Ace Comics was founded in 1981 by owner and managing director Martin Averre, with the flagship Colchester store being opened in 1982. Since then, Ace has expanded to six shops around the UK and become the third biggest direct market chain in Great Britain, while still retaining its independent spirit.

The pre-order service was set up in 1984 and has consistently provided customers from England to as far afield as Thailand with great, flexible service and competitive prices on comics and graphic novels. Thanks to our great working relationship with Diamond Distribution we can order in almost any comic still in print.

Ace has been trading on eBay since 2004, and continues to provide cheap comics and fast dispatch with daily updates, over 25,000 positive feedback ratings and a huge range of stock.

In 2010 Ace began working in conjunction with Economic Comics to provide a new online subscription service. Economic Comics is the only UK site that lets customers manage their subscriptions and pull list online, as well as offering a whole host of other great features that make it as easy as possible to use.

Martin Averre has become a well-known name in the comics industry, having previously been one of the organisers of the prestigious Eagle Awards, publisher and contributor for After-Image magazine, writer for Comics International, and helped re-launch the Comic Book Price Guide in 1989. He is still based in the Colchester store, where he oversees all aspects of the business.