On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... twelve lightnings striking!

It's time for the latest episode of Al and Paul's reread podcast covering Marvel's most wanted, the Thunderbolts, and they're looking at issues 31-33 of the original run of the book. This is the end of series cocreator Kurt Busiek's run as writer, so there's a little tear in everyone's eye as they revisit Arnim Zola From Work, the Marvel Universe's most deadly drug and Citizen V's emoji mask.

To quote the Bard, it's been a long road, getting from there to here, but Paul and Al have made it to episode 200 of House to Astonish, and they're indulging in their traditional vices of cake and fizz, and talking about Vault Comics' Headshell line, Titan's new Conan series, Joe Kelly and Kim Niimura's Immortal Sergeant, and Ty Templeton's cancer-free all-clear. They're also reviewing a bunch of comics on a theme, as they look at Batman #200, House of Mystery #200, Amazing Spider-Man #200, and, er, Deadpool #58? And as always, the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is ringing in the new. (As this episode was recorded on Sunday evening, the news hadn't yet broken of the incredibly sad loss of Kevin O'Neill, an absolute giant of British comics, but there will be more to say about him on a future episode.)

The Thunderbolts are back, and Graviton is making heavy weather of things for them. Can Archangel tip the scales in the heroes' favour? Can you imagine how embarrassed he would be if he didn't? We're looking at issues 27-30 of Thunderbolts (1997) this time out, and there's a guy with too many baguettes, some highly unfortunate kerning, and a high society scandal in the world of military robotics to deal with.

Al and Paul are back, and they're remembering George Pérez, Neal Adams, Tim Sale, Kazuki Takahashi and Pat McCallum, as well as talking about Oni-Lion Forge and Comixology's recent personnel shifts, the upcoming Tim Drake: Robin series from DC, Marvel's newest Spider-Man ongoing, the return (again) of Miracleman, the just-announced Wakanda miniseries and Ryan North and Erica Henderson's Danger and Other Unknown Risks, and reviewing Starhenge and Batman. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been - lives in a dream.

Lightning keeps striking! Good lord! It's just bizarre by this point! Paul and Al are back to look at Thunderbolts issues 22, 0 and 23 (in that order) and Avengers 12 (not in that order). Thrill to Hawkeye losing his AirBnB deposit! Be wowed by Vision's capacity for complaining! Wonder aloud at whether Hercules and Atlas had a fling! It's all go here!

Paul and Al are back, with more news and reviews and the usual nonsense. They've got chat about Archie Comics' NFT shenanigans, IDW's Originals line, DC's Pride special's lineup, the new Batman and Detective Comics creative teams, Superman: The Space Age, X-Terminators, All-Out Avengers, the relaunch of Shang-Chi and Grant Morrison's debut novel Luda, as well as reviews of The Wrong Earth: Fame and Fortune and Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country. Does the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe love you, now that you can dance?

Lightning strikes eight times! It's really very dangerous to be out here! Get to shelter!

Paul and Al are back to talk about Thunderbolts #21 and Captain America/Citizen V '98, with all the extraneous cover blurbs, world-class pauldrons and embarrassing Pritt-Stick accidents that entails.

Al and Paul have a full slate of comics news, remembering Ian Kennedy and Tom Veitch, and discussing the Hero Initiative's JLA/Avengers reprint, DC's upcoming Black Label titles, Marvel's Wild Cards and Thunderbolts revivals, IDW's Last Bot Standing and the Amazon/ComiXology disaster, and they've got reviews of Iron Fist and Nightwing to boot. If the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe falls in the forest, will anyone tidy up the mess?

It's time for another adventure with the Marvel Universe's most neurotic super... er... heroes? Villains? Something along one of those lines, or possibly both. Anyway! We're looking at issues 17-20 of Thunderbolts vol. 1, and we've got Graviton, Charcoal, and the addition of a crucial element of the Tbolts mythos. Plus: a pug in a hoodie! Some French! An old lady from Elgin! It's all go around here.

It's time for Paul and Al's annual look-back at the comics and creators of 2021, as they give out the gongs in the Homies awards. Will your favourites go home with a glittering prize? Only one way to find out!

Then it's time for a trip back to Harrogate in November 2021, for the recording of the SILENCE! To Astonish panel from Thought Bubble, featuring Rachael Stott, Becky Cloonan, Al Ewing and Hannah Berry. What larks!