ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Rick and Morty Presents: Unity’

Rick and Morty Presents: Unity is published by Oni Press and written by Tini Howard, illustrated and colored by Marco Mazzarello, and lettered by CRANK!. The previous one-shot issue for this series, Rick and Morty Presents: Mr. Meseeks, followed when Meseeks accidentally calls upon a second Meseek while asking how does humanity find purpose in life.

Now, this Rick and Morty one-shot is a bountiful 43-page story of the dangers of not being able to mentally let go of a prior relationship, but you know, with all that Rick and Morty that we have come to enjoy. The issue features the collective hive mind of Unity. She first appeared on the show in season two, episode three titled “Auto Erotic Assimilation.”

Unity arrives on planet Earth looking for Rick and rather than pick up a phone to call him, or use the magical search engines of the inter-web, she begins vomiting in peoples mouths and assimilating them. Rick, however, is somewhat actively engaged in performing surgery on Beth with three community service interns looking for college credit.

The assimilation spreads far enough that Unity is able to text Rick and after using some provocative emojis, and a well-placed selfie, convinces Rick to call her. This rambunctious reunion lasts all of 10 seconds as missiles hit the Smith residence. This is not your normal booty call.

It doesn’t take long before the forces of Unity are able to apprehend Rick and escort him off-planet. All that’s needed now is one more piece in the puzzle for the hive mind to achieve her ultimate goal. But Rick Sanchez has other plans, though he’s wrestling between what he thinks he should do and he wants to do with Unity.

What Howard delivers in this issue is unbelievably funny. The humor throughout the pages of this issue are stellar. It’s hard to really highlight how she is able to translate the funny onto the page because of her use of humor is delivered in different methods throughout the issue. Early on Rick injects himself with a serum, climbs a tree, and defecates out three green eggs. Not only is there dialogue of pushing, but it’s a hasty push and the onomatopoeia is just too spot-on not to be funny. Yes, I am admitting to laughing at a poop joke.

The issue is littered with really intelligent humor and the deeper meaning that is threaded throughout the story is intelligently interwoven. At the core of this story is a message about relationships being difficult, and each of your exes having some amazing qualities but not everything you want. Howard calls upon self-reflection later in the issue as well, and how it’s used as a measure of self-defense to avoid accountability. Naturally this is all coated in that Rick and Morty style humor which makes the property so likable. Overall, this is a funny story because of how familiar and relatable this is.

Mazzarello’s art, and color style is very unique, but it serves this story fantastically well. While I wouldn’t say it mimics the animation style, but it captures his own distinct interpretation of the characters without losing any of the essence of the show. In fact, the pairing of Mazzarello’s illustrations matched with the humor and realism of Howard pairs fluently together. The end product is an amalgamation of a really silly, funny story with visuals that complement it. It’s this kind of synergy that really sells a great comic.

CRANK! is a lettering company that has worked on Rick and Morty for a while now and continues to deliver a high-quality product. They understand this intellectual property, and what’s expected from their author, and the fans. I bring up that word synergy again because each piece of this particular machine contributes at a level that only serves to better the overall issue.

After the reading the prior ‘Presents’ issue, I was unsure of whether these one-shot style stories featuring notable prior characters could continue. In this instance, I am happy to be proven so very wrong. As long as Oni Press keeps putting these characters in the hands of some exciting creative talent, the fans will continue to lap up this exceptional work.