RSS Feed
Mar 11

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 19

Posted on Monday, March 11, 2024 by Al in Podcast

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.

Jan 30

House to Astonish Episode 206

Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 by Al in Podcast

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.

Dec 14

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 18

Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2023 by Al in Podcast

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!

Dec 13

The Homies Awards 2023

Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 by Al in Podcast

It’s December, and that can only mean one thing – it’s time for endless Hallmark Christmas movies!

But if it could mean two things, and we’re not saying it could, but just imagine… it would also mean it was time for the 2023 Homies awards!

As always, we want to hear from you about what floated your boat this year. But this time round, there’s a twist – rather than give you a long list of categories, we’re concentrating on the comics we read that really did it for us. We simply want you to tell us:

What was the best comic you read all year, and why?

It could be a new release, it could be a relaunch, it could be another great year for a reliable ongoing. It could be a majestic miniseries or a great graphic novel, an incredible indie or a brilliant Big Two book. We’ll be reading them out on the show, so let us know what you dug and what about it made it so special for you.

Annnnnd… GO!

Nov 4

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 17

Posted on Saturday, November 4, 2023 by Al in Podcast

The Thunderbolts are on a collision course with Scourge (and issue 50), but right now they’ve got to deal with Moonstone’s identity crisis, the Battle of Techno’s Ear and the arrival of Genis-Vell, as we look at issues 45-47 from the turn of the millennium. Plus Cybergoth Santa, the Titanian Smurfs and the concept of Pink Pavements crossovers.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on BlueSky or Twitter, via email or on our Facebook fan page, and there’s always our Redbubble store if you feel underdressed and are happy to wait a couple of weeks for that to be remedied.

Oct 16

House to Astonish Episode 205

Posted on Monday, October 16, 2023 by Al in Podcast

Paul and I have a whirlwind recap of news from NYCC for your enjoyment this time round, as we look at the “faux-simile” Batman 428; John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America; the Superman Superstars initiative; the formation of Ghost Machine; Avengers: Twilight; the Blood Hunt crossover; the creative teams of the new Ultimate line; and the end of the Krakoan era, as well as taking the time to remember Keith Giffen. We’ve got reviews of Batman: City of Madness and Midlife (How to Hero at Fifty), and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is standing tall on the wings of its dream.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Twitter or Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page, and if you haven’t got yourself a lovely HtA t-shirt for use in keeping yourself warm/cool (delete as applicable dependent on hemisphere) then there’s no time like the present, so give yourself a present.

 

Sep 12

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 16

Posted on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 by Al in Podcast

It’s crossover time, and Marvel’s Most Wanted are going to learn to play nice with other comics whether they want to or not. The Nefaria Protocols play out across Thunderbolts #s 43 and 44 and Avengers #s 33 and 34, and nothing will ever be the same again! Except almost everything actually will, but look, at least we get the perils of invisible furniture, regional Inhumans and Christopher Robin’s arch-enemy.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter (let’s be serious now) or Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page, and if you’re not wearing one of our amazingly cool t-shirts while you’re listening then I’m afraid you’re technically in breach of the uniform code but it’s okay, we’ll cover for you with the brass while you get one.

Aug 21

House to Astonish Episode 204

Posted on Monday, August 21, 2023 by Al in Podcast

What’s that coming over the hill, is it a podcast, is it a podcast? Yes, it is, and it’s also a music reference to a song that came out in 2006, so that’s some added value for you there at no additional cost. This time round, Paul and I are wishing Jeff Smith well in his recovery from cardiac arrest, and have chat for you about Tom Brevoot’s intra-Marvel move, the upcoming Sentry, Speed Force and Spider-Man: Reign 2 series, and the strange case of the possibly disappearing IDW Originals line. We’ve also got reviews of Uncanny Avengers and The Cull, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is a motley selection. All this plus the length of a day on Mars, a bit of unexpected format-breaking and a dog with its head stuck in a basketball.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments below, on Twitter (we are still calling it Twitter), Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page, and look, if you’ve been holding off getting a House to Astonish t-shirt, you might want to do it now, not saying they’re going to be taken off Redbubble soon or anything, but you never know (they are not going to be taken off Redbubble soon but you should definitely get one anyway).

 

Aug 3

House to Astonish Presents: The Lighting Round Episode 15

Posted on Thursday, August 3, 2023 by Al in Podcast

The mystery of Scourge deepens while Atlas gets drunk, and we look at Thunderbolts issues 40-42 (with a brief detour into Avengers 32 for good measure) and the T-Bolts begin the twisty, turny climb towards issue 50. It’s all go around here!

The podcast is here, or available via the player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Twi… *sigh*, X, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And a shirt? Might we interest you? Very chic!

 

Jun 28

House to Astonish Episode 203

Posted on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 by Al in Podcast

We’re back (back! Back!) with more comics chat, remembering John Romita Sr and Ian McGinty, talking about #ComicsBrokeMe, Image moving distribution to Lunar, Marvel and DC’s upcoming launches and Ram V and Felipe Andrade’s Rare Flavours. We’re also reviewing Void Rivals and Ultimate Invasion, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is the O.G. All this plus Monty Python’s flying robots, passive drowning and a guest appearance by Roger McGough.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Twitter, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And t-shirts? Well, now you come to ask about it, I’m sure we have some of them over at our Redbubble store, let me just check