(Review may contain spoilers.)
AMC’s Comic Book Men returns tonight to chronicle the further adventures of the gang who run and operate Kevin Smith’s New Jersey comic store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. Comic Book Men is a geek fest for fans of comic books, toys and pop culture in general. The show follows a reality tv format with segments filmed at the Stash spliced around Kevin Smith’s Secret Stash podcast featuring a round table discussion with the store’s staff, Mike, Walt, Bryan and Ming. Over its first three seasons, Comic Book Men has featured celebrity guests (Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno, superstar artist George Perez), vintage toys and rare comic collectibles.
Some of Season 3’s highlights included Nichelle Nicholls’ visit to the Stash and her playful negotiation with Walt to purchase an original Mego doll of her Lieutenant Uhura character from the original Star Trek television show. Another highlight included the Stash’s celebration of Superman’s 75th birthday. To commemorate the occasion a party was held at the store with guests dressed as their favorite Superman character. Even Superman himself, guest of honor Dean Cain, was on hand to kick off the festivities.
Season 4 begins with Kevin Smith’s daughter, Harley learning to become a clerk at the Secret Stash to help her prepare for an upcoming film role. Walt, like a clerk Jedi master, takes Harley under his wing and shows her the finer points of the job. Customer interactions are a big part of the series and the tradition continues this season. One customer tries to sell his collection of rare Rocky action figures, while another comes into the store with some original Foolkiller artwork with the hope of raising enough money to buy a new hockey stick. Jason Mews appears in the episode and the laughs and banter among the rest of the cast make working at the Secret Stash seem like a dream geek job.
This season Comic Book Men will feature even more celebrities and memorabilia. Pop culture icons such as Adam West, Billy Dee Williams, Kevin Eastman Ernie Hudson and Gene Simmons make appearances to go along with the rare toys and memorabilia that flow in and out of the store. After screening the the first couple of episodes from Season 4 of Comic Book Men it’s safe to say that the lads at the Stash remain true to their credo: “Stay calm, stay cool and stay collectible”.
Comic Book Men begins its fourth season on Sunday, October 12 at midnight on AMC.
