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Dec 1

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 28

Posted on Monday, December 1, 2025 by Al in Podcast

Paul and I hit a major milestone this episode, as we reach the end of the first run of the original Thunderbolts team, and cover issues 72-75. There’s fighting, arguments, and weird things exploding, and that’s just the behind the scenes escapades of Bill Jemas. Will all the TBolts survive? Will they all get off Counter-Earth? Will they all make it to the next volume of the book? Find out the answers to two of these questions right here, true believer!

Next up, it’s the Homies, so look out for a post on that in the next few days. And then… sigh… it’s Fightbolts.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think in the comments, via email, or on Bluesky!

Oct 20

House to Astonish Episode 215

Posted on Monday, October 20, 2025 by Al in Podcast

With NYCC in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look back at some of the news coming out of the show, like the revamped Vertigo slate, Swamp Thing Is Killing The Children, DC K.O.’s unexpected crossovers, Marvel’s two upcoming symbiote-centric sagas, Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s Crowbound, the first wave of post-Age of Revelation X-books, the impending Spider/Super crossover and a smattering of other little newsy nuggets. There’s also reviews of Endeavour and DC K.O., and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is a government man through and through. All this plus Warwick Davis’s bin rota, Jim Davidson’s Garfield and an unavoidable detour into “in a world…” voice.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, or via email.

Sep 8

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 27

Posted on Monday, September 8, 2025 by Al in Podcast

Paul and I continue to bop back and forth to Counter-Earth this episode, as we look at Thunderbolts (1997) #69-71. There’s plotline resolutions, a parade of fill-in artists and the least elite team of Elite Agents of SHIELD you could ever hope to encounter, plus Boobforce powers, the Curse of Taz and Café La Plume De Ma Tante.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky or via email!

Aug 18

House to Astonish Episode 214

Posted on Monday, August 18, 2025 by Al in Podcast

A small but perfectly formed episode for you this time round, with news about Die: Loaded, the new Infernal Hulk and Doctor Strange, DC’s upcoming Batman/Static: Beyond and the announcements of the murderers’ row of creators working on Batman/Deadpool. We’ve also got reviews of Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum and Uncle Scrooge: Earth’s Mightiest Duck and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is a bit of both. All this plus the Thing’s ’92 Subaru, Green Lantern’s trick or treating habits and the Wuzzels revival.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, via email, and if you want something from our Redbubble store I would get in there quick because it’s going away soon, to be replaced by something hopefully better.

Jul 22

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 26

Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 by Al in Podcast

We’re on the home stretch of TBolts Volume 1, as we look at Thunderbolts #65-68. There’s a whole new squad of ‘bolts, a brand new costume for Moonstone and a fresh new minty taste (that’ll be the Verdant Green). Plus! The logistics of Hydro-Man’s stogie! The Continuity Sugababes! and the unfortunate wording of early 2000s soft drink ads!

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, via email or on Bluesky, and if you want one of our lovely shirts then we recommend getting it now while we reconsider what we’re doing with the Redbubble shop.

Jun 9

House to Astonish Episode 213

Posted on Monday, June 9, 2025 by Al in Podcast

Two weeks in between episodes? What is this, 2014? Whatever it is, it’s me and Paul talking about Peter David, Marvel and DC’s upcoming Deadpool and Batman crossovers, David Marquez’s The UnChosen, Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum and Punisher: Red Band. We’ve also got reviews of Imperial and Be Not Afraid, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook hunts alone (in a group of five). All this plus Skrull bin collections, Bruce Banner’s canonically accurate coat and the Space RNLI.

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think in the comments, on Bluesky, or via email, and don’t forget to treat yourself to one of our frankly lush t-shirts, right now, while you remember.

May 26

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 25

Posted on Monday, May 26, 2025 by Al in Podcast

An odd little selection of issues this time round, as Paul and I look at Thunderbolts issues 63 and 64, and Thunderbolts: From The Marvel Vault. Want to know what Zemo’s sulky face looks like? Want to know what Nomad sings to himself to when he’s wandering the highways? Want to know how many gratuitous instances of nudity one issue can contain? Well then this might just be the episode for you!

The episode is here, or available via the player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Bluesky, or via email, and don’t let us stop you from buying one of our lovely t-shirts, you know we would never want to hold you back from making the greatest sartorial choice of your or anyone’s life!

Apr 14

House to Astonish Episode 212

Posted on Monday, April 14, 2025 by Al in Podcast

It’s not the biggest of weeks for comics news, but we have our fun regardless, as Paul and I talk you through the new UK comics industry trade body, the end of Immortal Thor, Werewolf By Night: Blood Moon Rise, the upcoming The Shredder series, Archie’s crossovers with Minor Threats and Jay & Silent Bob and Hellboy and the BPRD: Professor Harvey is Gone. We’ve also got reviews of Amazing Spider-Man and Fire and Ice: When Hell Freezes Over and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is batting 100. All this plus Mr Darkevil Godman, a really good wheel and a bag of pre-blitzed wolf.

The podcast is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think in the comments, on Bluesky, or via email, and while you’re here at the computer anyway, why not navigate over to our Redbubble store and snaffle yourself a lovely t-shirt? Look, I’ve put a link in there for you and everything.

Mar 3

House to Astonish Presents: The Lightning Round Episode 24

Posted on Monday, March 3, 2025 by Al in Podcast

We’re back in re-reading mode this time round, and we’re taking a look at Thunderbolts issues 60-62, as Marvel’s Most Wanted put the T in both TBolts and Teleported To counTer-earTh. What will our heroes do when confronted by the planet of doomed NPCs? What is the dark secret of Fixer’s terrible Tamagotchi? And how do power-dampening manacles work when your power is “big teeth”? All this and definitely some more, Thunderbuddies!

(We should have called this podcast Thunderstudies, shouldn’t we? Ah well.)

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, via email, or over on Bluesky. And if you want a House to Astonish t-shirt that will make you look cool and keep you warm, then that’s a helluva coincidence, because we’ve got you sorted.

Jan 21

House to Astonish Episode 211

Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 by Al in Podcast

And so this is January, and what have you done? Another year over, a new one begun about three weeks ago. It’s not the most topical of year in review shows, but we have once more brought you our pick of 2024 in the world of comics, as we name the books that turned our heads over the past 12 months, with bonus contributions from you, the good people of the comments section, in what we could only call… The Homies (largely because that’s what we’ve been calling it for the past decade and a bit)

The episode is here, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, either in the comments, on Bluesky, via email or on our Facebook fan page. And why not buy one of our lovely t-shirts? No but, like, why not? Be more constructive with your feedback, please.