House to Astonish

It's the end of the year, and it's time for Al and Paul's festive 2012 wrap-up show - they're broadcasting live from this year's Homies awards, where a variety of comics creators will be presenting gongs for the best and worst of 2012 in a variety of categories. Warning: features poor impressions of accents, and minimal actual comics creator input.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_97_-_Jing-A-Ding-Ding.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:39am EDT

After far too long away, Al and Paul are back with a solid hour and a half of jabbering about Karen Berger and Gail Simone's departures from DC (and what this means for the Vertigo imprint and the company as a whole), the November sales figures, the cancellation of Creator-Owned Heroes and Marvel and DC's March solicitations and reviews of Hellboy In Hell, Blackacre and Avengers. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is recording a novelty ukelele cover of a pop hit, and nothing can stop it, it seems.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_96_-_Always_Movember_Never_Christmas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:23pm EDT

Al and Paul have got an absolute epic of an episode this time round, with two hours of chat for you - they've got news on MCM Scotland, the cancellation of Hellblazer and the launch of Constantine, the Marvel Now! radio ads, the Age of Ultron, the latest Marvel teasers and Tony Harris's cosplayer rant, as well as a run through the February solicitations and reviews of Great Pacific and X-Men Legacy. On top of that they've got interviews with Mark Waid and Kieron Gillen (the latter of which is an epic taking in Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man, Journey Into Mystery, Young Avengers and Death's Head). The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe hit me and it felt like a book smacking me in the face.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_95_-_Cancelled_Cancelled.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:11pm EDT

Join Paul and Al as they celebrate the four-year anniversary of House to Astonish, with discussion of the effect of Hurricane Sandy, the purchase of Lucasfilm by Disney, Brian Singer on X-Men: Days of Future Past, the next two Marvel Now! teasers and Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill. We're also reviewing ​Joe Kubert Presents, Multiple Warheads​ and ​Bedlam​, and answer questions they've solicited at the last minute on Twitter.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_93_-_Tiny_Hat.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:28am EDT

Al and Paul are back with another episode that's a few days late, but there's plenty in there, with a discussion of an enormous number of stories out of NYCC (really, they get through a lot. Like, about 30 or so), as well as reviews of ​Uncanny Avengers, The Zaucer of Zilk​ and ​Cyber Force.​ The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is beautiful, no matter what they say - words won't bring it down.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_93_-_Yes_Virginia_There_Is_A_Moon_Knight.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:17pm EDT

A couple of days late, but better late than never, Al and Paul have got just over an hour and ten minutes of chat for you on Marvel's latest wave of teasers, Mark Millar's new role at Fox, the expanded line-up of the Avengers, IDW's latest mega-crossover and David Lloyd's ​Aces Weekly​, as well as reviews of ​Non-Humans, Uncanny X-Men ​and ​Detective Comics​. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe has got 99 problems, which is still a lot of problems no matter how you try to rationalise it.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_92_-_Calling_All_Your_Children_Christopher.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:03am EDT

Al and Paul are back with another episode of House to Astonish, where they're discussing Greg Rucka's views of Marvel and DC, Marvel's "Superior" teaser, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Jerry Ordway's ​Human Bomb​, Ultimate Captain America as US President and the ​Dredd​ UK box office success, as well as taking a run through December's solicitations. They're also reviewing Team Seven, Ghost and Sword of Sorcery. If you were the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, where would you be? I've put it down somewhere and can't remember where for the life of me.

Please be aware that there was something very strange about the audio this time round which wasn't discovered until after recording, which makes Paul and Al sound like they're sitting about ten feet away from the microphone, so you might have to turn this one right up. C'est la vie.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_91_-_Redshirt_Academy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:54pm EDT

It's been a relatively quiet couple of weeks for comics news, but Paul and Al have got plenty of discussion on the second month of Marvel NOW! teasers, the upcoming Morbius series, Jim Starlin's possible rapprochement with Marvel, the CW's new Wonder Woman pilot, the return of Elfquest, the new creative team on X-Men and the newly-unveiled Avengers roster, as well as reviews of Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, Steed & Mrs Peel and Phantom Stranger. What's that, the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe? Little Jimmy's trapped down a well? Let's go!

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_90_-_Christ_Trenchcoat.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:54am EDT

It's been a really, really long time since Al and Paul's last episode, but they're back, with an incredibly echoey, extra-long and tasty episode. They're talking about the sad deaths of Joe Kubert and Sergio Toppi, the cancellation of the Dandy, Defenders and Avengers Academy, the changes to Marvel titles like Journey Into Mystery and Red She-Hulk in the wake of Marvel NOW!, Superman and Wonder Woman's hookup, the cancellation of the Premiere Classic line, the newly-named Marvel movie sequels, Ed Brubaker leaving Winter Soldier and a blast through the November solicitations, and they've also got reviews of Hawkeye, Archer & Armstrong and Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe can't live if living is without you.

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_89_-_Pulp_Mufti.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:29am EDT

It's Al and Paul's last podcast before Paul gets wed and heads off on his honeymoon, so they've made it an extra-long one, with nearly 90 minutes of discussion on news out of San Diego, including Marvel's current teaser images, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man movies, the new Sandman mini, Minimum Carnage, Red She-Hulk, all the titles announced at the Image panel and Daniel Way leaving Deadpool, as well as a run through the October solicitations and reviews of ​Captain Marvel, Bandette​ and ​Punk Rock Jesus​. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - is there nothing that she cannae do?

Direct download: House_to_Astonish_88_-_Movie-Compatible.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:55am EDT