Review by Frank Plowright

With Volume Four Kyle Starks takes over the Rick and Morty comics, and he’d go on to write, and occasionally draw, more than any other creator. It’s a heaven-made match, as while Starks’ earlier series (see recommendations) always had something of interest, they were inconsistent. However, give Starks the formula supplied by Rick and Morty on screen and he can match the manic insanity and quickfire dialogue, Rick’s relentlessly self-centred justification and Morty’s general compliance. For a fair while he’s also blessed in CJ Cannon sticking around as series artist.

The opening story being titled ‘Br-Ricking Bad’ offers a clue as to the inspiration being TV show Breaking Bad, but the only common point is Rick’s income taking an upturn through supplying drugs. Being Rick, though, he doesn’t so manufacture quality crack, but sources his product from the intestines of a penp, which involves a trip to another dimension and Morty doing the literal dirty work. It’s joke and incident packed and features multiple Meeseeks, so who could ask for more?

Marc Ellerby draws the following story, in which a message needs to be delivered to a king. Sounds simple, right? It’s anything but, and Starks may have set a hilarious new low in the way in which Rick exploits Morty. Ellerby’s the first choice replacement artist on the series, and that’s because he’s good.

Starks drawing isn’t as good. His illustrations are flat and nowhere near as imaginative as Cannon or Ellerby, concentrating on the cast in close-up for his story of Morty experiencing an artificially induced puberty to impress a girl at school. It’s a good plot, but would look better drawn by another artist.

Ellerby is now writing the back-up strips in addition to drawing them, and really has a handle on Rick’s callous nature, and all five shorts are funny. The best? It’s a toss up between Mecha Morty entered in a contest for a bet and the replacement Jerry decoy model, who of course is an improvement in every respect.

These stories can be found in the hardback Rick and Morty Book Two, and are scheduled for the second Rick and Morty Compendium in Spring 2024.