2 out of 5

Gimme a reason, that’s all I’m saying.

Even though I dropped Ryan North’s Adventure Time due to its repetition, I will say that North made the title his own: Adventure Time the Comic was its own incarnation.  This, to me, is what all of these TV properties should be aiming for.  Fan-nods are all nice and good, but guess what, if we’re reading the comic, chances are we watch the show, and generally we’re dealing with properties that are currently on.  So the only fan service you really need to do is feature the main characters… and yet, the majority of these books, if I fall into the trap of “I like the show I’ll check out the comic” – which, really, is what they’re relying on – most of these books don’t seem to really relax and get into it the way Adventure Time does (did?).  Instead, it comes across as someone else recounting their favorite episode of so and so.

Which is exactly how Rick and Morty reads.  The first sign is writer Gorman using Rick’s characteristic belches and stutters in the dialogue.  I’m split on this.  On the one hand, if it wasn’t there, we might raise an eyebrow, but on the other hand, its constant inclusion feels like the book is trying too hard.  So I think that peeling it back a bit would’ve been fine.  Because Gorman obviously does get the show: we have a time travel plot where Rick keeps denying the existence of time travel, some deadpan self aware humor, Jerry being a jerk, Morty being Morty…  And CJ Cannon (with Ryan Hill on colors) do a traditional and competent take on the look, but again, we’re just sorta beating the ‘play it safe’ horse, right from the get-go.  So I need more of a reason to read the book than just that I like the show.