Rick And Morty Verses Dungeons & Dragons #4 - IDW Publishing

RICK AND MORTY VERSES DUNGEONS & DRAGONS No. 4, December 2018

Debatably abandoning any strong notion that this comic’s central cast are actually Rick Sanchez and his daughter’s dysfunctional family in favour of a party of brave, world-saving adventurers, Patrick Rothfuss and Jim Zub’s script for Issue Four of "Rick And Morty Verses Dungeons & Dragons" certainly demonstrates both the writers’ love and intimate knowledge of the “fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.” In fact, it is arguably easy to forget at times that this book isn’t simply about Kiir Bravian and the confident Abjurer’s desperate quest to thwart “the sacrifice of six non-human children”, as opposed to being a tie-in to Adult Swim’s animated television programme.

Happily however, this full-on ‘dungonfest’ proves to be an incredibly enjoyable read, simply packed full of excitement, tension, destruction and even the shock death of one of its lead characters. In addition, despite having been physically transformed into the gnome bard Gee-Willikers Petalebutt, Morty’s acid-tongued grandfather persistently provides some genuine laugh-out-loud moments as the diminutive-sized musician no longer finds himself the centre of attention, and instead falls victim to a plethora of fantasy-based scenarios – whether it be an encounter with a gelatinous cube, a monstrous red dragon, or even failing the Athletics skill check required to cross a bottomless ravine via a rope.

Summer Smith’s alter-ego Ari Strongbow is also blessed with some considerable ‘screen time’ within this twenty-five page periodical, courtesy of the ogre-hating ranger’s comprehensive backstory and gut-wrenching sacrifice made towards the end of the book. This gruesome demise is poignantly penned by the creative team, as it leads into a surprisingly emotional moment with Kiir (Jerry) deciding he doesn’t wish to dwell inside the ‘D&D universe’ now the warrior of the wilderness has died, and the surviving quartet subsequently returning to a seemingly empty home; “I mean, we could clone her, or bring in a Summer from another dimension, but her brain, her memories… It wouldn’t be her.”

Equally as enthralling as this publication’s writing is Troy Little’s pencilling, which absolutely excels in depicting all the storyline’s action. Of particular note though, are the incredibly well-pencilled antics of Petalebutt, whose facial gestures when he has either been partially-disintegrated from the waist down by a hungry jelly, or trying to read a just out-of-reach tome in the Greyhold Library, are utterly hilarious to peruse.

Written by: Patrick Rothfuss & Jim Zub, Art by: Troy Little, and Colors by: Leonardo Ito