Back in the early 1980’s, when I first started reading and collecting comic books, there were a number of publishers outside of the big two, marvel Comics and DC Comics, that vied for my 10-year-old attention.
Sure, Batman and The New Teen Titans and Star Trek and Spider-Man and Daredevil were always going to be in my (or anyone else’s) pull list, but these smaller upstart companies were releasing pretty enticing books every week…and it was stuff that the majors didn’t want or weren’t able to touch.
First Comics had Jim Starlin’s Dreadstar, an all-time favourite of mine, along with Michael Moorcock’s Elric, Corum and Hawkmoon adaptations, Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg, Mike Grell’s Jon Sable: Freelance and Mike Baron’s and Steve Rude’s Nexus, to name a few.
Comico, meanwhile was publishing Mat Wagner’s Grendel, Bill Willingham’s Elementals and Star Blazers, Robotech and Doug Wildely’s Jonny Quest – there of my favourite cartoons, both then and now!
And there was also Eclipse Comics, regularly publishing Steve Englehart’s Coyote, Alan Moore’s rendition of Miracleman, Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty’s Ms. Tree, Scott McCloud’s Zot! and the continuing adventures of Airboy under Chuck Dixon, Tim Truman, Ron Randall and Stan Woch.
These were all big-name creators who ended up having genre-defying, generational turns on big superhero titles. They are more well-known now, certainly, than during the early to mid-1980’s.
One comic book title that enticed me, but escaped me at the time was Aztec Ace, also published by Eclipse. Oh, I had a few issues and loved the crazy time-travelling, pop culture dropping storylines, but in those days it was harder to continue with a series that wasn’t available at your local convenience store. Today, finally, remedies that problem with the Dark Horse Comics release of the Aztec Ace: The Complete Collection HC.
Written by the award-winning and now legendary Doug Moench (Batman, Detective Comics, Moon Knight, Master of Kung-Fu, Six From Sirius, many others!) and illustrated by a host of well-known talents, all legends in their own right, including Michael Hernandez, Dan Day, Nestor Redondo, Tom Yates and so many more, Aztec Ace is finally in the hands of you and I, complete and full and absolutely wonderful!
Aztec Ace is a story ahead of it’s time, one that echoes in the works of so many comic book writers that have followed over the intervening decades: Caza (Ace) is a time-travelling detective from the 23rd century, but makes his headquarters in past heart of the Aztec Empire, righting wrongs across the centuries along with his pupil Bridged Chronopolis and his navigator, Head, as they save their dimension from time paradoxes created by Caza’s archenemy, the nefarious and deadly Nine-Crocodile.
Today, Dark Horse Comics handsomely collects all fifteen issues of the mid 80’s sci-fi noir series, along with a new forward by Moench and celebratory art pin-ups by acclaimed artists such as Bill Sienkiewics, Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, Kelley Jones, Paul Gulacy, Paul Pope, Michael Wm Kaluta and many others!
Ful of amazing, intricately woven pop culture references within a compelling story, if you didn’t read Aztec Ace in the 1980’s, it’s a must-read in the 2020’s!
Make the run to your local comic book shop or bookstore today and join in on the time-travelling mayhem and sci-fi comic book delight that is Aztec Ace: The Complete Collection HC.
You can catch a sneak preview of the glorious Aztec Ace: The Complete Collection HC right here.
