Comic Review: Rick and Morty Presents: The Flesh Curtains #1

Overview:

As Morty takes some interest in his grandfather’s personal life and history, Rick shrugs him off with an immersive virtual documentary about his time in a band. Morty gets to bare witness to when The Flesh Curtains were just a small band playing nightclubs to Rick’s genius helping the group to become a household name. Of course, any band documentary wouldn’t be complete without a bit of controversy, and The Flesh Curtains are not exempt from such. As the scope of the group’s music comes into question, Rick must ponder whether selling out is worth fame and fortune.

Our Take:

Rick and Morty: Presents comics have been nothing short of exciting. Each one has featured a different character or group of characters in a one-off story that helps us gain a bit of insight to who they are. There have been plenty of great stories, and every time a new one comes out, you never know what to expect. When it was announced that The Flesh Curtains would be getting their own comic book, it could have gone anyway, but a documentary-style would not have been our first guess.

Though The Flesh Curtains have never had a significant mention in the original series, they have alluded to a few times. The primary purpose of that is to make acknowledgment to Rick’s long-lasting friendships with Squanchy and Birdperson. So, this one-shot comic book is the first time we truly get to see what the band was about and how much of an impact it had on Rick’s life. And, it turns out that The Flesh Curtains were at one point one of the most popular bands of the multiverse. They even reached the fame of opening up for Glom Farx, which is a pretty big deal.

Another big question pertaining to The Flesh Curtains is what kind of music do they play. While it is impossible to hear a comic book (though that’s not a bad idea, you owe me one Marvel), the writer does give us a hint. When Rick creates the ultimate catchy song that everyone in the galaxy would enjoy, a side note lets us know what it sounds like. As if you couldn’t guess that the most excellent song of all-time was going to be All-Star by Smash Mouth. It’s so obvious.

Overall, this was an interesting little look at the history and youth of Rick Sanchez, and how he became so badass. There are even points where Rick’s future is alluded to, including his desire to have a grandson. At the same time, his intelligence and knack for creating things aren’t ignored either. This whole issue was well thought out, executed with passion, and entertaining the entire way through. And, though I try and keep the comic stories and the television series separate in my mind, it’s easy to believe that this history of The Flesh Curtains is official canon- though I don’t know what Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland would say about that. The point is, the book is strong enough to be up there, and it’s nice to have a little backstory on Rick and his best friends.