A new novel is about to be released on Alpha Flight, a super team that is often overlooked. Daryl Lawrence, who delves into the complexities of one of Canada’s most beloved superhero teams, brings true North thinking to life as a stimulating and completely informative voice. A complete reference guide and analysis of the first volume of Alpha Flight.
In his book covering 130 regular issues, two years, and numerous related issues, Lawrence offers a comprehensive study of the characters, themes, and cultural significance that have shaped the unique location of Alpha Flight in the Marvel Universe.
This interview explores the motivations behind his analysis, the challenges of analyzing a team with such a rich history, and the insights that readers hope to gain from his work. This novel can be pre-ordered at Barnes & Noble.
Courtesy Daryl Lawrence
Unearthed Alpha Flight: True North Origins
aipt: Daryl, what inspired you to write this book?
Daryl Lawrence: The inspiration came from a session I did in the creepy experience of 2024. It was all about the heroes and villains of Alpha Flight in the first volume. The response I received from participants in the experience was surprising. It seemed like everyone was asking questions about Alpha Flight. Logically, I began writing to myself, “Well, I know the answers to those questions, and I can give these people what to mention!” weeks after an experience, I sat down in a short box of Alpha Flights and started writing.
AIPT: What important lessons did you learn from Alpha Flight Comic Books you want to highlight?
DL: Drama makes the book work! The best issues and arcs deal with the characters and how they motivate them to do what they do. When Alpha Flight returns to the “one big battle” of the whole issue, the magic is lost. Luckily, most of the first volume leans heavily towards interactions with different characters, both heroes and villains. What should be kept in mind is that Alpha Flight began with the rise of prime-time soaps such as Dallas and the Dynasty, and culture at the time was eating (and, in my opinion, still starving).
When you’re talking about a storyline, acceptance of others is an important aspect of the series. The characters in the volume differ greatly from each other, and in some cases they change dramatically during the run. These changes are rarely mentioned negatively by other characters. A classic example I love is not when Sasquatch returns like Walter Langkowski, but Wanda Langkowski. The way people interact with Wanda (such as Aurora, finding themselves uninterested in romantic relationships with women) has been changed, but there is no judgment at all.
Courtesy Daryl Lawrence
Behind the page: Research, structure, and expression
AIPT: When it comes to recording comic book series, what tools are used to collect data and organize it into book format?
DL: The first thing I had to solidify was the scope. I was originally going to write about all 5 volumes of Alpha Flight, but I realized that it might be too much – and I was very right! After watching issue 130 of the first volume for two years, I knew there was enough material to write. But what happened in the main story wasn’t everything the team encountered. So my revised scope was everything that came to the first volume and ended with No. 130. This caused about 30 more issues, from the X-Men to Machine Man and Power Pack.
From an organizational perspective, the book is roughly organized in a timeline within the universe. This means that these extra stories (published at different times) appear alongside the issues that make most sense along with the main series issues. A good example is a matter written by Simon Ferman, published in 1994, which took place during the Dark Phoenix Saga. When it happens in the Marvel Universe, it appears before the first issue of the main series.
Another thing I drew was previous scholarships and interviews to help give some issues, stories and characters context. This included delving into traditional published interviews from the 1980s, but also interviews that have since been published digitally. We also utilized Alpha Flight and academic articles covering some of the book’s themes. This has helped enrich the reader’s experience. We also conduct our own original interviews with members of various creative teams to close the book and make it all Alpha Flight resources.
AIPT: When did you first decide to become a writer?
DL: I always told myself I wasn’t a writer – I was a reader. But that changed during the pandemic. I was researching family history and came across something really fascinating about two of my ancestors. I researched it, and it quickly sat in the box for several years – until the world was closed. “Well, I don’t have the time I have now,” I thought to myself. The book came out almost three years ago, the unusually normal life of two Midwest women, always on the go.
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you need a strong editor who knows your voice and can work with you to create a better book. Laura Grevas, the editor of the book, has actually returned as the editor of True North. The advantage that Laura has brought to the table, especially for this project, is that she has never read the comics and has never heard of Alpha Flight. She was able to ask really good questions that would help me explain things better. In other words, True North is accessible to both longtime fans of the series and all-new people.
AIPT: What is one of your favorite letters you read from the text pages of the comic?
DL: I have a problem 39 from Brian Nelson in Los Angeles, California. His entire letter is actually worth reading, but the statement that sticks out to me is “Acknowledge that Northstar is gay.” The problem is… The editorial staff chose to execute this letter in 1986. North Star didn’t actually appear in the comics until issue 106. Northstar was always written as gay, as you can read in the book. By printing this letter, it was an editor who came as close as he could to admit the facts as he could.
aipt: When providing alpha analysis, what do you want your readers to take away from your words?
DL: We included an analysis of each problem to draw my own conclusions and reflect on the problems and their impact. This section of each issue’s explanation is where you can dig into the information presented outside the storyline. It means that interviews, secondary sources, etc., it’s really a stepping stone to think critically about the issue and reflect on how it feels. The whole book is that it is a framework and reference book. It’s a place where people can start or land during their Alpha Flight journey, but not where they stop.
What is your hope for the continuation of the Alpha Flight story in the current comics?
What a coincidence question, mentioning that in this month’s X-Men issue, I am referring to my desire to see more Alpha Flights, as I have actually printed the letter! Ed Brisson did an incredible job in 2023 with the fifth volume of the book. This was limited to five issues. There is still a need for resolution from that series, and the needle is moving more than ever. I think some of the characters have been beautifully written over the past few years. For example, Leah Williams’ work with Aurora is a masterclass on how to leave a truly sticky point of character continuity and give that character a fresh start. The team is back together and those characters are not playing with the current book – I want to see where they go from here.
Courtesy Daryl Lawrence
AIPT: Have you ever thought about writing Alpha Flight for Marvel Comics?
DL: I’ll do that! Give us an unlimited series where you can start building character-driven stories and embody the world they live in. Ah, Marvel, it’s a low stake – you have my email address. Let’s chat.
AIPT: What horizon do you expect from you as a writer?
DL: There’s a book about Stevie Nicks’ album and songs that will be coming out later this year! I previously wrote a similar book about Linda Ronstadt, and it was a lot of fun. What is the difference between this? It’s completely within my creative control and for now, 90% is already complete. In summary, the book and True North produced it (total) that took about a year to produce, so I enjoy it a little bit away from writing hundreds of pages in one subject. Do you have any ideas for the future? i will do it! However, these ideas will involve a lot of research (can you say you like that aspect of the writing process?).
