The Source Material Comics Podcast

Strap in, Star Wars faithful—this is the deep dive you’ve been waiting for! The Source Material crew is firing up the hyperdrive and exploring the dark side in the first twelve issues of Darth Vader (2015). Jesse and Mark dig into this epic Marvel series that follows the Dark Lord of the Sith after the destruction of the first Death Star and right up to the events of Empire Strikes Back.  This epi...

Get ready to turn up the heat—literally! Gimmick Cover Summer hits its blazing finale as the Unspoken Issues crew dives into one of the most unforgettable white-hot covers of the 90s: Fantastic Four #371! This one’s got everything—cosmic chaos, costume controversies, and Johnny Storm going full Nova. Yeah, you read that right. 🔥 Jesse, Chris, and Evan are back in the time machine, cracking open t...

In this lively installment of Snap Material, Jesse and Evan tackle a fresh Top 5 challenge inspired by recent changes in Marvel Snap. Building on the idea of “First Steps” card updates, they set out to spotlight which characters they believe could benefit most from a redesign to better reflect their strengths, personality, and place in the game. The conversation blends thoughtful analysis with off...

The Heralds of Galactus season is about to crash into Marvel Snap, and Jesse and Evan are here with a full preview of every card, location, and mechanic coming your way. They kick things off with Galactus “First Steps” and the intriguing Herald mechanic, imagining both its strategic potential and its most hilarious possibilities. From Silver Surfer’s new on-reveal copy twist to Stardust’s ability...

In part two of Snap Material’s August coverage, Jesse and Evan shift gears to talk meta, strategy, and unlocks from the latest Marvel Snap season. From the surging popularity of Reed and Surge combos to the powerhouse plays with Invisible Woman’s “First Steps,” they explore how the meta evolved and which decks dominated their matches. While Jesse admits he didn’t play as much this season, the duo...

In this jam-packed August edition of Snap Material, Jesse and Evan are braving the dog days of summer the best way they know how, by diving deep into Marvel Snap! From wrapping up their thoughts on the Fantastic Four season to gearing up for the Heralds of Galactus, they’ve got plenty to discuss.  Up first, the duo breaks down their personal experiences with the season pass cards, including the st...

BANG! ZAP! GOAT! It’s time to wrap up one of the wildest buddy-comedy superhero books of the 90s as Source Material Comics Podcast host Jesse Starcher is joined by Al Sedano (of the Adam Warlock and Thanos Podcast) to tackle the explosive finale of Quantum and Woody Vol. 3! Eric and Woody are still crashing through conspiracies, legacy secrets, and bad decisions—all while linked by a pair of quant...

It ends where it began: with a choice, a ripple—and a watcher who broke the rules. In the stunning conclusion to Timequake, Jesse brings The Source Material Comics Podcast full circle with a deep dive into What If...? #39—an explosive finale to Marvel’s most mind-bending multiverse saga. As timelines fracture and the Time Variance Authority scrambles, one question looms: can the multiverse be save...

The halls of Asgard echo with thunder—but it’s not from the storm you expect. In the fourth chapter of the Timequake saga, Jesse of The Source Material Comics Podcast brings listeners into one of the most mythically charged timelines yet, pulled from the pages of What If...? #38. Gods fall. Machines rise. And time itself teeters as a new dark order claims the golden realm. As part of the Super Blo...

The darkness has teeth—and it just sunk them into time itself. In the third installment of Timequake, Jesse of The Source Material Comics Podcast invites you into one of Marvel’s most chilling alternate realities, courtesy of What If...? #37. The multiverse is under siege, and the claws are out—literally. In a world where the X-Men have been transformed into vampire overlords, all rules are off, a...

Time is breaking… again. In part two of our Timequake miniseries, Jesse returns with another powerful installment of The Source Material Comics Podcast, examining a bold alternate future from What If...? Vol. 2, Issue #36. A shattered cosmos. A looming godlike threat. And heroes who may be just a few ticks too late. As part of the Super Blog Team-Up: In Time crossover event, this episode dives int...

Time trembles—and the multiverse responds. In this electrifying entry of The Source Material Comics Podcast, Jesse takes listeners on a pulse-pounding journey through What If...? #35, a tale that dives headfirst into the swirling chaos of alternate realities. When Spider-Man joins the Fantastic Four to form a brand-new team, the stakes skyrocket in ways no one could anticipate. As timelines ripple...

Yo, comic crusaders and card-collecting cowboys! It’s time to rewind the tape and slap some nostalgia in your Walkman because the Unspoken Issues crew is going full throttle into 1991’s Marvel Universe Series 2 trading cards! Jesse, Dean, Darry, and Matt are throwing down their top five favorite picks from one of the most iconic comic card sets of the decade.  This episode isn’t just a stroll down...

KA-BOOM, GOTHAM! It’s time for a city-shattering crossover of chaos as the Source Material crew dives into the absolute MADNESS of DC’s Joker War Saga! Jesse Starcher and Mark Radulich are suiting up for this Gotham-wide, Joker-fueled firestorm that tore through Batman #95–100 and splashed insanity across titles like Batgirl, Red Hood, Nightwing, and more! We're talking lunacy, toxin-fueled mind g...

The trilogy is complete! In this final entry of Jesse’s solo celebration of X-Men at 25, we crack open the darkest and most compelling of the movie prequel comics—X-Men Movie Prequel: Magneto. Released in August 2000 alongside the Wolverine and Rogue prequels, this issue dives deep into the tragic origin and militant ideology of Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto. With a powerful narrative that stretches...

We’re keeping the mutant energy going strong! In this episode, Jesse continues his X-Men 25th anniversary celebration with a solo breakdown of the X-Men Movie Prequel: Rogue comic—released alongside the Wolverine prequel back in August 2000. This one’s all about Rogue, and folks… it gets wild. From teenage angst and awakening mutant powers to high-speed truck thefts and secret mutant prison labs,...

Calling all X-Men fans—it’s time to snikt into something special! In this solo episode, Jesse dives headfirst into the X-Men Movie Prequel: Wolverine comic from 2000, a hidden gem that hits you with some comic book lore before the launch of the live-action X-Men film universe. Jesse walks us through the gritty pages of this tie-in tale that puts Logan center stage before the movie even begins.  We...

SNIKT!! Buckle up, bub, because Unspoken Issues is going CLAWS OUT for one of the most iconic issues of the 90s—Wolverine #50! Gimmick Cover Summer is RAGING and this die-cut, file-folder-covered, mystery-packed issue is slashing its way straight into the comic vault of awesomeness! Jesse, Evan, and Chris take you back to 1991—when X-Men ruled the spinner racks, Marvel was printing gold (and foil...

In this energetic and hilariously insightful episode of SNAP Material, Jesse Starcher and Evan Bevins go full throttle into Marvel Snap territory with their “Top Five Cards That Should Get a Luchador Variant.” With only 11 luchador-themed variants currently in the game, the hosts take on the challenge of assembling a fantasy deck and filling the missing slots with their own ideal picks—based on sy...

In Part 3 of the July 2025 edition of Snap Material, Jesse and Evan preview the upcoming Marvel Snap season: Fantastic Four: First Steps. With the season launching on July 8th, the duo gives listeners an early breakdown of every new card and location being added—each one themed around Marvel’s first family. From synergy-building mechanics to long-overdue reworks, this episode is packed with strate...

In Part 2 of Snap Material's July 2025 episode, Jesse and Evan return to unpack the latest card unlocks, fan reactions, and the broader meta in Marvel Snap. Kicking off with a deep dive into their variant hauls and newly acquired cards, the hosts revel in highlights like disco-themed characters, Dan Hipp artwork, and long-coveted additions such as Mercury, Xorn, and Clea. Evan shares creative deck...

Up in the sky—it’s a bird, it’s a plane… it’s the Source Material Comics Podcast diving headfirst into the mind-bending, heart-punching cosmic masterpiece: All-Star Superman! Jesse Starcher and Mark Radulich team up to break down one of the most celebrated Superman stories of the 2000s (but with enough Silver Age soul to make your spinner rack spin), just in time to get hyped for the new James Gun...

In this July 2025 episode of Snap Material, Jesse and Evan dive deep into the just-concluded Marvel Snap season, Masters of the Arcane. For once recording before a new season drop, they reflect on the longevity of the arcane season and break down each new card's impact, synergy, and potential in the meta. Merlin takes center stage early, with Evan sharing his success using the card alongside Colle...

BOOM! It's the 4th of July and the Unspoken Issues crew is going full red, white, and rad with one of the most EXTREME patriotic comics of the 90s—Fighting American #1 by none other than Rob Liefeld! You voted, and this blast of stars-and-stripes action beat out Legend of the Shield in a close fan poll, so we're diving headfirst into pouches, plasma blasts, and patriotic smackdown!  Jesse, Chris,...

In this episode of Source Material Comics, Jesse and Mark unravel one of the most bizarre, chaotic, and cunning stories in DC’s Black Label line—The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox. What starts as a straightforward mystery—who killed the Riddler?—quickly warps into a twisted web of half-truths, unreliable narrators, absurd detours, and mind-bending revelations. With the Joker at the center, gleefully...