Rick and Morty vs. the Universe has been a fast-paced crossover event, leaping between the main series and interconnected one-shots that feature not just the titular duo, but their friends and family having to deal with the fact that the literal universe is dying. Rick and Morty vs. the Universe: Beth ‘Til Death #1 continues this trend, picking up in the middle of Rick and Morty vs. the Universe #2, though it truly opens with Jerry cowering in a corner while both regular Beth and Space Beth fight for their lives.
What led to this chaotic opening? In a flashback, Jerry recounts his plans to renew vows with “his” Beth, despite not knowing which Beth is the real Beth. But Rick comes crashing in with a mission for the Beths: in his mad quest to reboot the universe, he needs a sample of the Big Bang…and said sample is under lock and key at an intergalactic casino! The Beths, with Jerry in tow, infiltrate the casino, where they come face to face with its surprising owner.
One of the unwritten laws of Rick and Morty is that no matter what, Jerry is going to be the butt of the joke. That extends to Beth ‘Til Death, as his plans to propose are upended by the heist and the subsequent fight to the death that he finds himself trapped in. Writers Daniel Kibblesmith and Jake Black even highlight this with a woeful narration from Jerry once Rick literally comes crashing into the Smiths’ backyard: “As usual, he destroyed my house, my yard, and probably my life.”
That being said, heaping misery on a character only gets you so far, and I would have liked to see more of Jerry’s dynamics with the Beths. What does he like in Regular Beth? What does he like in Space Beth? The idea of a heist comic, with the heist genre itself being parodied in an episode of Rick and Morty, is also an idea that goes undercooked. Compared to fellow one-shot Rick and Morty vs. The Universe: Summer of Love, this one feels a little underdeveloped.
Rick and Morty vs the Universe: Beth ‘Til Death #1 does pack in a few great visuals thanks to Suzi Blake. Under Blake’s pencils, the casino that Jerry and the Beths infiltrate is chock full of all the weird, wild aliens you’ve come to expect in Rick and Morty’s world. The Beths go through a number of costume changes: one minute, they’re wearing expensive evening gowns, and the next they’re clad from head to toe in boxing gear. The best image that Blake draws, though, is undoubtedly Rick doing a thinly veiled impression of Stan Lee, which perfectly fits a Rick and Morty comic. As do the psychedelic color hues from Meg Casey and Fred C. Stresing.
Rick and Morty vs. the Universe: Beth ‘Til Death #1 has a fun idea and offers a fun side quest, but doesn’t quite hit the highs that this storyline has been promising. It’s still a solid piece of the puzzle, and leads to another major development that will no doubt continue the wildest ride that Rick and Morty has taken in comics form.
