Fans fell in love with Kevin Smith when he broke out with his debut movie Clerks in 1994. That movie saw two convenience store clerks going through their day while talking about pop culture references while dealing with troublesome customers. In September 2022, Smith is back with Clerks 3, bringing these characters back for a new story of what it's like to reach middle-age.
However, Smith is a fan of many things, from Star Wars to comic books. Thanks to his success as an indie filmmaker, Smith could finally achieve a dream of his by opening his own comic book store in New Jersey. He then did something many people only dreamed of. He wrote his own comic books, from those on indie labels and for both Marvel and DC.
Clerks: The Comic Books
The movie that put Kevin Smith on the map was Clerks, and he took that to the comic book format as well, bringing the characters from the convenience store and View Askew characters like Jay and Silent Bob to the printed page.
These are comic books perfect for fans of Kevin Smith's movies, and fans who loved his movies should love seeing these characters on the printed page. There are even several fun stories with themes, including a holiday special and one that showcased a "Lost Scene" from the movies.
Detective Comics: 'Manufacture for Use'
One of Kevin Smith's favorite comic book characters of all-time is Batman. He even had a podcast called Fatman on Batman and talks a lot about what he loves and hates about the Caped Crusader. Smith has written more than one Batman story throughout his comic book career as well.
One story was in Detective Comics #1000 and was called "Manufacture for Use." This is a book Kevin Smith and Batman fans need to check out since it was a landmark issue. This is also a comic that stands above other Smith books since he had the best artist of his career working with him in Jim Lee.
Batman: The Widening Gyre
The most controversial Kevin Smith Batman story came in 2009 with Batman: The Widening Gyre. Smith wrote this with his friend Walt Flanagan as the artist. Fans know him as the "Tell 'em Steve Dave" guy from the movies, but Flanagan also ran Smith's comic book store.
However, what made it controversial was things Smith added to the story that his movie fans might love but frustrated many Batman fans. Batman gains a new ally in this series called Baphomet and a new girlfriend named Silver St. Cloud. Problematically, the series ended on a cliffhanger, and Smith never returned to finish the story.
Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet
In 2013, DC launched another Batman series with Batman '66. As the title hints, this book took place in the world of the 1960s-era Adam West Batman character. These were fresh stories in the world of the TV show.
The books featured various artists and were mostly written by Jeff Parker. However, in 2014, Kevin Smith wrote Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet, a six-issue crossover series. For fans who loved the TV show, and especially when Green Hornet crossed over there, this is a love letter from Smith to the fans.
Guardian Devil
Kevin Smith moved into the Marvel Comics sandbox and wrote an eight-issue Daredevil arc called "Guardian Devil." Smith took his Catholic upbringing and brought that into the story, which fit perfectly considering Matt Murdock's complicated history with religion.
The book had a 15-year-old girl leave a baby with Daredevil, claiming she had the baby as a virgin and believing it is either the Messiah or the Antichrist. The book has some of Smith's strongest comic book writing and old-school artwork by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti.
Batman: Cacophony
The year before Kevin Smith made the controversial Batman: The Widening Gyre, he wrote a different story with Batman: Cacophony. This series also had its fair share of critics, with the new villain known as Onomatopoeia.
Walt Flanagan drew this series as well, with Smith telling the story of the new villain saving Joker from an assassination attempt before freeing the Clown Prince of Crime to create chaos, allowing his own plan to take form. The book is a good story for Smith fans, with the filmmaker taking time to showcase the villains. It is also notable because Smith has Batman and Joker carry on a rational conversation, something rare in Batman comics.
Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target
One thing that Kevin Smith fans have to accept is the fact that when he signs on to write a comic, there is a chance he never finishes the project. Even if the company releases one or more issues, the end might never come. That happened with Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target.
However, with Kevin Smith, it is always interesting to read the books because of how Smith approaches the character. As great as Guardian Devil was, Smith returning to Daredevil was exciting with Bullseye as the new nemesis. Sadly, Smith only released one issue, and the second book never arrived, although the Daredevil movie used this book's Bullseye for its villain's look.
The Green Hornet
The reason that Kevin Smith wrote the crossover series with Batman '66 and The Green Hornet was because Smith wrote a Green Hornet comic book series at the time. The Green Hornet series was from Dynamite Comics.
This series was based on an interesting story. Smith wanted to make a Green Hornet movie, but he couldn't get the financing to do so. Instead, he took his script for the movie and turned it into a comic book series. While new writers took over as the series became ongoing, Smith movie fans will want to check this out to see what his movie might have looked like.
Green Arrow: Quiver
Batman wasn't the only DC hero that Kevin Smith wrote. He also worked on a Green Arrow series called Quiver. This series came out between 2001 and 2002 and had Smith resurrect the original Green Arrow, Oliver Queen, from the dead.
Smith wrote the series for 10 issues, his longest run on any comic book for a big company. Along with Guardian Devil, this was Smith's best work on any comic book series, and the fact he finished this story really made it something special for Smith fans.
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do
One of the most controversial comic book storylines Kevin Smith ever wrote came with Marvel Comics' series Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do. The controversy here was part of the Women in Fridges concept, as Smith had someone sexually assault Black Cat as a kickoff for the story.
The series attempted to look at how this assault turned Felicia into the woman she became, but the problem is that this was not a series that fans liked reading at the time because it took Smith four years to finish it. The first issue hit in 2002, and he didn't release the sixth and final issue until 2006. Now, fans can pick up the entire series and read it all the way through for one of Smith's more thoughtful comic book stories.