Comic Review: Rick and Morty Presents: Death Stalkers

Overview:

Rick has accidentally ruined his sample from the doomsday planet that he stole it from. Leaving him with the only option to return and find more isotope-322. And if he hopes to get in good with the locals, he is going to have to bring Summer along to smooth things out with her former partner.

Unfortunately, things are not going so well for Hemorrhage. The Death Stalkers have turned against him after his insolence involving Summer and the glowing rock. Promising to deliver them more, he is abandoned to a swarm of zombie mutants. However, when the love of his life returns to his world, he discovers a new purpose in the closure that he receives.

Our Take:

The randomized Rick and Morty Presents series has brought back many beloved characters throughout the years. Though none of them are as necessary as Hemorrhage’s return. The aftermath of the season two “Rickmancing the Stone” left the new Death Stalkers leader in a bad spot. Not only did he lose his wife after not keeping her satisfied, but he also lost the precious isotope-322 which helped the Death Stalkers find some civility.

To be fair, nobody was really routing for Hemorrhage. Equally, Rick and Morty is at its best when characters like these are treated so disposably. Despite fans loving and craving returns from their favourite characters. The show works best when it is on to bigger and better things. That is what makes these comics so valuable. They are the ideal vessel to explore the one-off players.

After the way things fell apart between the Death Stalker and Summer it was more than clear that it would affect him more than it did her. And that was confirmed on the opening panels of this book when he is shown to be broken and defeated. Thankfully, he goes through a whole arc in this short one-shot comic.

Most of his hope comes from finding a small defenceless baby. Much to the same vein as The Mandalorian, this baby causes Hemorrhage to change his attitude. Even if this baby is not nearly as adorable as the one in the hit Disney+ series.

Speaking of which, the art in this one-shot comic book is unlike anything that we have seen from Rick and Morty adaptations before. Upcoming artist Ryan Lee delivers a raw and detailed style with magic for the eye on each panel. The doomsday setting seems to fit with his choices perfectly, but his renditions of the highly recognizable characters are impressive. Honestly, this was the most eye-appealing Rick and Morty comic books ever published.

There is so much packed into this one comic that it is a shame that this is it. There are so many places that Hemorrhage and his new companion could go. In fact, there are dozens of movies with a similar premise. But the artwork takes this book over the top and leaves you wishing there were 30 more issues to dive into. If you are off-and-on with Rick and Morty comics, this is a must-see addition to the growing collection.