The Last Angel Ace Story



It may come as a shock to some of my readers and longtime Angel fans, but yes, this is the theme, if not the actual title, of the next Angel Ace issue and the next comic book/graphic novel I will be producing. Given how long it may take to conceptualize, write, draw and fund a big project (take a look at K.I.A.), expect this to appear sometime next year.

Angel Ace was my first real comic- my first original character that I actually flew with (pun intended) and the one that earned me readers who await each issue and installment with unfailing fervor. Would that there were more of them.

The truth is, each comic I release is a big undertaking, and financially exhausting. It is my passion, and I will definitely continue to work and create comics indefinitely, but I have to say that a continuing, sustained title like Angel Ace is far too difficult to carry out in the way that it should. That is, having to put out many, many episodes or issues, side stories and what not and slowly build up to the epic endgame and the Mother of All Confrontations waiting at the end. I see the road from Angel Ace Next, the latest issue, to the Finale taking oh, at least 12 or so issues.

Even if I were to put out an issue of Angel Ace twice a year (which I cannot), it would take six years. A more realistic run of an issue a year would see us finally having Angel’s final destiny coming after 12 years of waiting.

Now, while as much as I’d love to see myself still doing indie comics 12 years from now, I think that this is just not going to happen.

And so, I would like to say that I am going to give the finale a little bit earlier.

Yes, it will be a bit rushing it since after the first story arc, we only had a interlude issue before the endgame issue… but then, I guess it is fitting that Angel Ace Next is indeed a bit of a rest issue. It all comes with the one that’s coming after.

But, longtime readers, do not fret. This is not just any issue. To say it now, I will be handling this project all by my lonesome. I'll be drawing it myself, every panel and cover. This thing has to be done by myself and myself alone.

The Last Angel Ace Story will be big. It will have a mammoth page count, perhaps even more than K.I.A.. It will be a self-contained book, so new readers can actually pick it up and read it and have a complete story. For longtime fans, it will flash back to all the previous releases, fill in the gaps between the issues, and have sufficient build-up to the inevitable reveal of THE BIG PLOT and the final battle between Angela Gale and her nemesis, Mondebaine Gallowglass.

It will reveal stuff like- who IS Angel really, where did she come from, why she has her powers, who GMI and Baine really are, the link between them and the SIVA and the details of Angel’s life before the first book (Lone Wolf and Cherub), the first story arc and the last book to the finale. We’re filling in all the holes.

And awaiting the end is a big resolve- the Big Bad taking their plans to fruition, and the heroes taking up their guts for their stand. There will be action, there will be big explosions and fighting, Kai gets back at Seta and we’ll finally see Baine do evil stuff.

And someone very important will die. (and no, villains don't count, and no, it won't be Kai with her regeneration powers).

At the end of all this, I hope that the point of Angel’s existence will finally be revealed and her destiny fulfilled.

It was not an easy decision to make, but I think the readers and the characters have been waiting far too long. This story has to be told, and it will. After this, I can walk away from Angel and be happy in the knowledge that I did not leave her life incomplete (compressed, maybe, but at least not untold).

But will it be truly the last time we see Angel? We’ll just have to see.

Next year. Promise.