Comic Review: Rick and Morty #40

Rick And Morty #40

Oni Press

Writers: Kyle Starks and Josh Trujillo

Artists: Marc Ellerby and Rii Abrego

I think the comic book Rick and Morty might be funnier than the show. The show is fine, but it has lost a little more of that charm with each season. This comic series has stayed consistently good for 40 issues now. There’s a lot of reasons why that is, but I’m just here to talk about the comic.

In Rick and Morty #40 the titular characters Rick and Morty are in a Hunger Games scenario. Rick distracts the other contestants and Morty has to kill them, all for the prize of a vacation getaway. The backup story “Morty Court” is about Rick on trial against Fancy Rick. With Judge Morty presiding, and bailiff Summer, things don’t go as expected, of course. The main story, written by Kyle Starks is fantastic. I can’t remember the last time I had to take a few seconds to recompose myself from laughing at a comic book. It’s a simple and straightforward battle royal story. But the jokes that are in it are all top notch and well done. I think Starks has a great handle on the characters and the type of humor that fits them. He nails it as well as, if not more than, the tv show at its best.

The art is good. I like Marc Ellerby’s work in this issue. It’s not as sharp as some of the older issues and artists, but it’s good. This issue especially, with Rick’s face being put on all sorts of different items as “____ RICK”. Everything was pretty well drawn. The backup story… It’s certainly a thing. Written by Josh Trujillo, it’s only four pages long. I think if they had more pages to flesh it out a little, it could’ve worked, but as it is it just didn’t. The names I mentioned up top, Judge Morty, Bailiff Summer and Fancy Rick are the only jokes that land. The rest is just a series of nonsensical events. The art is fine. It’s not as good as the main story, but it serves its purpose.

I still think this one of the stronger issues of the series. A comic that makes me laugh out loud, not just chuckle, is worth it in my eyes. The story on its own is pretty generic, but Kyle Starks adds in the humor that makes it great. The backup story could have been better, but considering it was only four pages, I can forgive it. Otherwise, I’d strongly recommend this issue to Rick and Morty fans.