The Fall of X has placed the mutants of Canada in a precarious situation. Alpha Flight #1 proved that Canada’s heroes won’t stand for the persecution of the mutants, but the Box sentinels still continue to pose an existential threat. With the team desperately planning a galaxy-spanning escape, Ed Brisson and Scott Godlewski ramp up the tension in Alpha Flight #2.
There’s a lot to love about this issue. The inconsistent paneling really adds a feeling of uncertainty — much like the heroes are experiencing as they try to plan their trip to Chandilar. Everything flows brilliantly from panel to panel, and the fights are even better. Every blow struck feels palpable, and Feedback’s powers have never looked cooler.
Speaking of Feedback, it’s nice to see such a minor character really get the chance to enjoy the spotlight. While Feedback is undoubtedly an Alphan, he never really had an opportunity to prove himself in the original Alpha Flight run. Now, Brisson has really given him the chance to develop as a character.
Marvel Comics
Through Feedback and Laurent, this book does a better job than any other run in the Fall of X line at establishing the stakes. Instead of just focusing on the struggle of the mainline X-Men characters, as they suffer through their umpteenth massacre, Alpha Flight #2 really keys in on the reality of the day-to-day mutants. The central focus is not on the Alphans, but it is dedicated to revealing the people’s suffering.
Alpha Flight has always been dedicated to protecting Canadians, but it has never really taken the time to show those innocent people. Even the presence of Kyle — Northstar’s husband — forces the reader to consider that even the humans have been impacted by these horrors. Families and friends are being forced to watch their loved ones being hunted by Box machines that once protected them. That new perspective is a welcome change that helps this run stand out.
Of course, that is not to say that the rest of the team ducks the spotlight. The rebel Alphans have an amazing moment at the end of the issue, and the ethical struggle of the non-mutant half of the team is also remarkably compelling.
Marvel Comics
Balancing their role as Canadian protectors with their duties to the government has always been a central tenant of Alpha Flight, and this book definitely gets it right. A lesser book might have had Guardian completely skirt his role as a double agent, but this series doesn’t give away the gambit just yet. The audience may know about his treachery, but Department H doesn’t get to know just yet.
The mystery of Nemesis gets more attention as well. In just two issues, it has already become a prevailing question that feels every bit as compelling as the book hopes for it to be. With every word that leaves her lips, one can imagine a horde of fans frantically putting together theories. That, alone, is exciting. She may not appear often, but every appearance adds a little more to her lore.
Marvel Comics
Despite how much fun the issue is, there are still points that need to be corrected. While there has been significant attention on the non-mutant team, the rebels need more space. Though they often work together as a team, they haven’t yet actually talked to one another. They appear, quip with the non-mutants or with mutants at Krakoa North, but they never take the time to talk to each other.
This was a team mostly established in other books, and they feel out of place here. The non-mutants have had several long talks about their questions and choices, but the mutants have nothing. Until Alpha Flight actually gives them some time together, it will just feel like a black hole in the center of this book. Always needing to be addressed. Thankfully, it seems that next issue could offer them the chance to actually be a team.
Alpha Flight #2 is a brilliant return to a complicated narrative. Its focus on the marginalized mutants helps to set it apart from the rest of the line, but its themes tie it directly to the Fall of X. Even with limited space, every character gets a moment to shine. With conflicts continuing to build, this book is standing out as one of the best that the X-Men books have to offer.
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