Syndicated Source Material #050 - Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash "Nightmare Warriors"

Original Air Date - 10/26/2015

In this special Halloween episode of the Source Material Podcast, Jesse Starcher is joined by Gavin Napier to revisit one of their most thrilling past discussions: Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash: Nightmare Warriors, the explosive follow-up to their previous coverage of the Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash comic series. Just in time for spooky season, they dive deep into the second installment of this brutal crossover that brings together some of the most iconic horror figures in pop culture.

The episode begins with some reflections on the difficulty of finding this rare six-issue miniseries. Gavin recounts how these comics are hard to come by and how the team scraped together their digital copies just in time for the recording. Once set, the duo launches into an in-depth discussion of the creative team, the series' art style, and the continuation of the bizarre lore that ties Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Ash Williams together.

The story picks up with Jason Voorhees being extracted from the bottom of Crystal Lake by federal agents, while Ash tries to live a peaceful suburban life, grill spatula in... arm? However, peace doesn’t last long as Jason’s inevitable return drags Ash, along with a host of survivors from the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises, back into the fight against the relentless slasher villains. The pair discuss key elements of the plot, such as the role of the Necronomicon in controlling Jason, and how Freddy Krueger gets resurrected by a rogue government plot that goes horribly awry.

Jesse and Gavin examine the expanded cast, including a slew of familiar faces from both horror franchises like Tommy Jarvis and Tina Shepard, and how the story taps into the backstories of these characters, creating an epic showdown of ultimate survivor vs. ultimate horror icons. The guys also break down the action-packed sequences where Freddy and Jason wreak havoc across Washington D.C., culminating in a massive battle with the U.S. military and the unleashed army of Deadites.

As always, the episode is filled with fun commentary on the over-the-top action, the grisly deaths, and how the comic’s art does its best to capture the sheer chaos of Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash: Nightmare Warriors. This is a must-listen for fans of slasher horror, comic crossovers, and anyone looking for a bit of nostalgia mixed with some Halloween-season fun.