They had to get there eventually. Al and Paul bite the bullet and tackle Citizen V and the V Battalion: The Everlasting #1-4, the second (in any sense you care to choose) miniseries starring everyone's least favourite patriotic superhero. They did it so you don't have to, so the least you can do is listen to them suffer through it.

Another episode, another convention to bring you all the news from! This time round, Paul and Al are talking about the return of Vertigo (with a detour into the state of Marvel's Red Band), the launch of the Marvel Premiere Collection, Hush 2, Absolute Flash, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern, Rise of Emperor Doom, IDW's new logo and IDW Dark line, Andy Khouri becoming TMNT editor, and a multitude of Godzilla series, along with reviews of Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu and Batman & Robin Year One. If I had the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, I'd Handbook in the morning.

It's time to chew over a big beatdown bonanza as Paul and Al look at the climactic clash between the Thunderbolts and Graviton in issues 56-58, and take the time to say goodbye to Marvel's breakout character of 1998. Then it's time for something completely different, as one of the least fondly remembered gimmicks of the Bill Jemas era rears its very quiet head in issue 59.

There's a bunch of news out of San Diego Comic Con, and you can hear what Al and Paul think about it all here! And now! If you like! They're chatting about Black Canary: Best of the Best, The Question: All Along The Watchtower, Batgirl, New Gods, JSA, Hellverine, West Coast Avengers, Laura Kinney: The Wolverine, Psylocke and Lower Decks, plus the announcement of Amazing Comics, and they've got reviews of S.I.R. and Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe? Splendid chaps, all of them.

Who is Humus Sapien? If you don't know, Al and Paul can help you with that! They're covering issues 53-55 of Thunderbolts vol. 1, as Charcoal's dad makes his dazzling debut and we meet the winner of the 1973 F.O.O.M. Magazine Create A Marvel Character contest!

Paul and Al have a full basket of comics news and they're dispensing it left, right and centre, as they remember Don Perlin and Peter B. Gillis, look at Jeff Lemire's Minor Arcana, the finales of Jupiter's Legacy and Marvel's Star Wars, and the new Blade: Red Band mini, chat through the ends of Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr's run on Amazing Spider-Man and Joshua Williamson's runs on Green Arrow and Batman and Robin, and draw your attention to the Wicked & the Divine's covers collection Kickstarter, on top of all of which they've got reviews of Destro and Self-Help. That was all one sentence. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe has taken a red pen to it.

And now for something... slightly different. Al and Paul step beyond the bounds of the regular Thunderbolts title to look at the 2001 miniseries Citizen V and the V-Battalion, with chat about two-fisted journalist Jim Daring, HR disasters and the horniest comics in Marvel history.

Al and Paul are back (back! Back!) with remembrances of Trina Robbins and Mark "Doc" Bright, a whiz through the first six post-Krakoa X-books and a mini-explainer of Misty and the new Gail Simone-run iteration thereof, as well as reviews of Action Comics and Uncanny Valley. The Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe can't believe it's not butter either.