Normally I write the "Alpha Flight: Ponderings from a relatively new fan of the series" column….normally. But the official word has come down the pike that ANADAF is being cancelled by Marvel after issue #12. Lack of sales is the reason the book got the axe, but still. I hate seeing titles I like get the axe because they're just not making the company any real money. And face it, that's what publishing companies are out to do, make money. That more then likely explains why the theatres are crammed full of Spidey fans or X-Geeks, or Batnuts…you name it...every summer.

Yeah it hurts to see the latest series of Alpha Flight go after only twelve issues, but I can understand Marvel's reasons for doing so. I DON'T like it, but I do understand. As does the current writer of the series, Scott Lobdell. Scott was nice enough to email Ben, the founder of the Alpha Waves forum, with the news. Rich Johnston who writes the 'Lying In The Gutters' column over at Comic Book Resources posted a link to the letter. It obviously hit a spot with a lot of his readers, because the hit count at Alpha Waves went through the roof.

I am not a big fan of the current trend in comics. If it isn't a house hold name it seems, it doesn't last. A lot of good comic books I personally enjoyed have seen their runs cut because they just aren't the big guns that make the name for the publisher. Think about it. Spiderman, X-Men, Wolverine…you say those and most of the time, 'Marvel' is the name associated with them. Same goes for Batman, Superman and, so on for people thinking 'DC'. It's the big guns that make the money for the companies. I would love it if companies took the chance and gave unrelated titles a fair go, but that would defeat the purpose behind the publishing company in the first place…to make a profit.

Fans of series help out by writing letters to the companies and offering praise, thanks or just saying 'hi I'm a big fan!.' Some go one step further and make web pages dedicated on their favourite fandom. Then there's the rare fan that goes all out and mounts massive campaigns to keep their favourite series running. A lot of the ones I have seen are just blatant ear bashing…but there are exceptions. The one I'm thinking of at the moment is the Fight for the Flight one run over at the Alpha Waves site.

Is it wishful thinking that Marvel might get the hint and keep publishing ANADAF? Probably. Am I hoping that Marvel takes note and reconsiders when they're going over titles at some future date? Oh hell yeah! The members of Alpha Waves have gone out of their way to keep interest in the book alive, and it's a fan effort I applaud! I've never seen that kind of fan dedication before in any series to be honest. I hope that the fans do stay on the forum to keep the hope alive and show that the interest is out there! Until a fourth AF series is published, I'll keep dreaming and sharing in the adventures that have already come to pass. Luv Jo.

jo@alphaflight.net