Kevin Smith returns to Chasing Amy, Mallrats, and more in Quick Stops Volume 3
This August, renowned director, podcaster, producer, actor, and writer Kevin Smith returns to the View Askewniverse with the third installment in his black-and-white anthology comic series, Quick Stops. Each issue will be written by Smith and will feature different artists. The first issue will be illustrated by John Sprengelmeyer, the second by Ryan Gajda, the third by Mark Reihill, and the fourth by Ahmed Rafaat with lettering by Andrew Thomas on issues #2-4. Issue #1 will also feature two covers by Sprengelmeyer (one exclusive to Secret Stash) and one by Kate Bettini.
In Quick Stops Volume 3, we finally get the chance to read the comic Holden McNeil created about loving and losing Alyssa Jones, as seen in the feature film Chasing Amy. Kevin Smith honors his friend and costar Shannen Doherty with two stories: one about Shannen’s immaculate sense of humor, and the other a requiem for her character in Mallrats, Rene. We witness a touching reunion between Jay and Silent Bob and their old Dogma buddy, Metatron—Herald of the Almighty, Voice of the one true God, and dropper of divine nuggets of knowledge. And last, but not least, we keep up with the Jones sisters and find out the full story behind how Alyssa Jones got the nickname “Finger Cuffs.”
Kevin Smith delivers a few hard-earned life lessons with a heavy dose of signature levity. This volume of Quick Stops will stick with you long after the laughs stop.
Quick Stops 3 #1 (of 4) will be available in comic shops on August 13, 2025. It is now available for pre-order from your local comic shop for $4.99.
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I picked up the first couple of issues of vol 1. I’m kind of a lapsed fan and found that it was mostly just self-referential “hey, remember that from the movie?” jokes — and Smith’s always done some of that, but he’s capable of genuine wit and insight and I just didn’t see it there. Like, there’s an issue about Randal and Brodie reminiscing about Cousin Walter after his death (as originally described in Clerks) and you know, a couple of misfits talking about their oddball cousin who just died in a scandalous and embarrassing way could make for some real pathos, but mostly it just ends up being jokes about the 1989 Batman movie.
I know Smith’s spoken openly about having a mental health crisis triggered in part by the pressure of trying to give his fans what they want. Speaking for myself, what appealed to me about Smith in the first place was his authenticity; he wasn’t trying to give his audience what they wanted, he was doing what felt true to him.
I hope that, following his struggles, he’s had a chance to take a step back and learn how to be himself again, and not the guy he thinks other people want him to be. He’ll never be the scrappy twentysomething he was when he made Clerks again, and he shouldn’t try to be, but I know he’s still got interesting things to say and an entertaining way of saying them.
I don’t mind revisiting those old characters and stories again, as long as he’s got something new to say about them. I hope he does and these Quick Stops have more dimension than the last ones I read.
But most of all, I hope he’s happy and healthy and doesn’t worry too much about what guys like me think.