Upcoming: Episode 80: Rust Book-It and Royden Lepp Interview!

September 12th (two weeks from this Thursday) will be episode #80 of the Ancillary Characters podcast. To celebrate we're going to be doing a book-it episode of Rust volumes 1&2. Following that episode will be a special interview with series creator, Royden Lepp!

Episode 80 will record after our interview (unless something catastrophic occurs in which case we'll notify listeners through social media) on our YouTube page. The interview will air as it's own, special episode and may or may not broadcast live. We'll be recording the interview at 7pm EST.

At any rate, if you have questions or comments for Royden send them to letters@ancillarycharacters.com or tweet them to us with the hashtag #ACRust (a crust) and we'll read them on air! If you haven't already done so, head over here and here to buy volumes 1 & 2 or find them on Comixology right here!

Paul's Picks! - R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned (Dark Horse Comics)

Hey guys, Paul here. Over the past few months, there has been a surge of increased activity for the guys over here at AC, and we couldn't be more excited about it. To name a few: we've recently shattered all of our records concerning downloads of the Ancillary Characters Podcast (thanks to you guys)! We've welcomed a new member into the fold here at ancillarycharacters.com in the form of our good friend Dan, or as you might know him, @penooch on Twitter. (Check out his new column "Brand New Feature," it's a fantastic read.) And finally, we've recently been welcomed by a handful of publishers to review advanced copies of books that they are publishing, from Action Lab Comics to Dark Horse, and we couldn't be more humbled or excited for these exciting opportunities. Things are really taking off for the Ancillary Characters, and we owe it all to you guys. Thanks.

And in honor of these new opportunities, I'm bringing you another one of Paul's Picks, in the form of an advanced review of...

R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned (Dark Horse Comics) with writing by Jeremy Barlow and Peter Lenkov, art by Tony Parker, and colors by Michelle Madsen.

R.I.P.D. is based on two protagonists, Roy Pulsipher and Nick Walker. The two men served as law enforcement while they lived, and after death they were enlisted into the Rest In Peace Department. The R.I.P.D. is a police organization of dead men, sent around the world to protect the living and bring the rogue dead to justice. In this particular trade paperback, the reader is given the origin of Roy, who will be played by Jeff Bridges in the upcoming film based on the R.I.P.D. property. In fact, this was a large part of my own motivation for reading this book. If you've seen the trailer for movie, also starring Ryan Reynolds as Nick, then this book is a great place to get a taste of what you might expect.

Paul's Picks! - Superior Spider-Man #9 (or the Dan Slott Roller Coaster Ride)

Superior Spider-Man. It's been just a few short months since the polarizing events of Amazing Spider-Man #700 landed, and to say that we here at the Ancillary Characters had mixed feelings is an understatement. (Check out our 2012-In-Review Episodes from the Ancillary Characters Podcast, Episode 44 and 45, to hear us hash that one out in full!) However, as we've revealed numerous times over the past few months, Mr. Slott managed to pull us in (myself specifically) through his great storytelling. After a couple of issues, I found myself enjoying the story so much that my concerns and reservations about a Doc Ock Spider-Man were overshadowed by the über-high-quality art and writing that the team was delivering bi-weekly.

Then came...

Superior Spider-Man #9 by Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman, with Edgar Delgado on colors and Chris Eliopoulos on letters.

***There are absolutely going to be spoilers for not only this issue, but previous issues of Superior Spider-Man. If you're trade waiting or you just haven't hit the shop yet, TURN BACK NOW (and come back later).***

The Five Failures of DC Comics

 Lately I've been diving back into the deep, murky waters of DC continuity... circa the early-to-mid-2000's. You know, Morrison's Batman, Johns' Justice Society, Teen Titans and Flash, the various Crisis', Meltzer's Green Arrow and, of course, 52. Much of what I've been reading is shockingly good. Even weighed against the superhero books that are on the shelves today. Much of it is, arguably, not terribly well drawn but then back in those heady days DC didn't exactly seem to be crowded with unique artistic voices.

In reading all of this old stuff though I've had to reevaluate how I see the New 52. DC's bold experiment was something that I stood behind from the beginning. Sometimes vehemently, as when I argued with fellow podcaster Austin Wilson (Hideous Energy) on Twitter so angrily that his co-host actually called my cell to make sure I wasn't genuinely furious. I wasn't and I ended up going on the show to further argue my point with them.

Paul's Picks - Princeless Vol. 1 (by Action Lab Comics)

Welcome back to Paul's Picks! By way of a rapid introduction, This is the column where I (Paul) would typically review my favorite book from this week's releases. However, since I am currently living an hour from my nearest comic shop, I don't usually get to my books the week-of anymore. So instead of a weekly pick, I will be bringing all of the readers a glowing review of a recent title that should be read by all! Starting with...

Princeless, Book One: Save Yourself

- written by Jeremy Whitley with art and colors by M. Goodwin,

and letters by Jung-Ha Kim and Dave Dwonch.

The guys at AC delved into this title from the publisher Action Lab Comics for our All Ages Bonanza (specifically Part One, which can be found here online or here in iTunes). The story begins with a Disney-esque opening, with a queen telling a typical bedtime story to her young princess, Adrienne. This bedtime story is the age-old tale of the Princess, trapped in the top of the tallest tower, where only the bravest and strongest of princes can save her by slaying the dragon that holds her captive. As one might expect, this wasn't simply a bedtime story: it was an explanation for how Adrienne's life is going to be by decree of the king. But as the reader will quickly discover, the princess mold was broken with our protagonist. The first line that she delivers comes off of the tail of the fairytale, "That story was complete hogwash."

G.I. JOE #1 & #2 / G.I. JOE: Special Missions #1

G.I. Joe has been launched, and relaunched more times than any other title in the history of comics. This is a fact.

Interestingly enough we're getting the third relaunch under the watchful eye of publisher IDW. This time out Fred Van Lente and artist Steve Kurth are at the helm. While Kurth is a relative unknown, Van Lente is one of the more prominent writers to take a stab at a JOE title since Max Brooks wrote the Hearts & Minds miniseries. The series launched last month to a fairly substantial amount of fanfare and relatively solid reviews. 

Our story picks up where the previous JOE incarnation ended. With JOE's previously-secret identity now made public by Cobra, the government decides to bring the "highly trained special missions force" into the modern era. They do this by essentially turning them into a "highly trained, special PR campaign", which pleases none of the veterans, particularly team leader Duke. 

Meanwhile a town called Warrenton, Ohio (obviously our villains have a thing for Ohio as they've previously gained ground in Springfield, Ohio as well) has been overtaken by the "ruthless criminal organization" known as Cobra. General Colton dispatches Duke and his hand picked team of soldiers to the town in an effort to stop Cobra's first real showing on American soil in quite some time. The team is comprised mostly of recognizable JOE characters with the exception of a legacy character and, unfortunately, a new one called Hashtag. The team hits the streets of Warrenton where they're quickly attacked by the locals with everything from rocket launchers to machine guns and from there the action escalates.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

You can now hear our interview with Lucy right here...

What is Relish? Not the condiment eaten on a Chicago-styled hot dog (although that does sound delicious) but rather the latest book by Lucy Knisley. Is it an auto-bio graphic novel or an illustrated cook book? Is it a travelogue or a cooking memoir? In truth, it's all these things. Relish opens with an adorably drawn panel of Lucy as a baby, clothed in a diaper, seated on the family's kitchen counter grasping a wheel of cheese. It ends in a panel of equal adorableness with Lucy as an adult, eating carrots in her own kitchen with a smile etched on her face as she tells us to face life with "Relish".

In between these panels we get a tome chock full of anecdotes, short stories and, yes, recipes that have helped shape Lucy's life.

For any follower of hers it's always a treat when a new Lucy Knisley book hits the shelves. Whether it's the short and sweet comic strips of Radiator Days or the enticing recounting of her trip abroad in the similarly food-themed French Milk, her work never disappoints and consistently shows growth into not just an wonderful cartoonist but into an equally capable writer. Perhaps the growth can be attributed to the independent nature of her work. She is, after all, responsible for the creative content of Relish, from the words to the pictures and unlike some artists who illustrate their own writing, she has a wonderful eye for what to show and what to tell.

Paul's Picks!... Is Back! - November 2, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...


Hello friends! Wow, it has been WAY too long since I found my way on here to share my weekly thoughts with you all... Life has been coming at me pretty hard with Student Teaching on the horizon. But no more excuses, I'm here today to bring you my pick of the week, and boy is it a doozy!

In a week of very few monthly comics and a stack full of annuals, I had all but given my pick of the week to TMNT #15 (Shocker, right? You can read more about it on this week's show, download it here.). And to be honest, that issue was certainly fantastic, and I would gladly recommend it to anyone, as it is still one of the most consistently great books on the market. With that being said, at the last minute my Pick of the Week was taken by a sleeper, so to say. It's a book that  I have been thoroughly enjoying, but that has never gone above "good" to achieve the greatness that I expect out of my Pick. And that book is...

Aquaman #13 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis

Water Cooler #3: Comic Book Blabbery

Every week we're posting our live recordings to http://youtube.com/ancillarycharacters

Along with our regular episodes we're posting these post-show discussions.

Paul's Picks! - September 19, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

Hey guys! Sorry about the delay on this weeks Pick, I'm in the heat of classes, so I'm afraid there may be a few weeks throughout the semester when my column may slip back a day or two... But don't worry, I'll be certain to get a pick up every week, barring any excessive hindrances.

Throwing out my usual blurb leading into my pick of the week, lets just get right into comics, shall we? My absolute pick of the week (as spoiled by this weeks episode of the podcast) is...

Paul's Picks! - September 12, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

Hello friends and fans! It's that time again, the day of the week that all comic-lovers so highly adore and anticipate, New Comics Day. And with that day comes the other part of Wednesday (or typically Thursday) that you all know and love: the newest edition of Paul's Picks! (Yes, yes, I know that's a bit presumptuous, but a guy's gotta keep his spirits up, right?)

September has been a bit of an iconic month for readers over the last year or so, especially in regards to DC comics. It was one year ago that the Big Heads decided to reboot the entire lineup, and thus the New 52 was born. One year later, they are releasing a month of Zero issues, which are intended to not only create a great jumping-on point for new readers, but also to answer some of the questions that long-time readers may have about the continuity in the DC universe.

As such, my own pull list was heavy laden with "0" issues, and so the one that rose to the top as my pick of the week is:

Batman and Robin by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

The interwebs have been all aflame with buzz about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman series, which has certainly been deserved. With that being said, one of the unsung heroes of this relaunch has certainly been the high quality of the Batman and Robin series by Tomasi and Gleason. From the very first arc, introducing a new and compelling villain named "Nobody," they made it very clear that they have something special planned for the book. The interaction between the Wayne father and son is something that you can't really get anywhere else. The dynamic is played out to a point that it makes you wonder why it's not happening more in other Bat books.

The Ancillary Characters Podcast Give-Away!

Hey guys! If you've already listened to Episode 27 of the show, then you know all about this week's Give Away. If you haven't, then click on the link over on the right and go over to iTunes for a download.

Here are the details:
  The first two people to print off the flyers posted below and post them somewhere in a public place will win ANY Digital Trade or Collection of issues of their choice from Comixology (up to $10). All you have to do is:
1. Print these flyers off (in decent quality) and either post one on a billboard, etc. or make a small stack and put them in a shop where people can pick them up and go (this is preferred). We suggest specifically heading over to you local comic shop, or perhaps somewhere like a Starbucks or other local coffee shops. Yes, we realize this is kinda stereotyping.
2. Once you've done this, TAKE A PICTURE. This is your proof! Once you have the photo, you can either tweet it to us (@AncillaryTweets, link on the sidebar) or email it to us at ancillarycharacters@gmail.com.

The first two people to complete and accomplish this will be rewarded accordingly. Remember, any digital book, up to $10 is yours in exchange for the advertising!

Here are the two versions of the flyer, pick the one you prefer (or both). Click on them for a larger version.

Here's the Black version:

Aaaaand here's the white:

Alright! Good luck to you all, and if these photos quirk out on you, email us at the address above, and I can provide you with a PDF.

Paul's Picks! - August 23, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

Ah, Wednesday. That day that we comic fans look forward to all week long. Why is that? Why, it's New Comic Book Day of course. It's the day we take a break from our regularly scheduled lives and swing down to the LCS, or perhaps just browse the digital offerings and indulge on our tablets, laptops, or smart phones. No matter what your preferred method of reading, it all means the same thing: new comics. It's one of the joys of life, a chance to step outside of the mundane and escape to a fiction world where anything is possible. Yep. All that jazz.

With a thick stack of books from my local comic shop (Great Escape Comics, check it out if you're in Bowling Green, KY), there were a fair few of contenders for my Pick of the Week. Flash upped the ante this week with the Rogues. Batman: TDK continues to be great (and utterly terrifying). And, of course, the 50th Anniversary of Spider-Man brings us the origin of the Wall Crawler's new sidekick, Alpha. But remember, as in AvX (and Highlander), "there can only be one"...

Ancillary Characters' Podcast - Episode 26: Putting on a Podcasting Clinic

Here it is, Episode 26: Putting on a Podcasting Clinic!



Let us know what you think, tweet us @AncillaryTweets, @jollygreen05 (Paul), @SethBreedslove, or @kallenboone.

Paul's Picks! - August 15, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

New Comics Day came, and I'm back to share with all of you my thoughts about the one book that arose victorious as Paul's Pick! This was one of the tougher weeks I've had in a while, as there were more than 3 books that were easily deserving of a "Pick." But don't worry, I'm here to make all of the tough decisions that must be made. All the books can't win, just one book (ok, so maybe I've split it in the past, but you get the point). And so, in a very interesting turn of events, my Pick of the Week goes to...

Green Lantern #12 by Geoff Johns and Renato Guedes

Paul's Picks - August 8, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

Another week, another huge stack of comics (and files of digital comics) to read. I couldn't wait to get my pulls from the LCS this week, but once I nabbed my stack, I realized that many of my books are in a strange place right now. I wouldn't say we're in a dull moment, I mean AvX is rapidly approaching its climactic end, and many series are in the middle of an arc (some more enthralling than others), but I found myself a bit disinterested in some of the titles I've been reading over the last couple of weeks. A keen example would be New Avengers by BMB. It's a good title, and it has contained some of the best tie-ins from the event so far, but when I flipped over to it on my iPad, I was a bit nonplussed. It wasn't a bad book, I guess it's just that I'm feeling the longevity of this event in the tie-ins more than anything else. The one book that I immediately lifted to the top of the pile was Scott Snyder's Batman #12, but I'm sad to say it just didn't blow me away. I think I was pulled in by all of the Twitter hype singing its praises, so once I had it behind me I was a bit let down (although the guest art by Becky Cloonan was top notch).

But never fear! There were two books that totally rocked my world this week, but as in Highlander (and the Phoenix Five), "there can be only one." And so, without further whining/yapping/introducing, my pick this week goes to...

Tales from the Long Box: Grant Morrison's Batman Retrospective #1

Every week Seth goes into his back issue bins, picks out a single issue, story arc, or creative run, pours through it and then writes about it. He calls it Tales from the Long Box. Though old and now either retconned out of existence or made irrelevant by the latest event, these books still share something in common... they're bagged, boarded, and a part of comics history.

Grant Morrison's Batman Retrospective

Issue one: Batman & Son

Let me start off by saying that over the last four or five years Grant Morrison has become my favorite superhero writer. He did this mostly through the strength of his work on the various Batman titles he's written. It could also be credited to the fact that I've taken in the bulk of his non-Batman superhero work in the last few years rather than spread out over the few decades that he's been writing comics. Basically I gorged myself on his entire back catalog of DC and Marvel fare. He has something to say and often he says it in the most intensely experimental way possible; other times it's surprisingly straight forward.

Tales from the Long Box: Is Marvel Winning the Comic Book Wars?

Every week Seth goes into his back issue bins, picks out a single issue, story arc, or creative run, pours through it and then writes about it. He calls it Tales from the Long Box. Though old and now either retconned out of existence or made irrelevant by the latest event, these books still share something in common... they're bagged, boarded, and a part of comics history.

Is Marvel Winning the Comic Book Wars?

On the most recent episode of our podcast (out now) we were sent an e-mail by faithful listener Michael/@Ctcher asking us if we believed, like him, that Marvel is currently the better company. He mentioned the depth of Marvel's character roster as well as their stable of creative talent. Paul and I got into it a little bit on the show but I felt I had more to say on the subject. So here is me saying more on the subject.

For my part, the importance is always placed on the creators. Sure I love Batman but plenty of bad writers have written awful Batman stories. This was a lesson I learned when I first started reading comics regularly. It all comes down to the creators. When you look at the big guns at Marvel, names like Hickman, Bendis, Fraction, Brubaker, Aaron, Loeb (regardless of how you feel about his work, he's still a big draw for many people), Zeb Wells, Waid... I could go on. At DC you have Johns, Morrison, Lemire, Snyder... I guess you could toss Gail Simone in there but she's only writing one title currently. This isn't to say there aren't more solid writers at either company; there are. But these are the guys who will sell a comic based on name recognition alone.

Paul's Picks - July 11, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

Wow. I have to start off by saying, I'm sorry. That is, I'm sorry to all of you faithful readers who have come back to my column on multiple occasions to read my weekly pick, only to find that there has been complete silence on my end over the last month or so. And while Seth and I owe much thanks to Mr. Allen Boone for keeping the blog going with his always-entertaining "Weekly Roundup," there is a Pick-shaped hole in the content we've been providing you on the blog. I'm in the craziest part of summer, and responsibilities from the real world have kept me tied up to the extent that I haven't been able to make time for Paul's Picks...

But never fear, the drought has ended! While we Ancillary Characters have certainly been keeping everyone up to date with our weekly podcast, – which KILLED IT in downloads last month! Thanks everyone – we will hopefully be bringing you a consistent, quality output of comic-related goodies going forward. I'm back with a vengeance, and I'm here to deliver a pick alongside a review for the one book that has made the biggest impression on me so far this summer, if not since the beginning of the year. And that title is...

Paul's Picks! - June 7, 2012

Well, it's that time again folks: Wednesday! And you know what Wednesday is?... Well, of course you do, you're reading a blog about comics, so you obviously know it's New Comics Day, a.k.a. Paul's favorite weekly holiday! And now for his much-anticipated pick-of-the-week...

Alright, alright, you got me; I totally skipped out on you all last week. All joking aside, I completely forgot that I hadn't written it until around Friday, and by then I felt like there was almost no point in going on to write it. In a week with very few issues coming out to read anyhow (those darn 5th weeks get me every time), there wasn't a whole lot to choose from in the first place. However, you're just dying to know which book tickled my fancy last Wednesday, go check out our most recent episode of the AC Podcast, where you can find not only my pick, but also Seth's and Ethan's. Fun times are sure to follow.

Now that we got that awkward moment behind us, let's move on to what you're really here for: Paul's Pick from Wednesday, June 7th. The first week of the month has become one of those that always contain some A list titles, such as Action Comics and Swamp Thing, not to mention the recent addition of some new books like Earth 2. And yet, while I had my share of topnotch series to choose from this week, I found myself somewhat underwhelmed by many of these titles. Don't get me wrong, there were some good books, but no single comic jumped out as the winner of the week. I hated the thought of just picking one, as it kind of demeans what "Paul's Picks!" is all about. Therefore, I've decided to give you all another "special edition" of the column, where I will stray from my usual choice of a single title that reigns victorious by instead picking out my favorite aspects of several books. So instead of a "pick of the week," I'm gonna give my pick of the best aspects from a handful of books. Sound good? Ok, let's get to it then...

ALERT! There are probably going to be some spoilers present, so if you haven't read the book I'm discussing, skip that segment, or you just might regret it!