If you’ve ever seen Rick and Morty, you know that nothing’s off limits for mockery. Whether it’s the idea of multiversal travel, dragons, or literal storytelling devices themselves, Rick and Morty has made fun of it all. So why should a major comic book crossover be any different? Rick and Morty vs. The Universe #1 kicks off when Rick is approached by his old friend Prime, the living embodiment of the universe. Prime is getting married and wants to celebrate; Rick, being his usual debauched self, is more than happy to oblige…but things go wrong, forcing Rick and Morty to take drastic measures.
“A party with the literal universe” is the kind of story you’d expect to kick off a Rick and Morty crossover event, but what really makes it sing is Daniel Kibblesmith’s script. Kibblesmith has a great gift for comedic timing, not to mention the voices of both Rick and Morty. When Morty asks Rick a question, Rick briefly replies, “Read the wikis, Morty, they’re free.” And when Jerry asks about Prime and his girlfriend, Rick snaps, “Save it for the one-shot”, leading Summer to ask if she’ll get her own one-shot. (Slight spoilers: it’s coming next month.)
But Kibblesmith also knows how to balance comedy and drama. A great example of this is Morty, who’s suffering an existential crisis due to accidentally destroying his prime universe in Rick and Morty Season 1. That’s heavy stuff, and the following pages show the effect it’s had on Morty, even as Rick keeps pulling him on different missions. It begs the question: What’s real if you aren’t living in your current universe? Do your actions truly matter? It’s a compelling train of thought that courses through Rick and Morty vs. the Universe #1, and should keep it from flying off the rails.
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If Kibblesmith’s script keeps the same spirit as Rick and Morty, the art team of Jarrett Williams and Alessandro Santoro keeps the visuals that fans have come to expect. Williams perfectly replicates the style of Rick and Morty, to the point where Rick and Morty vs. The Universe feels like a lost episode of the show. Williams’ best moment is in the opening pages, featuring Morty having to deal with a variety of shenanigans. This gives him the chance to play with a wide range of scenarios, and a wide range of visuals: we see a gingerbread Morty, a multitude of Mortys, and a Morty who’s gone full lizard man. Equally as compelling is the way Prime is drawn; he feels like a living piece of the universe, endless and finite at the same time.
As this sequence progresses, letterer Crank! starts filling the page with Rick’s word balloons. All of those balloons start to fill up the page, and cover Morty’s face, until the final panel goes full white, sharply punctuated by one of Rick’s signature burps. You can’t find a better visual metaphor of Rick literally taking over Morty’s life.
Rick and Morty vs. The Universe #1 isn’t like any other crossover event, but that’s part of its charm. It’s rude and crude but surprisingly thoughtful, and feels like a perfect addition to the world of Rick and Morty.
