Comic Review: Rick and Morty : Meeseeks, PI: Issue #1
Overview
Jerry loses the television remote that controls the inter-dimensional cable box, and decides to activate an unusual Meeseeks box he finds in a closet to help him locate it before Rick finds out and yells at him. The Meeseeks that Jerry unleashes is a hard-boiled detective-type character that agrees to take the case of the missing remote. It’s unclear as to whether this Meeseeks is one of Rick’s intentional experiments, or if it’s some naturally occurring mutation/defect in need of further study.
Meanwhile, Rick, Morty and Summer are up to some shady shit involving boxes. A lot of boxes.
Our Take
The inaugural issue of Meeseeks, PI is an enjoyably low stakes start to a promising young premise. A Meeseeks detective is, in general, is very good idea – they won’t stop until the case is solved, no matter what. Pairing that detective with Jerry on something of little to no importance is also an excellent idea – the resultant graphic outing has a total Sponge Bob by way of Frank Miller vibe, and it’s a combination that works!
When you’re reading a comic book, it’s not uncommon to hear the main character’s voice inside your head. This voice may be wholly an invention of your own mind, or, it might sound just like actor you’ve seen/heard that portrayed said character. For example – for many years, in my mind, Moon Knight sounded like a cross between Frank Sinatra and George Carlin – now he sounds like Oscar Isaac. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, a whole lot of the fun in reading the Rick and Morty comics put out by Oni Press is seeing all the clever and creative print tricks used to summon the show’s iconic character voices to the forefront of the reader’s mind. When it all comes together as it should, all the isolated little dialogue balloons and thought bubbles merge together into a seamlessly projected mini-episode that plays out effortlessly on the television screen of the mind – it’s an old time magical feeling.
The voice of Mr. Meeseeks is one that rings out universally in the mind of even the most cursory of Rick and Morty fans. His high pitched, repetitive, enthusiasm is one that, once heard, is hard to forget. When Meeseeks multiply, it creates more identical Meeseeks voices the combined force of which comes eventually to a critical mass that imprints permanently on our frontal lobe. It’s a vintage Roiland voice, a fan favourite, and a hilarious choice to do a Philip Marlowe/ Mike Hammer hard-boiled voiceover. Every line of this already funny comic is funnier in the Meeseeks voice. The overall experience is further heightened by writer Fred C. Stresing’s story, whose love of well-worn detective tropes is made obvious from this first issue’s bloody thrust intro. Will Jerry find his lost remote? Who knows, but it seems like we’re in good hands here, so let’s see where things go!
"There are also other characters that come and go (also owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate media company)."
Huh. Is that just referring to other characters from the show itself, or is this implying that the new season is going to have cameos from other WBD IPs