The reason why I’ve stuck with Rick and Morty vs. the Universe, other than the excellent work that the creative team of Daniel Kibblesmith, Jarrett Williams, and Alessandro Santoro are turning in, is how it’s appropriately taking the Rick and Morty approach to the comic book crossover. Anyone who’s ever watched Rick and Morty knows that it’s a show that takes pleasure in ripping apart sci-fi and fantasy conventions, and Rick and Morty vs. the Universe #4 goes all in on that approach.
Rick and Morty, after spending most of the story on the run or trapped in alternate dimensions with various alternate forms of themselves, are finally taking the fight to the Parmesan Universe. There’s more than a fair bit of friction; Morty, having been put through the wringer yet again, is less than receptive to Rick’s master plan. There’s also the fact that they have to fight a collection of other universes – or as Rick so succinctly puts it, “Promise of the premise, motherf***ers!”
Kibblesmith’s writing in Rick and Morty vs. the Universe #4 is witty, acidic, and surprisingly profound. It also fits the world of Rick and Morty because he understands the trick to writing a licensed comic is to get the voices of the characters right. If Morty wasn’t constantly second-guessing himself, and if Rick wasn’t ten steps ahead of everyone else while being extremely condescending about it, it wouldn’t be a Rick and Morty comic. By getting the small details, Kibblesmith has free rein to go completely nuts.
So does Williams, whose artwork literally crosses universes. From the various celestial bodies that Rick and Morty battle (including one who’s a literal cowboy universe) to the beings that were created by the destruction of a old one, he brings the same wild and wacky worlds that populate Rick and Morty to the pages of Rick and Morty vs. the Universe #4. Williams’ facial expressions are also on point, as Morty shifts from terrified to furious to resolute – often in the space of a single page – while Rick’s face is fixed in perpetual annoyance apart from one blistering monologue.
That monologue digs into the heart of Rick and Morty’s relationship, and why Morty still follows Rick into adventures despite everything he’s been through. While the animated series features episodes that touch upon how co-dependent the duo are, this is the first time another piece of media brings a new element to the table. The ending is also a surprise, especially with how it sets the stage for the next part of this story (you really didn’t think Rick and Morty was actually going to get a reboot, were you?).
Rick and Morty vs. the Universe #4 closes the book on Rick and Morty‘s first major comic book crossover, featuring all the meta takedowns and emotional gut punches fans of the show have come to expect. With another crossover around the corner in Rick and Morty: The End, fans can expect more comic book chaos from Kibblesmith and Williams.
