Review: RICK AND MORTY: RICKLEMANIA #4

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Overview

Fueled by money, fame, and a wealth of merchandising opportunities, Rick Sanchez turns on his own grandchildren. As Morty and Summer take on their grandfather’s wrestling wits to try to snap Rick out of his ego trip, Jerry takes a bold but ill-advised stance against his new employer in an attempt to break free from his contractual obligations. Can Morty and Summer save Rick from himself? Can Jerry escape from his new contract? And who is this shadowy figure from Rick’s past?!

Our Take

Ricklemania wrap ups and delivers pretty much what the title promises: a glorious, chaotic mash-up of the show’s signature nihilistic humor and the over-the-top spectacle of professional wrestling.

The premise is pure Rick and Morty: Morty stumbles upon the Interdimensional Wrestling Federation, gets obsessed, and somehow, Jerry ends up signing an exploitative contract with a grotesque energy drink sponsor. Naturally, it falls to Rick and Morty to enter the squared circle and wrestle their way out of this corporate nightmare. And when I say “wrestle,” I mean intergalactic, physics-defying, violently hilarious wrestling.

Ellerby’s art style, while not a direct photocopy of the show’s animation, captures the essence perfectly. The character designs are expressive, the action sequences are dynamic, and he packs each panel with the kind of visual gags and alien weirdness you’d expect. It feels like a lost episode, just in comic form, which is exactly what you want from a tie-in.

Where Ricklemania truly shines is in its understanding of both properties. Ellerby clearly has a deep appreciation for the absurdities of professional wrestling – the promos, the ridiculous characters, the melodramatic storylines. He perfectly juxtaposes that with Rick’s cynical detachment and Morty’s escalating panic. Rick, of course, becomes disturbingly good at his wrestling persona, embracing the ego and the violence with a frightening zeal. And seeing Jerry, ever the hapless victim, caught in the middle, just adds to the comedic gold.

Now, if you’re looking for the deep, existential dread or the profound character development that some of the more acclaimed Rick and Morty TV episodes delve into, you might find Ricklemania to be more of a straightforward romp. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel; it’s just trying to make it spin really, really fast and crash into a pile of alien wrestlers. And it largely succeeds.

This mini-series serves as a perfect example of why Rick and Morty works so well in the comic book medium. Untethered by animation budgets or episode runtimes, the comics can go even wilder, exploring one-off concepts with unrestrained abandon. Ricklemania is an action-packed, gag-filled, elbow-dropping good time that feels genuinely authentic to the franchise. If you’re a fan of Rick and Morty and have even a passing interest in the glorious chaos of pro wrestling, grab this.