It's Al and Paul's Christmas gift to you - a slightly belated podcast featuring discussion of the casting of Ant-Man, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Sandman movie, Shia LaBoeuf's plagiarism, Matt Fraction leaving Inhuman and Zeb Wells leaving Elektra, the return of Stray Bullets, Mike Carey and Salvador Larocca's X-Men OGN and Stephen Wacker's job move. They're also reviewing The Illegitimates, The Midas Flesh and Harley Quinn, and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is just your dad really.

After a week away, Paul and Al are very pleased to be able to say that things seem to have worked out a good bit better this time round - they've got news about Fox's Marvel movie universe, the X-Men movie after next, Warners' casting of Wonder Woman, Marvel's digital trades giveaway and the new Wolverine & the X-Men and Magneto series. They've also got reviews of Inhumanity, Rover Red Charlie and Black Science and interviews with Al Ewing, Kelly Sue DeConnick and Kieron Gillen which they recorded at Thought Bubble. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is in ur base eating ur Pringles.

Al and Paul are joined for their fifth-anniversary, longest-ever podcast by Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester of Wait, What? to talk about the Ultimate universe, Marvel's Netflix deal, comics creators who've fallen by the wayside, the state of play at DC and a huge amount more. There's Alicia Masters trying not to get pee on her shoes, a badly-pitched Daredevil story, a labrador writing Avengers, a low-rent Scooby Gang and Schrodinger's Channel. Thanks for joining us for the past five years, and here's to the future...

Al and Paul have a nice lean 75 minutes for you this time round, talking about DC relocating to Burbank, the end of Fables, the Daredevil Infinite comic, Winter Soldier: The Bitter March, Marvel's Japanese animated show, the latest comings and goings in comics-related litigation and the Mighty Avengers 1 script release SNAFU. They've also got reviews of Sandman: Overture, Damian, Son of Batman and Velvet. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is just zis guy, you know?

Paul and Al are back, and on a (theoretically) regular schedule too, with tons of discussion of news out of New York Comic-Con. They're talking about a whole load of things, including Batman: Eternal, the Dynamite revival of the Gold Key characters, the return of Priest and M.D. Bright to Quantum & Woody, Greg Rucka's new horror series Veil, the slew of new Marvel series and, of course, the ReedPOP promotional tweet controversy. They've also got interviews with Antony Johnston, Greg Pak, Justin Jordan and Charles Soule, and all the usual waffle you've come to expect (except reviews or Handbook stuff, both of which are AWOL).

By way of something to tide you over in anticipation of House to Astonish's full-blown return, here's an hour of questions, answers and general messing around featuring Al Kennedy, Cara Ellison, Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, with questions on comics-based video games, gritty superhero TV shows, all-ages comics, Marvel Now Wave 2, the future of the Ultimate universe and loads more.

Paul and Al have got a handy recap of all the major news out of San Diego for you, talking about IDW's new Artist's Editions, the republishing of The Maxx, the continuing partnership between IDW and 2000AD and Walt Simonson's new creator-owned series, Dynamite's new Twilight Zone and Heroes books (as well as Howard Chaykin's return to The Shadow), Dark Horse's Ghost and Terminator series, five new titles from Monkeybrain, DC Digital's upcoming new books, the launch of a new Harley Quinn title, Marvel's latest addition to the X-books, Wolverine: Origin II, the return of the Marvel UK characters and the Avengers movie sequel. Oh, and something to do with a big superhero movie from Warners... They've also got reviews of Hunger, Tomorrowland and Mysterious Strangers, and frankly, my dear, the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe doesn't give a damn.

Paul and Al have a heaving slab of chat for you this time round, with discussion of Ales Kot being replaced on Suicide Squad, George Perez going exclusive at Boom, all the announcements out of the Image Expo (including DRM-free digital comics), Marvel's new Inhumans-led direction, and a blitz through October's solicitations, as well as reviews of Trinity of Sin: Pandora, Sheltered and Superior Foes of Spider-Man. Give the Official  Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe a fish, and it'll be completely baffled.

Al and Paul have a lean slice of chat for you this time round, with news on Comixology's new subscriptions and bundles, the six new launches from Vertigo and Gerry Conway's comics creators royalty drive, as well as reviews of Uncanny, Batman/Superman and Lazarus. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe thinks it's kind of funny, it thinks it's kind of sad, that the dreams in which it's dying are really freaking bizarre.

Paul and Al have got a brand new episode of House to Astonish for you, with a chunky run through Man of Steel's opening box office, the recent developments in the Marvel/Friedrich Ghost Rider litigation, Jeff Parker and Mark Laming's King's Watch and September's solicitations, along with reviews of Six-Gun Gorilla, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and Superman Unchained. Give the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe an inch and it'll eat for a day. Or something.