Alpha Flight: Ponderings from a relatively new fan of the series.

In the last one of these I rambled about why I wanted to do it. This go around I can actually talk a bit about what I do know of Alpha Flight…namely the new series to hit the shelves earlier this year! Okay so I know more then a few people have grumbled that it isn't the classic Alpha of the John Byrne days, so? It's still has potential with great new characters and the classic for the die-hards, in the form of Sasquatch and Nemesis. After that, everything is new! Which is great, in my not so humble opinion.

One of the things I did notice in my extensive web searches of all things Alpha Flight is the wide range of ethnicities involved. You have your Aboriginals in the form of Shaman and Talisman. Your Polish Jew, in the form of Sasquatch. The Beaubier twins and Murmur make up the French heritage that is such a large part of the Canadian culture. And not to forget or anything, but there are a lot of descendents of the Celtic areas that now inhabit the Great White North, like Heather. (I'm assuming with a maiden name like McNeil, she's of some Celtic background or other.) I'm sure there are others that have been represented but I digress. I'm sticking with what little I do know.

The latest volume of AF to hit the stands just adds to that diversity, something I like in a story. Africans were brought to North America against their will in the 1700's and 1800's. We all know that. Many of the slaves from those days escaped to the north. Some of them not satisfied with places like New York or Chicago went on until they hit the border. If I recall correctly, slavery was not permitted in Canada by this time, which may explain why a lot of the travellers of the Underground Railroad sought it out as a refuge from the South. Ironically a lot of what I have seen from Canada tends to forget that there are Africans in Canada…until now that is.

Not only is Centennial really, really old, but he's African. And like Walter said in the first issue, "…the stories you could tell, eh?" In issue 3 there's a pic of one of those old sepia photographs depicting Centennial as a police officer in the hay day of the 1920's. Tommy gun and all! Interesting? What also appeals to me with Centennial is the fact that he's not the stereo type cast African American in comics. Yeah he's a grouch, but he's grumpy about things all elderly are grumpy about.

He'd rather be watching TV then getting involved in a fight. Youth annoys him, like it does a lot of the elderly…I'm thinking of my grandmother when I type this…and the one that I get the giggles at every time, is his threats of death if he got his hip broken! But at the same time, Centennial shows us what we will all eventually learn when we get that old…provided we do of course. Things that we think of as dire and important now just aren't that big a deal after all. My gran even says as much to me when I go on to her about something I'm having a fit over. I know in some part of my mind that she's right, but at the same time I'm thinking she's lost what few marbles she has left. I also get whacked for saying so. ^^ But Centennial shows us this side of life in the new Alpha Flight series. We know the elderly are right in a lot of ways about a lot of things, but we can't quite agree just yet. Give it another fifty or sixty years to sink in I guess.

But Centennial isn't the only new character of interest to me in the new series. There's also an Asian element added in the form of one Zuzha Yu. The whole illegitimate daughter of Puck thing has me foaming at the chops! But that's the least of my excitement at the moment about Zuzha. I like 'em plucky! I like 'em sassy! And she has more then enough of both then most people I know. She's also an unknown…at least so far, power-wise. (I haven't received my latest issues in the mail, as of this column)

Zuzha is first seen in the comic as a barkeep in Montreal, bashing rowdy drunks over the head with a baseball bat. She flatly turns down Walter's offer to join Alpha Flight…she's then tricked into joining them anyway. I would have SO loved to have seen the French maid's outfit/sex slave thing too. I'm also told there is a shot in issue 7, but like I said…I'm waiting for mine in the mail…the border got a hold of it again. ^^

As the series progresses to #6 (the issue I have gotten up to) she does see that yeah, she can do this super hero stuff, maybe. She also warms up to Walter and possibly forgives him for the trick he played in getting her to join in the first place…I won't go on about what I WAS thinking, but you who have read it, might have an idea. ;) Very little has been shown about Zuzha, other then she can kick arse and that she apparently was able to speak from the womb…whatever that means. I'm guessing she could talk since she was born. I'm looking forward to her being explored in depth as the series progresses.

Then there's loin cloth boy! Uh…hem…sorry. Yukon Jack, short for Yukotujakzurjimosoata. Gesunhiet to you too. I like the bones as a twist on the tattoo thingy he has on his shoulder and chest. I'm weird that way. I also like that he's from a previously unknown culture, which has thrived for generations in the British Columbia wilderness. And that is actually plausible, if you know your geography a bit. Where he got the Shakespearian manner of speech from? I have no clue, but it's a trip to read, when he's talking to the others. So far YJ is eye candy for me. Not a lot of character development has been done on him for me to say too much, other then he can not harm animals. Mmm loin cloth…yum! Bad Girl.

Lastly, for new characters in the series is Wonder bread boy! Who let this one out? Major Mapleleaf Jr. And yes he gets ribbed about the name in the series all the time. His dad was the first Major Mapleleaf. Jr sees himself following in his father's footsteps…while overlooking that his father was not the hero everyone seems to think he is. Eternally optimistic and cheerful, he doesn't let a single thing get to him. At first this annoyed the hell out of me! To no end! Jo doesn't do perky people. But as the series has progressed, there's a sense of depth that makes me forget the cheer and try and look deeper to see what makes him tick. He does give us blondes a bad name though. ^^

I actually had to rewrite half of this, because I'm on a shared comp and someone went delete happy…meaning my Alpha files got whacked. I managed to retrieve up to Centennial…everything else had to be rewritten. I got most of it as I originally wrote it. Okay…so the boys got less talk time then the old guy and the cute chick. Doesn't mean I don't like them or anything, they're still just mysteries so far, as the series goes.

Must also rename Alpha file and add 'DON'T DELETE!' to the title. ^^

Luv Jo