Rick And Morty Verses Dungeons & Dragons II: Painscape #2 - IDW Publishing

RICK AND MORTY VERSES DUNGEONS & DRAGONS II: PAINSCAPE No. 2, September 2019

Splitting this comic’s storyline into two distinctive plot threads, Jim Zub’s decision to focus upon Rick Sanchez’s early encounters with “the world’s greatest role-playing game” must surely have delighted its 13,813 readers in October 2019. In fact, the mega-genius’ evident frustration with a rule-set that simply can’t provide him with all the “statistics and probabilities” he requires so as to “measure and o-o-optimise” his character is perfectly palpable, and it’s little wonder that the increasingly enraged scientist quickly fills his Folio of Flawed Failures when each creation is repeatedly based upon chaotic dice rolls; “Fate has dealt its hand, my friend. You don’t qualify for bard-dom, but it’s still a powerful array. You could --"

Equally as entertaining is Albert Ein-douche’s subsequent foray through the labyrinthine Tomb of Horrors, which demonstrate what an absolute badass Sanchez can be when he already has foreknowledge of the obstacles impeding him. These snappily-paced action sequences concerning a four-armed gargoyle, poisonous snakes, secret doors and levitation rooms are seemingly correct “down to the last f*****g detail”, and only disappoint in the brevity of ‘spotlight’ awarded to “the deadliest dungeon in Dungeons and Dragons history” when compared to the arguably less entertaining exploits of Rick’s grandson.

Indeed, Morty and Summer’s lengthy confrontation with a Level Thirteen Half-Orc Barbarian named Barbarick probably contains some of this twenty-two page periodical’s weaker moments, especially when so much of its drama is simply based upon the two adolescents hiding behind furniture until their assailant runs out of puff and falls asleep. True, the Canadian writer does manage to incorporate plenty of rule-set references into the narrative, such as Acrobatics, Athletics and Stealth checks. But compared to their grandpa’s desperate attempt to flee the Painscape by creating an all-new portal gun at a medieval blacksmiths, the children's unsuccessful attempt to phone the police from a bedroom is debatably a little underwhelming.

Far more riveting is Troy Little’s layouts, which are vibrantly coloured by Leonardo Ito. The incredible vexation felt by a young, hippy Sanchez at his inability to consistently roll well is plainly pencilled upon his face by the illustrator, as is Rick’s anger at being teleported back to the fictional Borden instead of Earth, after having proved himself “the master of these dungeons.”

Written by: Jim Zub, Illustrated by: Troy Little, and Colored by: Leonardo Ito