Comic Review: Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventures

Overview:

Rick and Morty’s escapades in the realm of Dungeons and Dragons is still being felt. Now, a Meeseeks box has found its way into the hands of two unsuspecting adventurers, Blodgette and Crinious. Thankfully, their understanding of magic and Djinn help them adapt to this unfamiliar form of technology. It is no time at all before the pair are utilizing their new tool and friends, Mr. Meeseeks. However, this abundant source of high-tech power is certain to make an impact in a universe that survives off swords and sorcery.

Our Take:

It is no secret that comic books adapted from popular animated franchises tend to fill the bulk of the bargain bin. Honestly, nobody expects Simpsons and Aggretsuko comic books to challenge the sales of major superhero titles. These adaptations are less about breaking boundaries than they are about gifting some bonus material to the fandoms. However, when it comes to shaking things up, leave it to Rick and Morty to change the status quo.

Inarguably, one of the most successful adult animation-based comic books of recent memory is the crossover miniseries Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons. The 2019 title made waves upon release, and much of that excitement is due to the creative team of Patrick Rothfuss and Jim Zub.

Following the instantaneous popularity of the comic, Rick and Morty arrived in their own D&D campaign. It was not long before a sequel was written by Jim Zub, Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Painscape. The follow-up title did not receive the same level of acclaim as the original. However, it did help solidify the new correlation between the two franchises. Of course, it was a matter of time before more comics came out featuring the unlikely pairing.

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventures is precisely how it sounds. A book within the same universe as the previous title, with the interjection of everyone’s favourite annoying assistant species, Mr. Meeseeks.

Out of all the Rick and Morty characters to spin into the sword and sorcery world of D&D, Mr. Meeseeks would not be many fans first choice. However, within the first few pages, the selection begins to make more sense. For one, a similar species to the Meeseeks already exists within the realm in the form of the Djinn. The Djinn are blue genie-like creatures, making sense for Meeseeks to be mistaken for them. Additionally, the Meeseeks box itself works as a powerful artefact in the magic universe. It all works to make Rick’s creations the obvious choice to blend these worlds.

Honestly, the read is a fun one-shot, but there are many more exciting things going on here. First is the obvious expectation that other R&M characters could soon arrive in this universe. The next most interesting thing would be expanding the collaboration, including the character sheet for Meeseeks in this book and the potential for a game expansion. Finally, the more this crossover expands, the more payoff there becomes. The first two runs of this title are already better, thanks to it being developed even further.