Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #15 - A Review

Taskmaster is on the loose and taking on all of the heroes in New York City - including The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!

This is not their story.

This is the story of what Mew - Squirrel Girls roommate Nancy's cat - does while an epic battle between Earth's Mightest Heroes and Villainy's Greatest Copycat occurs in the background.

(Oh, admit it - you hipsters would eat this up if Matt Fraction did it in Hawkeye!)


The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is one of the best books to come out each month. That said, I think this issue may have set a new gold standard. The script by Ryan North offers a different kind of humor than we normally see on this title, more dependent on visual gags than the usual witty dialogue. Erica Henderson and Rico Renzi produce their usual stellar work on the main story, with Michael Cho providing the pictures for the Super-Villain Guide Cards and Zac Gorman, drawing the comic-strip-style sequences in which Mew dreams her wordless cat dreams. If you like comics that are just plain fun, you should be reading this!

Rick and Morty #10 - A Review

In a cyberpunk world where Rick Sanchez was never born, an evil Morty rules with an iron fist, Summer leads the resistance against him and Jerry is... well, pretty much the same. Seriously, there's only so much variation even in an infinite universe!

With the resistance crushed and Rick in Evil Morty's clutches, things could be very bad for the mulitverse if Evil Morty recovers Rick's portal gun. Can Morty rescue Rick from his evil, smarter self?  Probably not. I mean, this is Morty we're talking about. Even with bad-ass Sarah Conner Summer helping him, it may be a close thing.


The main story of this issue proves a worthy conclusion to the best story arc this series has seen so far.  Zac Gorman's script has the perfect balance of action and humor and it left me laughing out loud at several points.  The artwork by C.J Cannon, Cat Farris and Ryan Hill perfectly captures the look of the show.


The back-up feature - with art and script by Marc Ellerby - is also praiseworthy. The story here focuses upon Jerry and Doofus Rick (follow the link - that's what he's called by eminent RickAndMortyologists)  having a day out together. It's not as heavy as the main story but it is amusing and oddly sweet for what it is.  Ellerby also captures the look of the series in his artwork.

Rick and Morty #9 - A Review

In a universe without a Rick, Morty rules a cyberpunk dystopia with an iron fist, Summer is the leader of the rebellion and Jerry is... well, still Jerry. Naturally, Rick only finds this mildly amusing at best. And he certainly doesn't care enough to help take down the evil Morty. Or does he?

Nope. Pretty sure Rick doesn't care. Except in so far as it gives him more material for making fun of how lame cyberpunk is as a genre.


Zac Gorman continues to capture the spirit of the Rick and Morty cartoon. This issue features a perfect balance of twisted humor and weird science action. And the back-up story, where Rick grumbles about missing an ALF marathon to help Morty with his problems, is hilarious.


The artwork splendidly captures the visual aesthetic of the show. Both C.J. Cannon and Marc Ellerby do a fine job of aping the show's style and their story flow from panel to panel is top-notch. The inks by Cat Farris and colors by Ryan Hill are also praiseworthy.

Rick and Morty #8 - A Review

Many holidays are celebrated in the vast expanse of the multiverse and Rick and Morty have discovered a new one - Blumbus. It's a bit like Christmas, only their version of Santa Claus is a pervy old man with the legs of a spider. Naturally, Morty is fascinated by the little differences while Rick only cares in so far as the holiday makes it harder for him to find an open bar.

Yet Rick and Morty will both find themselves caring quite a bit about The Blumbus Spirit very soon. For another time-honored Blumbus tradition involves taking strange teenage boys into your home on Blumbus Eve and allowing them to mate with your daughter... before the whole family settles in for a glorious feast on their new "son-in-law". And Morty just caught the attention of a very affectionate young blonde...


Zac Gorman pulls double duty as both writer and artist on the main story this month. Gorman's style doesn't quite fit the usual house-style this book usually adheres to but Rick and Morty are still easily identifiable. The final product looks like a combination of the standard Rick and Morty animation and Edward Gorey, which is oddly appropriate for a twisted holiday tale like this.


There's also a wonderful little back-up comic, also written by Gorman, with artwork by Marc Ellerby that I couldn't include any scans of due to its brevity. Suffice it to say, we get some goodly parodies of It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. And the color art by Ryan Hill in both comics looks wonderful.

All in all, this issue is a welcome antidote to the forced holiday cheer that is so prevalent at this time of year. And it's a story worthy of the Rick and Morty cartoon. A splendid Blumbus to you all!

Rick and Morty #7 - A Review

Somewhere out there someone - or something - is killing Ricks and Mortys, all across reality. When one of those Mortys manages to get word to our Rick and Morty, Rick springs into action. Because there's only one place they can hide - the one universe where Rick Sanchez never existed in any form!


After a disappointing Issue Six, Rick and Morty: The Comic is back in fine form.  The script by Zac Gorman perfectly captures the wit and non sequitur humor of the TV series. And it's fun seeing Rick and Morty argue about the merits of Steampunk vs. Cyberpunk and how Rick can fail to remember the name of the show The Wonder Years while still remembering Daniel Stern was the narrator of it.


The artwork perfectly captures the feeling of the show. Marc Ellerby and C.J. Cannon both do a good job of emulating the show's animation style. And the action of the story flows quite well from panel to panel.

Rick and Morty #6 - A Review

Rick and Morty #6 is proof of the truism that some things are best left to the imagination. The whole issue is devoted towards depicting an episode of Ball Fondlers - an extra-dimensional TV show that - from what little we've seen - is a glorious parody of 1980s action shows like The A-Team and Airwolf. That's it. There's no Rick and Morty until the final panel.


Writer Zac Gorman has no way of living up to the impossible concept of the series as depicted on the show. By giving names, dialogue and motivations (however rudimentary) to characters who haven't ever spoken, Gorman has killed the joke of how shallow and mindless Ball Fondlers is meant to be. The amateurish artwork by Andrew MacLean doesn't help matters.


To describe Rick and Morty #6 as a disappointment would be an understatement. To describe it further would require my hiring Christophe The Insultor. And I don't have that kind of budget.

Rick And Morty #5 - A Review

It's time for another fun summer at Camp Camperson - the summer camp that Morty has gone to every summer of his young life... yet never had this mentioned before!  And Rick is there too, working as a counselor... even though Rick hates all this outdoorsy, slice-of-Americana crap! And Morty is popular with all the other boys and all the girls - especially the cutest girl in camp, Lisa Kanoogian - all want to do things with him. Naughty things!

Just what the hell is wrong with this picture?!  


Alas, this is the first issue of Ricky and Morty to fall short of greateness. The script by Zac Gorman possesses a number of funny gags but you can only go so far with jokes about Morty overreacting to the weirdness around him without having Rick's reckless indifference as a balancing factor. That ingredient is largely absent since most of the comic has Rick acting decidedly out-of-character and actually giving a damn about something.  Granted that something is water safety, but still...


Thankfully, the artwork is still up to snuff. C.J. Cannon continues to capture the visual essence of the show in the main story while Marc Ellerby struts his stuff on the back-up comic showcasing Beth having an inter-dimensional adventure of her own. The inks of Cat Farris and the color art of Ryan Hill complete their work perfectly.

Rick And Morty #4 - A Review

It's District 9 meets Grapes of Wrath as Morty goes undercover at a non-profit farm that Rick runs for aliens left orphaned by the wars of their home planets. If that sounds unusually altruistic for Rick, congratulations - you've been paying attention! But the goings-on at this farm are twisted even by Rick's standards... or lack thereof. And there may be more to the alien's planned mutiny than meets the eye...


Once again, Zac Gorman perfectly captures the spirit and dialogue of the original Rick and Morty cartoons. This issue is a laugh riot from start to finish, with Rick obsessing over little details like why a teenage boy like Morty uses a suitcase instead of a backpack and how his insectoid butler should be called a bugler.  The ending is a little weak but the ride to get to that point is an amazing one.


C.J. Cannon and Marc Ellerby continue to rock the art on this series. Every panel looks like an animation cel taken the TV show. Or it would if they still used animation cels.  Wait - does Rick And Morty use animation cels? Or is it all computers now? I don't know. But the artwork looks like just like the TV show, however they animate it, so that's good enough for me!

Rick And Morty #3 - A Review

It's been nearly three months since Morty's escape from the inter-galactic prison known as The Clackspire Labyrinth. And Rick - who seemed to sacrifice himself to save Morty - has yet to return home. Not that the rest of the family cares.

Heck, the only other person who has acknowledged Rick's absence is Morty's dad Jerry. And even then he only did that by selling Rick's stuff at a garage sale and turning Rick's basement lab into a study (i.e. porn reading room).  But by doing this, could Jerry have unwittingly unleashed some new threat upon the world?

Of course he has!  For God's sake, this is Jerry we're talking about. The man is an idiot!  He's the human equivalent of a mysterious brown stain on a white couch!


Sadly, this issue misses a little more than it hits. When the book is funny, it is VERY funny and there's a few laugh-out-loud gags. But most of the book is devoted toward the monster-of-the-month stalking the family and there's little humor apart from the bits parodying Alien and The Thing.

Much like the show, the best bits of this comic involve Rick and Morty and without them the whole thing drags a bit. Thankfully the back-up story, in which Rick and Morty travel to a universe where Morty is the genius and Rick is the idiot assistant more than makes up for the lack of laughs in the main section.


As the script perfectly captures the feeling of the show - for good and ill - so does the artwork of the book capture its appearance. Both C.J. Cannon and Marc Ellerby do a fine job of emulating the show's art style. And Ryan Hill's colors admirably enhance the tension of the issue through a few subtle palette shifts.

Rick and Morty #2 - A Review

Having been convicted of interfering with the intergalactic stock market (as well as destroying several alternate universes in the process among a host of other charges), Rick and Morty have been condemned to the Clackspire Labyrinth!  Meanwhile, back on Earth, the rest of the Sanchez family is conflicted.... about how to best make use of the space where Morty's room and Rick's lab were. Oh, and Jerry selling out his own son and father-in-law to the time cops. But mostly the space thing.


The script by Zac Gorman perfectly captures the feeling of the show. The humor is as twisted as ever, yet there's a few honestly touching character moments.  Well, as touching as it can get given that Rick seems to be the only member of Morty's family who gives a damn about him on any level. Which says a lot given that Rick is willing to pimp Morty out to save his own ass.


It's a bit hard for me to appraise the artwork of this issue. It somehow seems insulting to say that C.J. Cannon and Marc Ellerby perfectly emulate the look of the show. Then again, given how many adaptation comics fail to do that, perhaps that praise isn't as faint as I fear it is.  The artwork looks good, in any case.

Rick and Morty #1 - A Review

If you aren't already familiar with the Adult Swim series Rick and Morty, you've been missing out on one of the funniest and most original series in recent memory. Ironic given that the show started out as a decidedly unoriginal five-minute short, created as a blatant riff on Back To The Future to "poke fun at the idea of getting cease and desist letters", according to co-creator Justin Roiland.

The show centers upon super-scientist Rick Sanchez and his milquetoast grandson Morty, as they travel through space and a fair number of alternate dimensions having adventures. Think Doctor Who if The Doctor were completely amoral and a drunken, continually belching asshole and you might just be able to grasp what Rick and Morty is like... after a few stiff drinks.

Speaking of The Doctor, one can't help but notice that this first issue's antagonist - Professor Tock, The Time Detective - bears more than a slight resemblance to William Hartnell in Colin Baker's wardrobe, with Sylvester McCoy's umbrella.


If you're a fan of the show, this first issue will be familiar territory. And if you're not familiar with the show, it's also a fine introduction to the mad world of Rick and Morty.  The plot involves Rick - in an effort to spite his idiot son-in-law Jerry -  teaching Morty the finer points of the intergalactic stock-exchange. Of course Rick has been forbidden from trading due to unspecified past crimes and that sets Professor Tock on his trail. And hilarity ensues. With killer cat robots.


This comic has immediately earned a place on my pull-list. To stay that it has perfectly captured the look and the humor of the show would be an understatement!  This is a must-read for all fans of the show as well as smart, twisted sci-fi satire.