Comic Review: Rick and Morty: Infinity Hour #2

Overview:

After escaping their first encounter with Doctor Infinity, Rick, Birdperson, and Wubbo have left Earth in hopes of joining the rebel fleets. Unfortunately, their flight is short-lived. Thankfully, they manage to catch a ride with a pair of allies. Once again, their adventure is interrupted when they are captured by the Federation Flagship, the Pupienus. And despite a solid attempt at an escape, Rick and his new friends find themselves caught in the hands of the Federation.

Our Take:

Rick and Morty: Infinity Hour is everything that super-nerds have been waiting for; a crossover between everyone’s favourite adult animated series and the ultimate science-fiction epic, Star Wars. The parody kicked off earlier this year after Rick and Morty comic books took on other major sci-fi franchises such as Logan’s Run and Dune. However, those comic books paled in comparison when it comes to Rick and Morty heading to a galaxy far, far away.

The first issue did its job solidifying Rick as a Luke Skywalker type character. On the cusp of his epic space adventures, young Rick is enlisted by Birdperson and Wubbo to join the rebellion and take down the oppressive power that is the Federation.

This follow-up issue continues the direct parodies with an early introduction of this universe’s versions of Han Solo and Chewbacca in the form of Krombopulous Michael and Oodil Kanoodil. Of course, the beloved Millennium Falcon gets a nod with Krom’s own ship, the Ace of Space.

With all of these direct comparisons, it would sound as if this parody plays things much too close to the source material. Thankfully, it would be difficult to tell this was a play on the fourth episode of Star Wars, A New Hope, if it weren’t for these character placements. Many of the integral plot points are reimagined and reworked to fit the unique cast. For example, Birdperson, standing in for Obi-Wan, is not teaching Rick how to use a magical warrior ability; instead, he urges his new friend to become the powerhouse genius that is his potential.

This miniseries only subtly hits the notes of the original film. Much like a Beyond Meat burger is a nod to actual beef and could never stand-in for the real thing. But like a newly turned vegetarian craves that bite, we are sure happy that this comic was ever created.

The bottom line is that this series is full of fun. Making the connections, reading how plot points are shifted, and seeing all these characters in a new light, puts this series in a category of its own. It is highly doubtful that the Rick and Morty animated series would ever steer so close to copying any franchise. A Star Wars parody would take many unexpected twists and turns before becoming something completely different. Which only makes reading this blend of two universes all that more special.