“Rick and Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons” has been blowing me away with the sheer amount of love it has for D&D in all its forms. Every page contains an ode to the history of the game or its current place in pop culture, all through the lens of Rick and Morty. So with the final issue wrapping up the campaign, does it end on a high note or does it roll a critical failure at the end?
Written by Jim Zub and Patrick Rothfuss
Illustrated by Troy Little
Colored by Leonardo Ito
Lettered by Robbie RobinsDungeons & Morty & Destruction & Death & Rick & Swords & Sassery & Hashtag & Ampersand & It all ends here, people & oh, yeah-Dragons.
Patrick Rothfuss, the multiple award-winning, bestselling author of The Kingkiller Chronicles series, joins Dungeons & Dragons fan-favorite author Jim Zub (Avengers, Wayward) on a tri-dimensional fantasy adventure!
Rick and Morty is one of the most popular shows in Adult Swim history, with a steady fan following since it debuted in 2013. This is the first official Rick and Morty team-up story and should have deep traction in fan circles!
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition sales continue to grow each year and the Baldur’s Gate video games have sold millions of copies around the world. D&D has returned as a cultural force in bookstores and online.
The idea of “Rick and Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons” seemed at first like an odd attempt at cashing in on two of the biggest properties in nerd culture. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course.) But from the first issue it was clear that it was far more than that – the entire series is a love letter to D&D. It’s a tribute to the game’s history, its present form, and the people who play it – all while mixing in the Rick and Morty mayhem one would expect.
While the past three issues explored previous editions of the game, from first through 3.5 (“We don’t talk about 4th edition!”) the conclusion is more based around the game’s story and how the characters play through it. In that regard it’s a perfectly good game story, complete with tying in players’ backstories and providing a few little twists here and there.
The comic brings the Rick and Morty cast into a Dungeons & Dragons setting perfectly, thanks to Rick’s technology letting him scan and traverse through an infinite number of realities. It’s a good way to bring them into the world without using the usual “everything is happening in the players’ heads” narrative framing that comics about tabletop games often do, and is perfectly aligned with the show’s style and continuity. After all, Rick and Morty have traveled to strange fantasy worlds before, it only makes sense that one of them runs on the rules of Dungeons & Dragons.
Writers Jim Zub and Patrick Rothfuss even blend the mechanics of the game with the action seamlessly. From the use of spells like Disintegrate and Banishment to text describing the challenge ratings of the monsters they fight, and lapses of knowledge or ability explained with a fumbled roll, it captures the rules of the game without having to pause and explain what they are to the readers.
But no game is complete without a dungeon master, and “Rick and Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons” handles that too. In this case, the godlike creature controlling their narrative is at first based off the Dungeon Master character from the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon – a great callback to those familiar with it. But it also takes the form of celebrity DMs (a term I’m still amazed is a thing) like Matthew Mercer and Satine Phoenix, or even the ghost of Gary Gygax. As I said, everything about this comic is an ode to D&D in all its forms.
The characters themselves become an interesting mix of their selves from outside the game and the characters. Summer is motivated by her character’s desire to kill ogres, Morty and Beth remember things from their backstories as though they lived through them, and even Jerry of all people is both smarter and more charismatic as a half-elf wizard. The fact that Rick’s attitude and refusal to play along makes him an exception, but because of that we get a different look at him that the comic highlights.
Continued belowThis all adds new layers to the characters, seeing them in different roles and positions. Without all the tech at his disposal, is Rick still the Rick we all know, or is he just a grumpy misanthrope? When Jerry can skillfully cast spells, is he still the loser that he is in the real world, or is that competence a real part of him? It brings this up naturally over the course of the issue well.
Of course, Jim Zub is no stranger to fantasy stories, having written for the “Pathfinder” and “Dungeons & Dragons” comics, as well as the recent D&D-inspired “Champions” arc. So it’s only natural that the story is engaging, flows well, and makes for a fine epic battle. We even get an epically heroic moment or two, which culminates in a really clever use of the Banishment spell.
Look, it’s a lot of fun to read as a fan of Dungeons & Dragons and of Rick and Morty. Everything about it is dripping with character and craft that only someone with a lot of care and affection for both franchises could pull off.
Then we have the art. In addition to the many glorious alternate covers (including character sheets for each of the characters – they’re all legit, I checked) we get solid artwork throughout that takes the style of Rick and Morty and applies it to a Dungeons & Dragons setting.
Troy Little has captured the style of the cartoon in both character and scene design. Everything feels like it could be a screenshot from the show, especially with Leonardo Ito’s color work matching the color schemes and shading perfectly.
But it’s the little details that really sell it. The crowded streets filled with a range of NPC archetypes, the tavern with a tiefling barkeep and kenku at the counter (or is it an aarakocra?) – even graffiti on a wall reading “Myrkul not dead” set it clearly within the Forgotten Realms. (Myrkul isn’t just a fantasy name, it’s a god of the dead in Dungeons & Dragons.) Monsters like a Gelatinous Cube and a Wyvern make brief appearances, and it’s clear at a glance that these are not just generic fantasy creatures, but the very specific monsters from the game.
Even the characters in action capture their game roles perfectly. In the action scenes we can see Jerry’s use of a Shield spell and Morty landing a Sneak Attack from the shadows, while in others we see Beth as the cleric getting her spells from her god, Ilmater.
“Rick and Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons” isn’t just a Rick and Morty comic, nor is it just a “Dungeons & Dragons” comic. It’s a perfect blend of both, an ode to the game from first edition to fifth that also serves as a fun Rick and Morty adventure. Throughout the comic, both the writing and the art carry a real sense of love for the franchises, and it absolutely shows.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – “Rick and Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons” is an enjoyable trip through the history of the game, overflowing with nods and references both new and old players will appreciate. It’s a great read whether you’re a fan of the show, the game, or both.
