Review by Frank Plowright

The Smith family are already having the worst holiday ever when they’re abducted by aliens in the only story in this volume featuring the ideal combination of a Kyle Starks strip drawn by CJ Cannon (sample art). Matching the TV show joke for joke and with immaculate cartooning the pair seem so effortlessly good, but that quality takes a lot of work, and it’s a great story.

Pamela Ribon’s contribution features Summer, sick of the boys she dates and finding comfort in the robotic program within the family’s flying car as it responds to her feelings and needs. Were it not for scripts from Starks having such a high joke ratio this would seem fine, but while funny in places it takes too long to get to the next joke. Artist Erica Hayes is new to the series and immediately copes with the cast.

Cannon is back for the next selection again focussing on Summer, but this time with Tini Howard writing. Summer finds a universe where she not only has friends, but she’s popular and decides that’s the place for her. It’s a Rick and Morty story, though, so naturally there’s something she’s not taken into consideration. Howard hits gold first time out, and even manages to make a point along with the jokes.

With Starks so consistently turning out great scripts it shouldn’t be such a great sacrifice to endure his art every once in a while, but it’s basic. He draws an unusual plot for relegating Rick to the role of supporting character to an alien who discovers an appetite for killing. It’s different, and certainly works as a story, just not necessarily a Rick and Morty story.

So what if Rick created Jurassic Park, but with tame dinosaurs? Starks explores that in the company of Marc Ellerby, ensuring the dinosaurs might be tame, but there’s another threat and that’s down to Rick. The joke ratio isn’t quite as high as usual in a Starks strip, but it still hits the spot, although ends abruptly. Still the way of things in Rick and Morty is everything will be okay again by Volume Eight.

‘The Rick Identity’ closes the selection, four short chapters by Magdalene Visaggio constantly toying with identity. Is Morty Morty? Or is he Jerry? Or Summer? Even Rick’s not quite sure and figured he’d solve the problem by inventing a machine that overwrites their personalities to fix things. It’s clever, and it’s confusing, and Visaggio keeps escalating the befuddlement to a fine ending. It’s obvious, but only once Visaggio has placed it in front of you.

This isn’t the best Rick and Morty selection overall, but there’s more than enough to ensure the fun is had. If you’re really captivated, everything here is also in the hardcover Rick and Morty Book Five.