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).***

Paul's Picks! - February 1, 2013

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 there friends! It's been a while, hasn't it? Alas, due to my recent relocation for my student teaching assignment, I've been forced into a comic shop dead zone. As this is the case, I am currently having to have my pulls shipped to me from my regular shop back in Bowling Green, KY, the Great Escape Records and Comics. They have been gracious enough to take on the task of shipping me my books so that I can continue buying print comics (I'll never give in, digital overlords!), but the downside is that I often have to wait weeks at a time for my massive stacks of pulls. As such, the entire premise of "Paul's Picks" has become tainted and strictly limited to the ancillary purchase that I make via Comixology. However, since this week managed to land on a shipping week, I was able to read a good stack of books, including this week's!

And man, what a week it is! As I'm sitting down to write this article, I am torn practically in two on which book best deserves my pick. I'll tell you right outside the gate, DC Comics took the cake. If you've been tuning in (as you should be) to the AC Podcast, then you'll be well aware of all the Marvel love we've been spreading around lately, myself included. But for all of the good stuff coming out of the NOW! relaunch, there is no question in my mind that DC brought their "A" game this week with two titles that may or may not be in your sights: Aquaman #16 and Batman Incorporated #7. As a matter of fact, I loved both of these books so much, I don't think I can make Sophie's choice. In other words, I'ma go with both.

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