Panel one is an example of something I try not to do these days, which is not use words like "Jesus" unless actually referring to, well, someone named Jesus. I think this is the last time it happens in the comic itself, so yay.
As for everyone getting super excited about there being a girl in the comic shop, well, women used to be rare at the comic shop I went to. They remain rare there, in fact, on account of that comic shop no longer existing. Or is that like dividing by zero?
I believe the movie being referenced is Mallrats, a movie that's not particularly spectacular in my opinion, but had a nifty DVD commentary and was by Kevin Smith back in the day so of course I've seen it a bunch of times (almost always with the commentary on).
Commentary added November 30, 2014