Comic Review: Rick and Morty Presents: Jerry (2019-) #1

Rick and Morty Presents: Jerry #1

Oni Press

Writer: Ryan Ferrier

Artist: CJ Cannon

I’m a fan of the show, and I’m a fan of the main comic series, but the Rick and Morty Presents series has been really hit or miss for me. There have only been four issues (with this one being the fifth), but it’s at a 50/50 split for issues I’ve liked. And now we throw in this particular issue and… I’m not too sure.

As the title suggests, Rick and Morty Presents: Jerry #1 gives us a Jerry-centric story. Jerry and Beth have recently reconciled their marriage, but are still having a few problems. Jerry wants to get intimate but Beth turns him down. Thinking it’s because of his body, Jerry gets himself a new hot bod with the help of Rick and his science.

This issue feels the most like an episode of the show than any other I can think of. It’s wouldn’t be the best episode, but it definitely wouldn’t be the worst. There are some parts I like, and then there are parts that I think drag on a bit too long. The issue is about ten pages longer than the normal 22-ish pages, so that may be why. Jerry, in his new hot bod, blacks out and goes full “bro” and that’s funny. Then halfway through the issue, he has a growth grow out of his butt that talks and are 100% “bro”. It’s weird, and not good weird, just weird. It’s the part that I think drags on a bit too long.

The art in this issue is pretty good. CJ Cannon did a lot of the early art on the main Rick and Morty comic, so it feels very familiar here. It’s a good style that really resembles the TV show, without being an exact copy of it. Near the start, Jerry looks on the heavier side, but in a kind of real way, with just some slight chubbiness. And then the butt monster is something else. It’s not graphic in any way, and “butt monster” isn’t too much of an accurate description. But the art gets the point across with it.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this issue. I had to read it a couple of times, and that’s the best conclusion I can come up with. The art is great, as I’ve come to expect from CJ Cannon. And the first half of the story is funny and is one of the better Jerry stories from any version of Rick and Morty. But then the second half takes a weird turn and feels like it drags on longer than necessary. If this is (somehow) your very first exposure to anything Rick and Morty, maybe start somewhere else. If you’re a longtime fan, you’ll definitely find stuff to like in here.