Why Not?! Read Alpha Flight with Chris & Tom

In this episode we finally catch up with everyone’s favorite fish lady from Newfoundland, MARRINA! And, really, we do. Not messing with you. Which also means we have to spend time with no one’s favorite Atlantean…Namor. He brought some friends with, though, in the form of the 1986 Avengers! It’s a team-up! In this episode, Chris: does a pretty good Namor wants more realistic sea floor battles, whi...

Episode 29: “What Color Is Your Sasquatch?” Welcome to Episode 29, in which we wrap up Snowbird’s magical mystery pregnancy, encounter a real-life tale of Arctic exploration gone wrong (redundant, really, that “gone wrong”) made mystical(?!), and run into Talisman again. And, y’know what? Chris may have had a point about her. But maybe don’t mention that to him such that it goes to his head. Very...

Welcome to Why Not?! Episode 28: “The Doug…Undone!” It’s a surprise-entirely-unnatural-pregnancy episode, everyone’s favorite scifi/fantasy trope! And The Doug Thompson handles it…poorly. Little less of the Puck/Bochs self-loathing (though not none of that nonsense), but the issues covered this episode represent a real corner being turned as we put the…rocky start to Mantlo’s time behind us. Overl...

Welcome to Why Not?! Episode 27: “Big Throuble in Westchester County” We’ll be at The Uncanny Experience in July, giving a talk on the history of Department H, which sounds boring, but it’s us, so we’ll find a way to spice it up (I mean, a full-scale assault on civil rights tends to make for spicy conversation)! But in today’s episode, we cover the last(?) two especially rough issues in the Mantlo...

Welcome to Why Not?! Episode 26: “Tall Tale” Do you ever feel like you’re just talking to yourself most of the time? Just Tom? Because he spends swaths of this episode doing voices? Ok. Just Tom. It’s time for that episode folks. THAT episode. Wherein we learn how Puck came to be…Puck…according to Bill Mantlo. But! We make the most of it. We think. In this episode, Chris: brings back an oldie, but...

Welcome to Why Not?! Episode 25: “Pucking Around and Finding Out” Well we’re back from C2E2 and boy howdy was that a good time. Great meeting folks and finding out just how many folks can recognize Puck in the wild (and were incredibly excited to see the costume!). We’re back in your ears today with a deep dive on issue 31 and the return of Deadly Ernest. In this episode, Chris: does an incredible...

What the title says! We'll be at C2E2 Friday, April 11, 2025 and Saturday, April 12, 2025, just hanging out and taking it all in. And we'll be in costume. Alphan costumes. So if you're nearby and have the time, you should come. Not just because of us. But mostly because of us. And if you're not nearby, you can engage vicariously through our socials. Tom never thought he'd...

Welcome to Why Not?! Episode 24: “Elbows Up” …and we’re off! We spend this episode solely discussing Issue #30, which will be our approach for the next few issues as we get used to what Mantlo is bringing to the table. And, boy howdy, is this already a VERY different book than what came before. Oh, and there’s a special treat as our pals over at “ Unpacking the Power of Power Pack ” sent us a note...

Welcome to Why Not?! Episode 23: “Bills, Bills, Bills” Here we go! The Mantlo era has begun! Only one issue today as we get our feet under us a bit. And what with all the sturm und drang we (Chris) injected in anticipation of this run…it might not be terrible? Or, more accurately, parts will be rough and other parts will be great and we’re going to call a clean game. And we make time to have a ver...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 22: “Au Revoir, Jean-Byrne” Well, folks, this is it: the end of the line for our good buddy and creator of Alpha Flight , John Byrne. Issue 28 is his last on the title, as he moves on to The Incredible Hulk and, very soon, Superman . It’s been quite the ride and we take some time at the end of this episode to  sum up our thoughts on his now completed run. But before a...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 21: “Beautiful Oblivion, or the Episode with Entirely Too Many Dicks In It” A lot of returning characters in this episode’s issues, though not precisely in the way one might expect. Which suggests a really clever reveal, but it’s honestly kinda…meh? Oh, and way more Eve 6 references than one might expect, all things considered. In this episode, Chris: makes one of the...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 20: “SASQUATCH FIGHT!!!” This is a big one. Another Alphan bites it and boy does it make Tom happy (and then very, very angry). A lot of laughs in this one as we very much lose the wrong team member. Oh, and a conversation about Malört. That stuff is just everywhere now. In this episode, Chris: gets to really stretch ye olde voice work chords adds “SASQUATCH FIGHT!!!”...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 19: “THE GIFT!” A bit of a diversion this week as we discuss a two-issue special, “The X-Men and Alpha Flight”. Which has happened before, but this time, Loki’s involved. And no one is trying to steal Wolverine. Mostly. This series was published well after certain…other events took place in the main Alpha Flight series (and in the X-Men for that matter) and is penned...

Today’s episode gives a sampler of what’s behind the Patreon wall (kinda like the Source Wall, but that’s a DC reference and Chris might not like it…). The holidays ran rough-shod over our recording/production schedule, so we’ll have more of that Alpha Flight sweetness you crave in a couple weeks’ time. But for today… Welcome to the Why Not?! Have A Drink Thanksgiving special. That's right, t...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 18: “Holiday Spectacular” It’s the holiday season and in that spirit we’ve got a festive episode! We take a delightful romp through a decades old Marvel Handbook, discuss the ONLY  Alpha Flight issue that takes place at Christmas, and unveil some outtakes that simply did not make it into the show…until now! We keep it pretty light this episode and hope you can enjoy t...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 17: “I’ve Seen That Movie” Bit of a mishmash, this episode: an Aurora/Northstar adventure (really hope those kids work things out!), a Shaman guest appearance in Iron Man of all things, and a bit of Canadian political history (by a bit, we mean a lot). We also briefly touch on music and how comic book writers like to put real-world bands/songs/titles into their work (...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 16: “Langkowski Island” Yeah, we recorded this the week of the US election and, honestly, this was a bright spot during a crap time! Hoping it offers that to y’all, too! And we’re launching a Patreon! First bit of extra content hits this Thursday with a Have a Drink episode about Tom’s favorite movie: Highlander . Click here to sign up and, if you’d be so kind, do tel...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 15: “Prom Night Theme: Alphalutin’ Flight” In which we do SO MUCH voicework. And journey back 100 years to Calgary’s past and close the loop on Lucas Stang and Ranaq, the Great Devourer. Get more questions than answers on Elizabeth Twoyoungmen’s powers (normal). Spend an inordinate amount of time talking language.  In this episode, Chris: is shocked at how much time i...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 14: “Friday, Marrina Is Depressed” We’re doing something different this episode as we venture away from Alpha Flight proper and address Marrina’s appearance in Power Pack . To help us understand what it is we’re reading, we’re joined by Jeff and Rick of The Unpacking the Power of Power Pack Podcast . In this issue of Power Pack , Marrina teams up with the Power Pack t...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 13: “...Worth Two Twoyoungmen in the Bush” In which almost everyone has a heart-to-heart except for maybe the people that really should (Shaman and his daughter; Aurora and Northstar). We also manage to hang out in 4-5 cities across Canada, so, you know, normal-AF. In this episode, Chris: suggests #waltwasright and isn’t totally wrong …until #waltisanass becomes the b...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 12: “See No Crystar, Speak No Spider-Man, Hear No Marrina” SIDE QUESTS! This episode we dig into two issues that present more…ephemera(?!) in Alpha Flight ’s history. And while the second issue discussed is just plain bizarre, the first one featuring everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood superhero is an absolute delight. Oh, and we added more sound effects. In thi...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 11: “Runaway Fiance” In which Marrina (and some other AWOL characters) waltz back into our lives…and waltz right back out. And Walt doesn't waltz at all. Hell, he isn’t even in any of these issues…or is he?! In this episode, Chris: makes a compelling case for the soap opera nature of AF and how distinct that makes it from other superhero comics clearly wishes AF...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 10: “Have It Your Way” We discuss the immediate aftermath of Issue 12 and its series-altering, explosive finale. From there we move onto something much worse and far more scarring: ROM the Space Knight! In this episode, Chris: waxes poetic about Larry Hama’s run creating THE LORE for G.I. Joe as part of a licensing deal with Marvel wants some poutine from JoJo’s gives...

Welcome to Why Not?!, Episode 9: “...and then there were…” Well, it’s the big one. The capstone to the first arc of Alpha Flight and the comics by which most folks know AF . We take you through the comics and, well, kind of let them do their thing. And make some…allusions to contemporary political figures. In this episode, Chris: notes (via Fark) the attention to detail Byrne pays to women’s fashi...

Welcome to Why Not?! Episode 8: “Is SASLD Walter Langkowski Actually Boring?!?!” It’s a short one this week folks! (Don’t worry we’ll make up for it with…however long Episode 9 will be (very long).) We cover a two-issue solo adventure for Sasquatch (which probably should’ve been a single issue…at most), Snowbird’s origin, and Sasquatch’s origin! A lot of Walt and yet hardly much at all to say abou...