It’s the last day of 2015, so an end-of year wrap-up seems appropriate. It’s the Homies awards, as is normal for us at this time of year, and we’re awarding all sorts of gongs and other glittering prizes to the comics, creators and stories that most impressed us this year, including totting up the results of our listener vote. Hark! as we lay a potentially surprising amount of praise at DC’s door. Herald! as we try to work out what exactly is Gwenpool. Sing! as we let our central conceit slide with remarkable frequency. There’s no news, reviews or Official Handbook this time round, but we’ve got mince pies and hot chocolate, so you never know who might come carolling. All this plus a human Jaffa Cake, Halley’s clockwork comet, Jeff Lemire’s Blue Tooth and Monty Python’s Secret Wars.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, 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. Remember, Christmas may be over, but that just means summer’s on its way, so you should stock up on fab t-shirts like the ones available at our Redbubble store.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with us this year. Onwards to 2016!

(If you want to check out our previous awards shows, they’re here and here, and they’re various degrees of fun.)

It’s that time of the year again, where comics blogs and podcasts do their obligatory look-back best-ofs, and that means it’s time for the House to Astonish Homies Awards!

This year, we’re doing something slightly different. We’re ditching the “worst” categories, because really, we’d rather spend the time we have bigging stuff up than moaning about stuff we didn’t enjoy. So there are more new categories, each with the usual rigmarole attached – we want YOU to help, so you all name your picks in the comments, and Paul and I each choose our own, and we talk a bit about each of the three on our awards show.

We’re recording on 30th December, so you have until 8pm UK time (3pm Eastern, noon Pacific) on December 29 to make your choice. When you list your picks, don’t just name names either, because we’ll be reading out the best comments on the show, so let us know your thinking!

BEST NEW SERIES

This one’s pretty self-explanatory – any comic whose first issue was published between 1 January 2015 and the date of recording (30th December) is eligible. What new series got your attention the most this year?

BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES

This one’s a little less self-explanatory – what series, again first published between 1 January and date of broadcast, did you think was best, with the proviso that it has to be something where the property wasn’t in existence prior to the start of 2012. We’re counting re-use of titles as well as concepts, so Squirrel Girl, Jem and the Holograms and Omega Men wouldn’t be eligible, but (for example) Southern Bastards or Island would.

BEST CONTINUING SERIES

The counterpart to the categories above, which covers books whose first issue was published in 2014 or before. They’ve been around the block, but they’ve still got what it takes.

BEST MINI, ONE-SHOT OR OGN

These are explaining themselves by this point, right? We’re looking for OGNs, one-shots and minis published in 2015 (or partially in 2015, in the case of minis).

FAVOURITE WRITER

FAVOURITE ARTIST

FAVOURITE COLOURIST

Each of these three is pretty self-explanatory – whose name on the cover or credits box of a book makes you want to pick it up? Whose work do you most look forward to seeing?

MOST WANTED

This is for the comic, series or graphic novel that saw print this year which you’d want to see more of, whether that be a book that was cancelled before its time, a one-shot or mini that just begs for a follow-up, or an OGN that you’d love to see a sequel to.

MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE

It may have seemed unappealing when you read about it online, and those preview pages may have looked unremarkable, but when you finally got the winner of this category in your hands you were ready to eat your words. What comic, series or graphic novel did you find yourself enjoying much more than you thought you would?

STIFF DRINK AWARD

This award will go to the comic or graphic novel that most made us gasp with surprise – an unexpected plot twist, a daring cliffhanger or a shocking denouement will stand a book in good stead here.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

This is exactly what it says – which creator, creative team, publisher or other contributor to the world of comics really knocked it out of the park this year?

Let us have your picks in the comments thread below, along with your thinking on each one – we’ll read out a range of the responses on our big end-of-year show. Happy nominating!

We’re back from Battlepod, with a whole bunch of comics and comics-y chat for you. We’re looking at Paul Dini and Eduardo Risso’s Batman OGN, Marvel’s Apocalypse Wars crossover (with assorted Secret Wars dissection waffle), the Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War trailers and Telltale Games’s upcoming Batman release. We’ve also got reviews of Mystery Girl and Robin War, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is wicked and divine. All this plus Dawn of Justice and her mates, Sobchak’s Syndrome and the Kickstarter video for the future of humanity.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, 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 don’t forget, the holidays are coming, so wrap up warm in one of our lovely shirts.

Plenty of juicy comics chat for you this time round, with discussion of Fox’s two new X-Men TV shows, the upcoming Power Man & Iron Fist series, AfterShock Comics’ announcement of American Monster, DC’s new Wonder Woman digital series, and all the recent comings and goings on Marvel’s movies and TV shows. We’ve also got reviews of I Hate Fairyland and Uncanny Avengers, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe hasn’t worked out all the bugs. All this plus Marc Alessi’s crossword solving service, the canon of the Gruffalo extended universe and the weird soapy taste of the Inhumans.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, or via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, via email, on Twitter or on our Facebook fan page. There’s also top-flight tops available at our fabulous Redbubble store.

We’ve got a few other bits of promotion to do, but I think I’ll split those out into another post. No point burying the lede.

A slightly chunkier episode than usual for you this time round, with just over 90 minutes of chat about Batman Day, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze’s Black Panther, DC’s recent cancellations (and un-cancellations), Marvel’s news out of the Diamond summit (including Moon Knight, Mockingbird and Silver Surfer, along with the Master of Kung Fu omnibus news); the return of Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore’s Leaving Megalopolis, and the Gambit movie’s woes. We’ve also got a jaunt through December’s solicitations, reviews of Wild’s End: The Enemy Within and Exit Generation, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is the little engine that couldn’t. All this plus the comic with the most distinguished regnal numbering, a ferret in a hat in a hat, and Tom DeFalco’s massive Scooby-Doo sandwich.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, either in the comments, on Twitter, via email or at our Facebook fan page. And hey, the nights are starting to draw in – why not keep yourself warm with a t-shirt from our always-open Redbubble store?

Something of a scattershot selection of news for you this time out, with discussion of Secret Wars being extended to nine issues; the Scarlet Witch artist announcement; Mads Mikkelsen’s negotiations to bring villainy to the Doctor Strange movie; the newly-announced Guardians of Infinity series; casting news for the Flash and Agents of SHIELD shows; and Superman’s career as a watch thief. We’ve also got reviews of Last Days of Ant-Man and Over the Garden Wall, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is a sustainable source of amusement. All this plus photographs of gravel, the World Arson Championships and a tiny vole wearing a full tuxedo.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Twitter, via email or at our Facebook fan page. And don’t forget that you can get our super-chic t-shirts at our Redbubble store – it’s still summer, you know.

The world turns, a new day dawns, and there’s a new episode of House to Astonish for you. We’re talking about Channing Tatum’s trials and tribulations signing on the line for the Gambit film, Bluewater’s ill-advised name change, Chris Pine joining the Wonder Woman movie, Marvel’s newly-announced titles and the upcoming Civil War box set. We’ve also got reviews of Power Up and Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe faces an awful inevitability. All this plus Spider-Man 209099, the Kennedy Nasal Variation Test and Spider-Man’s Face-Sense.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, either in the comments below, on Twitter, via email or on our Facebook fan page. You can also pick up one of our shirts at our Redbubble store – fashions so sharp you’ll have to watch you don’t cut yourself.

Paul and I are back after a slightly unusually long break, with a massive run-through of the All-New All-Different Marvel books, the announcements out of Image Expo, DC’s Convergence tie-in launches, Vertigo’s new slate, IDW’s surprising licensed launches and the return of Tokypop. We’ve also got reviews of Archie, The Spire and Dungeon Fun, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is lovely jubbly. All this plus Little Nico in Slumberland, Belfast’s most bangin’ DJ and the gentle caress of a brick to the face.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments below, on Twitter, via email or on our Facebook fan page. Don’t forget that you can also deck yourself out in one of our natty t-shirts by visiting our Redbubble store and, like, buying one. They’re all the rage in Paris, I expect.

A busy little week of news for you, with chat about the Wicked and the Divine heading to TV, Tilda Swinton potentially joining the cast of Doctor Strange, the Lumberjanes movie landing at Fox, Stephen Amell’s dalliance with WWE, Mark Paniccia’s step up to X-Men senior group editor, the post-Secret Wars Marvel teasers, Brian Bendis and David Marquez’s Invincible Iron Man and DC’s half-page ads. We’ve also got reviews of The Covenant, Bizarro and Airboy, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is what it eats. All this plus Gary Oldman Logan, Rage Twix and Fear Twix, and Formula One’s legendary piranha pit crews.

The podcast is here, or here on Mixcloud, or available via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think in the comments below, on Twitter, via email, or on our Facebook fan page. Don’t forget that if you want to look amazing and help keep us in Jaffa Cakes, our wonderfully affordable shirts are available at our Redbubble store.