Reading Room: SPACE ACE "Death in Deep Space"

The final chapter in the short, but exciting, life of Space Ace 2.5!

Art by Al Williamson, the Fleagle Gang, and a special guest-star!

Can you guess who?

Only 50,000 credits?

Last time it was 1,000,000,000.

Space Ace must be slipping!

A hearty Atomic Kommie Comics™ "well done" to all those who spotted the legendary Wally Wood's distinctive style in a number of panels of this tale from Jet #4 (1951)!

It's a spectacular send-off for the character, written by Gardner Fox, penciled by Al Williamson and inked by Williamson, the Fleagle Gang, and Wally Wood.

Space Ace would reappear in a one-shot that reprinted the first Space Ace's tales from Manhunt in 1954.

The two Lawrence Woromay-illustrated tales were reprinted when Super/IW Comics reprinted the complete contents of Jet #1 & #2 in Jet Power #1 & #2 in 1958.
This story has been reprinted in several fanzines and prozines, but never in color.

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Reading Room: SPACE ACE "Nothing Weapon"

Buckle up for EXCITEMENT in the far-flung reaches of space, gang...

...the second Space Ace is back, and he's looking good!

Al Williamson assumes the penciling duties, showing off his superb design and anatomy skills.

The inking is by Williamson plus the legendary Fleagle Gang (Frank Frazetta, Angelo Torres, Roy Krenkel, George Woodbridge).

If that weren't enough, the script is by Gardner Fox, taking the concepts of "Space Ace 2.0" and making them a superb example of classic space opera.

It's hard to believe this story from Jet #3 (1951) hasn't been reprinted in one of the numerous compilations of Golden Age material that have popped up in the past few years.

BONUS: the original art for page one...

Is that magnificent, or what? ;-)

Thursday, the (choke) final Space Ace tale.

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Reading Room: SPACE ACE "Invisible Death"

The second sci-fi character to use the name Space Ace returns...

...in a tale of greed and avarice on both sides of the conflict!

"..a full pardon for any...er..crimes I may have committed here and there!"

Helluva hero, that Space Ace!

The extremely-Wayne Boring-style art in this tale from Jet #2 (1951) is by little-known artist Lawrence Woromay, whose comics career spanned the 1950s and 1960s and various genres including sci-fi, war and horror.

Tomorrow, Space Ace 2.5!
New writer!
New artist! (actually, artists, and wait until you see who!)
New attitude!
But, same character!

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Reading Room: SPACE ACE "Desert Devils"

We jump forward three years in real time and centuries in fictional time...

..to bring you the totally-different, all-new (at the time) Space Ace!

Compare this with the previous version of Space Ace, and you'll really see the differences!

And people bitch about Marvel and DC's now-constant rebooting of their characters!

It's been going on since comics began, just not on such a large scale!

After the last Space Ace strip in Manhunt #7 (1947), the name was revived for a new strip appearing in a new sci-fi themed title...Jet #1 (1950), with few elements (like the Mars colony setting) retained, but moved several centuries further into the future, and with a new, freelance crimefighter instead of a policeman with sidekick.

And, you'll note the almost-medieval clothing and armor most of the colonists now wear and buildings that look like stone castles, as opposed to the high-tech garb and structures in the previous tale!

They also decided to  play up the fact that humans would be almost super-human under Mars' lower gravity, resulting in some very Superman-esqe panels!

Speaking of Superman, the extremely-Wayne Boring-style art is by little-known artist Lawrence Woromay, whose comics career spanned the 1950s and 1960s and various genres including sci-fi, war and horror.

But this version of Space Ace wouldn't even last as long as his predecessor!

His next (and last) appearance will be presented Monday.

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