REVIEW: ‘Rick And Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons’

I absolutely adore the Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons box set, and you should read it right now!! Apologies, I’m sure you were hoping for a more nuanced introduction setting up some eloquent delivery while seamlessly segueing into the body of my review. The box set of Rick and Morty vs. DnD is a joint project brought to you by IDW and OniPress. Written by Patrick Rothfuss and Jim Zub, with art by Troy Little. Let’s not waste our time, this box set is stellar, and if you’re a fan of the animated show you need to go out and buy this right away.

The story opens up with Morty on the bus on his way into school, when he happens to overhear a conversation from some of the kids across from him. By the sound of the conversation his classmates have been adventuring “I honestly didn’t think I’d make it out alive” he hears them exclaim. The stories don’t stop there, as Morty goes about his day all he hears around him are kids talking about spellcasters, ghouls, and rolling an 18 for athletics. Through a quick search on the internet, he finally realizes that these kids are talking about ‘Dungeons and Dragons‘.

When Morty hears the comment, “He’s just playing to get laid.” it’s more than his teenage mind can handle and Morty feels compelled to hop on the bandwagon. One problem though, our boy wonder has no idea how to play D&D. Morty decides to brush up on his D&D knowledge and visits “Hobby Haul” and is inadvertently invited to a game with a cute girl called Annika. After absolutely bluffing his way through the conversation and puffing up his D&D ability, he rushes home hoping his Grandpa Rick can somehow help him. After some brief mocking, it turns out Rick is a huge D&D gamer. This is about the time we start dialing it up to 10, and madness ensues.

I can’t find the words to truly tell you how much fun I had reading the Rick and Morty vs DnD box set. As a fan of the animation, I was a little weary of this series. Could the printed story really live up to the phenomenon that Justin Roiland, and Dan Harmon had created? Unequivocally, yes, it does.

Early on the first issue in this box set is littered with Easter eggs from the show, and nerd culture in general, so naturally your eyes linger a little longer searching for all the buried clues while appreciating the artwork. Little perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the show, the characters essence, and the humor through all of his drawings.

The story imitates every ounce of that je ne sais quoi that has made Rick and Morty so successful. I think the biggest compliment I can give this series, is that every element works so symbiotically, that it brings the pages figuratively to life. Not to overplay the humor too much, but the attention to detail in the sci-fi element, namely board game culture specific to D&D feels extremely authentic. Later on in issue three “Reality Bites (for 3D6+1),” we even get an extremely brilliantly woven in nod to the ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ animated show that ran from 1983-85 which aired originally on CBS.

You can tell that everyone who worked on this property, genuinely cared about delivering the best final product, and it was created and produced by fans. If you’re a lover of Dungeons & Dragons you’ll love this. If you’re a fan of Rick and Morty, you’ll love this. If you love both of these properties? Well, you may just have died and gone to nerd heaven.

Rick and Morty vs DnD is available in stores now.