Another episode, another convention to bring you all the news from! This time round, Paul and I are talking about the return of Vertigo (with a detour into the state of Marvel’s Red Band), the launch of the Marvel Premiere Collection, Hush 2, Absolute Flash, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern, Rise of Emperor Doom, IDW’s new logo and IDW Dark line, Andy Khouri becoming TMNT editor, and a multitude of Godzilla series. We’ve also got reviews of Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu and Batman & Robin Year One, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe introduces The Picture of Dorian Hay. All this plus the continuity links between Pride and Prejudice and Pilgrim’s Progress, Jack Kirby as a hologram AI NFT, and Adventures Of Weird You Know That Sort Of Thing.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And T-shirts? Do we have T-shirts for you! Sorry, I mean, do we have T-shirts for you? I think yes, we do.

It’s time to chew over a big beatdown bonanza as we look at the climactic clash between the Tbolts and Graviton in Thunderbolts issues 56-58, and take the time to say goodbye to Marvel’s breakout character of 1998. Then it’s time for something completely different, as one of the least fondly remembered gimmicks of the Bill Jemas era rears its very quiet head in issue 59.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And have you seen those new clothes the Emperor is wearing? They’re absolutely rubbish compared to a House to Astonish t-shirt.

There’s a bunch of news out of San Diego Comic Con, and you can hear what we think about it all here! And now! If you like! We’re chatting about Black Canary: Best of the Best, The Question: All Along The Watchtower, Batgirl, New Gods, JSA, Hellverine, West Coast Avengers, Laura Kinney: The Wolverine, Psylocke and Lower Decks, plus the announcement of Amazing Comics. We’ve also got reviews of S.I.R. and Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is the ultimate helicopter parent. All this plus Batman’s least deranged friends, Tony Hawks singing a Marvel comic and a different sort of arsehole.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And wait… what year is this? 2024, you say? My God… then it’s not too late… for you to get yourself a great House to Astonish t-shirt over at our Redbubble store!

Who is Humus Sapien? If you don’t know, we can help you with that! We’re covering issues 53-55 of Thunderbolts vol. 1, as Charcoal’s dad makes his dazzling debut and we meet the winner of the 1973 F.O.O.M. Magazine Create A Marvel Character contest! There’s people dying of asterisks and a krill-filled moustache! Comics!

The episode is here, or available via the player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments below, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And you can get a very handsome House to Astonish t-shirt over here, in this other bit of the internet.

It’s been a few weeks, but we’re back, and we’ve got a full basket of comics news which we’re dispensing left, right and centre. This time round, we’re remembering Don Perlin and Peter B. Gillis, looking at Jeff Lemire’s Minor Arcana, the finales of Jupiter’s Legacy and Marvel’s Star Wars, and the new Blade: Red Band mini, chatting through the ends of Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr’s run on Amazing Spider-Man and Joshua Williamson’s runs on Green Arrow and Batman and Robin, and drawing your attention to the Wicked & the Divine‘s covers collection Kickstarter. We’ve also got reviews of Destro and Self-Help, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe belongs in a museum. All this plus Blade: Special Vampires Unit, an alien goth and Spider-Man’s 1980s toy restoration hobby.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And if you don’t have a House to Astonish t-shirt by now, then God, Jed, I don’t even wanna know you.

And now for something… slightly different. This time round, we’re stepping beyond the bounds of the regular Thunderbolts title to look at the 2001 miniseries Citizen V and the V-Battalion, with chat about two-fisted journalist Jim Daring, HR disasters and the horniest comics in Marvel history.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments below, via email, on Bluesky or on our Facebook fan page, and if you haven’t got a House to Astonish t-shirt, why not treat yourself? You deserve it.

We’re back (back! Back!) with remembrances of Trina Robbins and Mark “Doc” Bright, a whiz through the first six post-Krakoa X-books and a mini-explainer of Misty and the new Gail Simone-run iteration thereof. We’ve also got reviews of Action Comics and Uncanny Valley and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe All this plus a utility cry-shoulder, A Different Murderworld and Wolverine’s favourite herd of elephants.

The show is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And do you deserve one of our lovely t-shirts? Yes, yes you do.

It’s a brave new world for the Thunderbolts, as they try to readjust to civilian life… or, in the case of some, to adjust to being bossed around by Captain America as part of the Redeemers. We say hello to new regular penciler Patrick Zircher, as well as to the continuity transplants from the Heroes Reborn universe, as they look at issues 51 and 52 of Thunderbolts, as well as the Thunderbolts: Life Sentences oneshot. Join us as we explore the questions of who is the 19th best telepath in the Marvel Universe, where can you find the most racist electrical goods store in America, and how badly a 1990s comics character can lacerate himself with his own costume.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And do you know what John Cena could have done with at the Oscars last night? That’s right. A swell t-shirt. Or at least, I’m guessing he could have, I didn’t actually see him.

Merry Chri… er… Happy New Y… um… Happy February? Welcome to the joint 15th anniversary and end of year wrap-up episode of House to Astonish, as Paul and I chat through the news of the past few weeks, including Blood Hunt‘s polybagged “Red Band” editions, Jason Aaron taking on the relaunched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the 40th anniversary of Usagi Yojimbo and Criminal coming to Amazon Prime. On top of that, we have the 2023 Homies awards, where we (and you) give our picks of the best things we read last year, and the complete audio of the SILENCE! To Astonish panel from November 2023’s Thought Bubble festival. All this plus Alan Sugar action figures, being turned evil by a bop on the head with a bowling ball, and every comic character who is legally not Captain Marvel. There’s almost too much here! Don’t eat it all at once!

The episode is available here, or through the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments below, on Bluesky or (I guess) Twitter, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And look, if you don’t already know how good you would look in a House to Astonish t-shirt, I don’t know how much more I can emphasise that fact.

It’s anniversary time, as we mark the 15th turn round the sun of House to Astonish by briefly mourning the original episode we recorded for the occasion and lost in a computer disaster, before moving on to another anniversary in the form of issue 50 (and 48 and 49) of Thunderbolts, from 2001. It’s the end of the Scourge story, the return of Jolt, and time to bid a fond farewell to Mark Bagley. It’s all go! Come and join us, why don’t you?

The episode is here. or available via the player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page, and don’t forget – it’s likely nobody has bought you a House to Astonish t-shirt for Christmas, so you have all the more reason to buy one for yourself. And don’t forget to let us know what the best comic you read all year was in the 2023 Homies awards, just one post below this one!