Comic Review: Rick and Morty: Rick’s New Hat #2

Overview:

After being duped into wearing a hat that made him stupid, Rick is questing to find the Three Laws of Science. Unfortunately, his first stop is dimension C-137, the same planet Morty and Rick inadvertently caused a mass mutation of humankind.

One man kept the hope on C-137 and became a shepherd of the last mutant survivors, Mr. Poopybutthole. After surviving years of war and terror, their hero Rick has finally returned. But he is definitely not the same Rick they remember. And the truth about what happened to their planet is only going to make things worse.

Our Take:

Ooo-wee! After a whole slew of Rick and Morty miniseries’ dropping in the last year, readers generally have learned what to expect. Typically, the stand-alone stories take our favourite characters on a wild ride. If we are lucky, there may be a reference to an episode or situation that happened in the animated series. However, usually, the stories are isolated; likely, a different dimension than appears in the source material. But Rick’s New Hat is looking at revisiting a lot of Rick and Morty past and maybe answering a few plot holes along the way.

This issue primarily takes place on world C-137. Here is a quick reminder on C-137’s relevance for those that are not Rick and Morty mega-nerds. It is suspected that the characters from dimension C-137 are the most authentic versions, meaning we mostly follow Morty and Rick from this world. However, in season one’s “Rick Potion #9”, the titular characters inadvertently caused the destruction of their homeworld. The episode hilariously concluded with them finding a new dimension to inhabit.

Shockingly, the long-awaited return to this dimension would take place in a comic book miniseries. But here we are. Thankfully, the book does not disappoint. Much of the story fills in the blanks of how Poopybutthole managed to keep humanity’s hopes alive. Unfortunately, those hopes were focused on the return of Rick Sanchez, probably the person that cares about them the least.

The fallout of Rick’s return to C-137 was handled brilliantly. There is a strong chance that this old plot will not resurface in the animated series. The show is best served with new and fresh ideas, as much as fans want things to make a comeback. So, addressing these plot holes in a comic book is the perfect opportunity and solid use of the opportunity.

It also seems as if Rick’s New Hat is not done facing old themes from the show. While the C-137 plot finds a swift conclusion in this book, some familiar faces are set to return in the follow-up issue. The Three Laws of Science hunt is sure to take Rick through many of his old territories.

The first issue of this miniseries was written well and established some excitement. But where things went in issue two was unexpected and satisfying. The creators of this title show no fear of taking on as much of the source material as possible. The results are a fun book that any Rick and Morty fan would be glad to read. In fact, this is a cannot miss book for anyone that wants the full story of C-137.