Rick And Morty Verses Dungeons & Dragons #1 - IDW Publishing

RICK AND MORTY VERSES DUNGEONS & DRAGONS No. 1, February 2019

Promising a “crossover with one of the biggest fantasy franchises in the world” when “Oni Press” and “IDW Publishing” first announced in April 2018 that they were joining forces to craft a four-issue limited series entitled “Rick And Morty Verses Dungeons & Dragons”, this opening twenty-page periodical must have landed well with fans of either franchise when it appeared approximately four months later. Indeed, Patrick Rothfuss and Jim Zub’s narrative for “Rick Rolling” seemingly captures both the enigmatic energy of co-creator Justin Roiland’s animated world and the tabletop role-playing game with consummate ease; “I’m your D&D sh-uuuuurp- Sherpa, Morty. I know this game inside and out. All the modules. I made a Bard back in the old days, Morty.”

Foremost of these irresistible hooks has to be the excellent characterisation of Rick Sanchez’s always agitated grandson, whose endless quest to “get laid” suddenly throws the youth headlong into a hobby mall packed full of Gary Gygax’s most famous old school publications. Desperate to win the adoration of shop girl Annika, the fourteen-year-old frantically tries to unsuccessfully get his head around the contents of the Player’s Handbook within the space of a few hours, and subsequently finds himself asking for his maniacal grandfather’s assistance to build him “a brain-hat… And learn Dungeons & Dragons!”

Of course, having sought to teach Morty using the tried and tested method of rolling dice with a group of fellow (aged) adventurers, Rick decides the best thing to do is reconfigure the Roy arcade machine at Blips and Chips in order to provide Smith with a virtual venture. This action-packed sequence is arguably the highlight of the comic, as Morty somewhat impressively hacks his way through a countryside packed full of the Undead until he 'critically fumbles' and inadvertently skewers Sanchez with his double-handed sword.

Adding enormously to this book’s palpable sense of humour is Troy Little’s artwork, which manages to capture both the television cartoon’s aesthetic, as well as the reckless dynamism of Rick’s impulsive scientific shenanigans, with prodigious aplomb. The Canadian artist’s illustrations are especially noteworthy inside this comic’s Director’s Cut Edition, where the Prince Edward Island-born penciler’s work-in-progress pages are fascinatingly printed directly alongside Rothfuss and Zub’s original scripts.

The regular cover art of "RICK AND MORTY VERSES DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" #1 by Troy Little