Comic Review: Rick and Morty: Corporate Assets #2

 

 

Overview:

Signing up for a new mobile app, the Rick and the Smith family incidentally relinquished their rights to their likenesses. Now the intellectual property of Glootie, the Smith’s and their genius grandfather are becoming merchandisable assets to a heartless corporation.

After disposing of Morty and Rick in a prison universe, the remainder of the family succumbs to their new positions as corporate slaves. But there are much bigger things in store for the Rick and Morty brand still to come.

 

Our Take:

Rick and Morty: Corporate Assets is the latest in a long line of adapted comic book miniseries’. Rick and Morty print content has been aggressively getting better with each new adventure. There have been a slew of great books to come out of the Rick and Morty multiverse, but this new series is the latest contender for the best read yet. That is a lot to boast with only two issues released, but the end of this comic did tell me to champion this underappreciated gem. Let’s get into it.

All Morty and Rick’s old friends have returned with a vengeance. Birdperson, Mr. Poopybutthole, Squanchy, and even Jaguar appear in the early panels of the comic. Unfortunately, they are not the friends they once were as they hunt down Summer. Thankfully, Morty – or Mortys, I should say – are there to save the day. But truthfully, as excellent as this scene is, it is all just a marketing ploy created by the man who now owns the rights to the Rick and Morty likeness, Glootie.

The new Rick and Morty CEO is taking full advantage of his new asset. Toys, video games, a cinematic universe, and anything else under the sun are now getting our favourite characters faces plastered all over them. And Glootie is raking in all the profit.

There is even a meta-commentary on the real world as a Glootie and company plan on merchandising a Butter Robot. Calling it “cloyingly cute” is a good jab at the real-world production of the same one-note character that people are currently profiting off today.

Meanwhile, the real Rick and sidekick are stranded in a dimension that does not follow the same scientific principles as our own. Meaning, Rick cannot just smart his way out of this trap. To make matters worse, Rick is convinced that they need to avoid using old ideas. Therefore, all their old tricks are off the table, and the duo must find a new way to get home.

Back on Earth, the rest of the Smith family succumb to their new positions under corporate management. Summer gets her dream job of becoming a social media influencer. Jerry is the ideal market research candidate as an icon for “dumb America”. And Beth gets her own cable series thanks to her neurotic anger towards her father. They all seem very pleased with their new gigs putting a wrench in their plans to escape.

This series had a great start in issue one, and the follow-up has upped the ante. The best Rick and Morty comic books are the ones you could imagine taking place in the animated series. However, this miniseries so far is as strong as the show’s best episodes. Again, to champion this book once more, get reading.