rating: D
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: This issue overlaps with scenes from Infinity Crusade #1. It ends with the secondary team getting captured by Witchfire. Next issue will have some members of the primary team leaving the gathering of heroes in Infinity Crusade #2 to investigate. So time can pass between this issue and next.
The back-up story from this issue is covered in a separate entry.
References:
- This issue repeats some of the recruitment scenes from Infinity Crusade #1.
Crossover: Infinity Crusade
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
I read these recently as part of my X-Men readthrough, without reading Infinity Crusade, and basically from here until the start of No Future was complete gibberish. Absolutely no idea what was happening. Your recap doesn't really improve things.
I appreciate that Furman has tried to explain and set up Sasquatch's Jewish faith here. That he had a Jewish upbringing, lost his faith and was thinking about it again at least works better than nothing.
Reading these issues I've realised that I must have gotten hold of a load of Infinity Crusade crossover issues and not actually read them. New comics! Thanks Fnord. :)
I haven't read much of post Byrne Alpha Flight and the previous Infinity crossover just left me baffled and annoyed. I actually followed this one and picked up roughly who everyone is, so this is already better. I'm also actually curious about what happens next. I just wish the main story was full length instead of slotting in that crappy back-up story.
Most likely background for a blond man named Langkowski is that his family is Polish Catholic.
This title should have been cancelled five years earlier. It has nothing in common anywhere with the Byrne issues.
