The Source Material Comics Podcast

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The Source Material Comics Podcast Since 2014, The Source Material Comics Podcast has been providing a discussion regarding the comic book medium on the Radulich In Broadcasting Network. Think of the show as a book club for comics where readers get together and talk about a single issue, a story arc, some news within the comic industry, and maybe even an interview every once in a while. Tune in and enjoy! You can find us on Twitter @sourcematcast and on Facebook @sourcematerialpodcast This channel also currently hosts the Unspoken Decade’s “Unspoken Issues” podcast dedicated to 90’s comics!

  1. SNAP Material - Meta and Unlocks February 2026

    17H AGO

    SNAP Material - Meta and Unlocks February 2026

    In this episode of the Snap Material Podcast, Jesse and Evan break down the latest Marvel Snap season with a look at their newest unlocks, variants, and collection progress. Jesse shares his climb past Collector Level 24,000 and the cards he picked up along the way, while the hosts talk about the strategy behind targeting Series 4 and Series 5 cards, the excitement of variant hunting, and the sometimes chaotic experience of opening new rewards.  The conversation also explores how events like Grand Arena and Sanctum Showdown impact progression and rewards. Evan shares his own unlock highlights—including rare variants and comic-inspired artwork—while both hosts reflect on how these events can accelerate card acquisition and keep players engaged with the game’s evolving systems.  Finally, the episode dives into the current Marvel Snap meta, including Jesse’s climb to Infinite with a creative Cerebro-based deck built around Bastion, Sentinel, and clever timing plays. Along the way, the hosts discuss ladder strategies, game bugs affecting players this season, and broader community concerns like declining motivation around alliances and the shift from variant rewards to mystery borders.

    24 min
  2. SNAP Material - "Guardians Greatest Hits vol. 2" Review

    1D AGO

    SNAP Material - "Guardians Greatest Hits vol. 2" Review

    March is here, and the Snap Material Podcast is diving into a brand-new season of Marvel Snap. Jesse and Evan kick things off by looking back at *Guardians’ Greatest Hits Vol. 2*, mixing strategy talk with comic book trivia and their trademark humor—including a Shakespearean detour into the Ides of March before bringing it all back to the Snap battlefield. The hosts break down the season’s biggest cards and their impact on the meta, from the energy-saving potential of Star-Lord: Master of the Sun to experimental designs like Magus that left both hosts puzzled. Along the way they discuss deck experimentation, surprising combos, and standout cards like Drax: Avatar of Life, sharing real ladder experiences and the strategies that helped push them toward Infinite. Not every card earns praise, though. Jesse and Evan debate the usefulness of cards like Kraglin explore team-boosting options like Jack Flag and Major Victory, and examine how locations and game modes like Sanctum Showdown influence deck building and match outcomes.

    24 min
  3. Source Material #415 - Nameless (2015, Image)

    6D AGO

    Source Material #415 - Nameless (2015, Image)

    Strap in, because this episode is less “review” and more survival run through one of the most disorienting comics Grant Morrison ever unleashed. Jesse and Mark close out their Morrison trio with Nameless (Image, 2015) — a six-issue blast of cosmic horror, occult symbolism, and reality-slippage that left both hosts asking the same question: what did we just read? Jesse frames the experience with an “explain like I’m five” recap of a mission to stop an Earth-killing asteroid… only for the story to collapse into nightmare logic, fractured timelines, and the creeping suspicion that none of it is happening the way we think it is. From there, the conversation turns into a hilarious and brutally honest breakdown of what Nameless does well — and what it does to the reader. The gore is extreme, the imagery is relentless, and the book’s constant switching between “realities” keeps you off-balance by design. Mark admits he can enjoy “weird,” and even appreciates the thread that connects this whole Morrison run: the unreliable narrator, the idea that every page dares you to question what’s real. But Nameless pushes that device to a breaking point, and the deeper they dig, the more the episode becomes a debate about symbolism, accessibility, and whether Morrison is telling a story for readers… or building an occult puzzle box for himself. To make sense of the madness, Jesse brings a rapid-fire Q&A (yes/no) segment where both hosts score the book on everything from disorientation and dread to whether it “clicked” by the end. The verdict: Nameless is deliberately dense, often baffling, and absolutely not for everyone — but it sparks one of the most entertaining, unfiltered conversations of the series.

    42 min
  4. Unspoken Issues #159- X-Nation 2099 #1

    FEB 24

    Unspoken Issues #159- X-Nation 2099 #1

    In this episode of Unspoken Issues, the crew launches their ambitious year-long “96 Number Ones” experiment — a deep dive into the debut issues that hit comic shelves in 1996. With polls driving the conversation, listeners voted, and the winner is X-Nation 2099 #1. That means it’s time to revisit Marvel’s chrome-covered future and explore one of the more curious late-era entries in the 2099 line. Before diving into Halo City and its cast of mutant misfits, the hosts set the stage with a sweeping look back at 1995 — a pivotal year for the comics industry. From Marvel’s looming financial troubles and distribution shakeups to Wizard magazine hype cycles, variant cover explosions, and the DC vs. Marvel frenzy, the conversation paints a vivid picture of a volatile era. It’s a fascinating snapshot of a time when chromium covers, new #1 issues, and hot artists could still move mountains — at least for a while. Then it’s on to X-Nation 2099 itself. Featuring early work from Humberto Ramos, the book introduces Halo City, Morpheus Sommers, and a chaotic group of young mutants navigating a harsh future under the watchful eye of Cerebra. The hosts break down the frenetic art style, dense world-building, 90s storytelling tropes, and whether this short-lived series had the staying power to compete in a crowded marketplace. Is it a hidden gem? A relic of its time? Or something in between? Tune in as the team unpacks it all — from milk bar metaphors to mutant mayhem — and prepares for next month’s 1996 poll winner.

    55 min
  5. Source Material #414 - Joe the Barbarian (2010, Vertigo)

    FEB 16

    Source Material #414 - Joe the Barbarian (2010, Vertigo)

    On this episode, Jesse and Mark head into the attic—and straight into Aqua Lung, the strange, shifting fantasy realm at the heart of Joe the Barbarian (2010). They break down Grant Morrison’s eight-issue story about Joe, a 13-year-old dealing with type 1 diabetes and the grief of losing his father. When Joe’s blood sugar crashes during a stormy afternoon alone, his house becomes a mythic battlefield, complete with prophecies, toy-warriors, and a looming force known as King Death—all while Joe’s real-world mission is desperately simple: find sugar and survive. Jesse digs into the emotional core of the book—how the fantasy quest doubles as a kind of self-therapy, reshaping fear, trauma, and loss into something Joe can fight through. The conversation explores why the “Dying Boy” label hits harder the more you sit with it, and how the story’s ambiguity keeps you guessing: is this a true otherworld adventure, or a vivid hallucination born from crisis and stress? Meanwhile, Mark brings a more skeptical lens—clocking the familiar DNA of kid-to-fantasy-world storytelling (with big Neverending Story energy) while still appreciating Morrison’s use of the unreliable narrator and the way the book immerses you in Joe’s perspective. Together, they weigh the strengths (emotion, atmosphere, visual clarity) against the potential drawbacks (lengthy worldbuilding across eight issues), and talk through what makes this one resonate—especially for younger readers or anyone interested in how imagination can become a survival tool.

    15 min
  6. SNAP Material - "Guardians Greatest Hits vol. 2" Preview

    FEB 10

    SNAP Material - "Guardians Greatest Hits vol. 2" Preview

    The Guardians are back, and so are Jesse and Evan, ready to break down all the wild cards, lore tangents, and deck experiments that come with Marvel Snap’s Guardians’ Greatest Hits Vol. 2 season. This installment isn’t just a review — it’s a celebration of creativity, chaos, and saxophones? Kicking things off with Star-Lord: Master of the Sun, the hosts explore energy manipulation and high-Evo synergy before diving into one of the more complex cards of the drop — Magus. From there, it’s a whirlwind of analysis, laughs, and lore with cards like Moon Dragon, Drax: Avatar of Life (a true sax-destroyer), and Kraglin — a card that gets a hard pass from Jesse unless banished cards start mattering. They also spotlight Jack Flag, Major Victory, and Starhawk, digging deep into comic continuity and gameplay potential. Locations get some love too, including The Proscenium and the returning Milano, both tying into thematic synergy and deck mechanics. And yes, the boys dream up even more team-summoning possibilities, calling out for SHIELD agents, Thunderbolts, and mystics to make their way into Snap via future card designs.

    23 min
  7. Unspoken Issues #158- Deathstroke - "City of Assassins"

    FEB 9

    Unspoken Issues #158- Deathstroke - "City of Assassins"

    Gotham isn’t just dark in this episode — it’s a city of assassins, and Jesse Starcher is joined by Dean Compton and Darry to take on one of the most important early-’90s DC arcs: Deathstroke the Terminator #6–9. The big historical hook? As Dean points out, this storyline marks the first time Batman meets Deathstroke in DC continuity, a moment that echoes all the way into modern games, cartoons, and pop-culture perceptions of Slade as a “Batman villain.” From there, the conversation turns into a smart, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful deep-dive on what makes Deathstroke tick — not just as a badass mercenary with a code, but as a character who constantly tests the boundaries between “antihero” and outright villain. The trio digs into the uncomfortable parts of Slade’s legacy, his uneasy “face turn” energy, and why his brutal practicality makes him such a perfect foil for the Titans and for Batman’s rigid no-kill stance. And because this is Unspoken Issues, it’s not only plot — it’s craft. Jesse, Dean, and Darry rave about Steve Irwin’s moody Gotham, dynamic action, and visual storytelling choices that mirror Batman and Deathstroke’s methods… right up until Slade does what Batman won’t. They also spotlight the era-specific flavor: Mike Zeck’s killer covers, a detour through what was on DC shelves in November ’91, and even a spirited roast of the then-current Batmobile design.

    1h 20m
  8. SNAP Material - Meta and Unlocks January 2026

    FEB 9

    SNAP Material - Meta and Unlocks January 2026

    The chaos continues in part two of the February 2026 season recap as Jesse and Evan break down their personal card unlocks and dig into the state of the Marvel Snap meta. From deck experimentation to high-voltage hilarity, this episode is packed with practical insights and community gems that make the Snap scene so addictively unpredictable. Jesse kicks things off with his latest collector climb and a string of noteworthy additions — including Dragon Lord, Iron Lad, and Zombie Galacti. Meanwhile, Evan hits a milestone of his own by completing his Series 4 card list, nabbing elusive variants like Inkpulp Luke Cage and Tarot Friga along the way. But it's not just about collecting — they both reveal their favorite pickups and how they fared in actual gameplay, with Jesse singing the unexpected praises of Zombie Galacti and Evan spotlighting Fantomex’s unique utility. In the second half, the meta takes center stage. Jesse details his surprise success with a Strange Supreme deck using Living Tribunal to dominate lanes, while Evan shares his Guardians of the Sanctum build and experimental “No Vacancy” deck featuring Stardust. The two also reflect on Marvel Snap's balance decisions, including Spider-Ham's nerf, and close things out by spotlighting wholesome community stories — like a Snap-playing grandpa gifted a new iPad — and hilarious top memes from High Voltage Overdrive mode.

    16 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

The Source Material Comics Podcast Since 2014, The Source Material Comics Podcast has been providing a discussion regarding the comic book medium on the Radulich In Broadcasting Network. Think of the show as a book club for comics where readers get together and talk about a single issue, a story arc, some news within the comic industry, and maybe even an interview every once in a while. Tune in and enjoy! You can find us on Twitter @sourcematcast and on Facebook @sourcematerialpodcast This channel also currently hosts the Unspoken Decade’s “Unspoken Issues” podcast dedicated to 90’s comics!

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