Jay & Silent Bob: Jays Of Future Past #1: They’ve Still Got It!

When Kevin Smith sold his comic book collection in 1994 to fund the production of indie darling Clerks, who would have guessed that, thirty-two years later, his creations from that now-cinematic classic would be sharing the page with those same comic icons. It’s an inspiring story and an excellent milestone on which to look back at the extensive career of this writer, director, and grand sage of all things nerdy. And while Mr. Smith is no stranger to penning Marvel comics, this is the first time he’s been free to fully unleash his signature View Askewniverse comedic stylings on the House of Ideas. And while not the most memorable crossover special, he certainly knows what’s needed to show his and Marvel’s fans alike a fun time.

Smith opens the issue with an interesting creative choice: setting the story at the most present point in his franchise’s continuity, rather than have his characters back in their prime for maximum nostalgia points. Jay and Silent Bob, along with a slew of their kooky supporting characters and the mandatory Ben Affleck and Matt Damon cameos, commemorate the late Dante Hicks with a statue after his passing at the end of Clerks 3. Jay’s daughter Milly, introduced in the duo’s 2019 theatrical adventure, makes a charming appearance at the end, and there’s plenty of meta, self-deprecating comments about how old these fellas are to ground the story firmly in modern day.

Fanservice is approached with a surprising level of restraint in Jays of Future Past, with references to the source material kept to a minimum, letting Jay and Silent Bob’s classic antics speak for themselves. Any readers not in-the-know will catch on incredibly quick with how straightforward and familiar these dimwitted but chill stoner archetypes are. Even on the opposite end, the comic refrains from letting poster children like Spider-Man and Deadpool hog the spotlight, ensuring that plenty other heroes and villains have their turns.

Despite what even the solicit seemed to imply, there is no edge of satirical commentary on the comic industry in this one-shot. Quite the contrary; it is incredibly sincere, the product of a true fanboy given free reign over the toys he grew up loving. The stakes are equally simple: Doctor Doom wants to kill Jay and Silent Bob before their home-grown ganja can accidentally bring about the apocalypse, but Doctor Strange and the Avengers set things right before he can do anything about it.

Giuseppe Camuncoli’s pencils, assisted by the inking of Cam Smith and Roberto Poggi, along with colors by Marcio Menyz and Erick Arciniega, contribute so much to this feeling of sincerity with the way their art beckons to the bronze age of Marvel comics, without ever delving into direct parody. Their banal, desaturated presentation of Jersey in comparison to the fantastical locations of Latveria and the Sanctum Sanctorum works heavily in the comedy’s favor too.

Not every joke lands; sometimes it feels like Smith is stretching to ensure that every exchange ends in a zinger. Sometime he resorts to the same puns about The Thing and the Invisible Woman that readers have heard a thousand times before. But the comic’s laugh-a-minute writing throws so much humor at its audience that it averages out into a decent chuckle-worthy experience. Jay and Silent Bob may be fossils, but this comic proves that their appeal hasn’t worn out just yet.