Comic Review: Rick and Morty Presents Pickle Rick #1

A pickle joins a banana to fight an army of robot dogs.

Rick and Morty makes the best comic books!

Overview:

The Sanchez family is getting ready for some much-needed therapy.  However, Rick will do literally anything to avoid talking to a psychologist, so he uses his supreme intellect to turn himself into a pickle.  Unfortunately, Beth is on to his ploy and leaves with the only syringe that can turn him back to normal.  Which leaves him in quite the pickle (get it).

Beth, Summer and Morty attend therapy with the hopes of confronting the children’s issues.  However, the doctor sees the underline issues stemming from Beth and her issues with her father.  Meanwhile, Rick is caught in a misadventure which forces him to build an exo-suit out of animal carcasses and confront long-time nemesis, Snowball.  Along the way, he gets some of his own therapy as he helps a banana save his daughter from the evil pup and his assortment of robo-dogs.

Our Take:

Rick and Morty comic books have really taken a life of their own.  The fact that the Adult Swim program is developed around the use of multiple universes truly opens the doors for the comic spin-offs to go in whichever direction they so choose.  The Rick and Morty Presents series has been filled with brilliant one-shot issues of the shows most popular, and some not-so-popular, characters.  Pickle Rick is one of the offshoots of the show that gained a popularity well beyond the one episode that he appeared.  Pickle Rick merchandise has become more prevalent than most of the paraphernalia that you can find from the program.  So, it is kind of surprising that it has taken this long for him to get his own comic title.

Another thing that the Rick and Morty comic books have done extremely well in finding talent to create each series.  The Rick and Morty vs Dungeons and Dragons series are scribed by one of the biggest literary talents of our time in Patrick Rothfuss.  So, it was a pleasant surprise, when I found out that the author of this issue was written by the amazing Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars: Phasma).  Sourcing such talented writers is impressive for a comic publishing company like Oni Press, which is, let’s face it, not Marvel or DC.  But, what is cool about it is, that these big names are just that big of fans of Rick and Morty that they are happy to add their own piece to the sprawling multi-verse.

This issue takes a different spin on the fan favourite Pickle Rick.  A different origin story and an all-new exo-suit make this Pickle Rick a little bit different from what we know.  But, not in a bad way, I mean, it is still Rick Sanchez the overly egotistical super genius.  Of course, even as a pickle, Rick would be capable of bringing down a corporation operated by a group of robot dogs.  Who else could?  It is really just another example of how awesome Rick, even as a pickle, can be.

What I enjoyed about the short story is that it faces some of the underline issues that face the Sanchez family.  A lot of focus is put on how strange Morty is, and how rebellious Summer can be, but this plot puts Beth in the hot seat.  The source of many of this families issues stems from her issues with her father, and being upset that she has not inherited is supreme intellect.  A real nail on the head, with a moral of taking a look at ourselves instead of projecting issues onto other people.  Making an intriguing storyline that blends well and has a strong message.  All wrapped up in 32-pages.

While I was disappointed at first that this wasn’t the fateful return of Pickle Rick the half-robot half-pickle as we’ve seen him before, it ended up being a fun side-story all on its own.  There is a twist conclusion that adds a whole other level to the story that is on-point with the Rick and Morty style.  Utilizing top end talent for these comics is paying off in big ways.  Comic books were always a great way to tell short stories that fans could read in a quick sitting.  They have developed way past that with major events and ongoing plots, but at their source, they should be easy, fun, and take up no more than half an hour.  This issue really compounds all the things that you would want from a comic book and a great story into a neat little package.  Even though it may not be the best comic I’ve read, credit is due for a well-executed little book about a pickle.

Score
8/10