Comic Review: Rick and Morty: Corporate Assets #3

Overview:

App-loving alien, Glootie, has officially taken over the rights and likenesses of the Rick and Morty brand. Swiftly, he has built a corporate empire, dominating merchandise and media with Rick and Morty content. Surpassing his own expectations, Glootie is not done. Not until he has completely saturated the market to the point that there is nothing else to watch but Rick and Morty spin-offs.

Meanwhile, the real Rick and Morty are still trapped in a universe that doesn’t play by the same scientific rules. Thankfully, Rick is obsessed with finding a creative solution to get them out. Despite Morty’s urging to utilize tried-tested-and-true methods, Rick won’t stop until he can do something original. Especially after being dosed with psychedelic alien urine.

Our Take:

Thus far, the first two issues of Rick and Morty: Corporate Assets have been ground-breaking adaptations of the beloved adult animated series. The meta storyline incorporates an original story about Glootie taking over the Rick and Morty brand. On a deeper level, the miniseries is a direct commentary on the over-merchandised takeover of shows like Rick and Morty and other popular franchises.

The entire theme of the plot is underlined by an ongoing argument between Morty and his overzealous grandfather. His grandson’s obsession with repetitive media and mobile phone apps flummoxed the super-intelligent powerhouse. Reversely, the young everyman attempts to convince his mentor that fandoms and recognizable content equally have a place.

Surprisingly, this third issue in the miniseries takes the focus away from Glootie and his company Glom-Con taking over their new brand. Instead, the story shifts to the titular characters and their insurmountable battle to escape. And after Rick inadvertently doses himself up on psychedelic alien piss, the conflict between the characters heightens. However, Rick seemingly has found the answer he has been looking for, foreshadowed with one simple word, deconstruction. Whatever that may mean, the answers are sure to be in the next and final issue.

Despite the minimal appearances of Glootie within this single issue, his impact is clear. The comic features familiar-looking advertisements, dosed with fictional Rick and Morty merchandise. The clever placements are subsidized with glimpses at the rest of the Smith family’s new life. Now an internet influencer, summer is nothing more than a glorified commercial for all the latest Rick and Morty content. Meanwhile, Beth, who dies in the Rick and Morty movie, is the star of her own horse hospital reality series. And Jerry, well, Jerry has appropriately been buried and not seen at all.

The unique approach to this particular issue is a lot of fun. Seeing knock-off versions of our favourite characters selling car insurance is reason enough to give this miniseries a read. Hopefully, as this story concludes in the next issue, it can maintain a fragment of the subversive commentary that has helped separate this comic from every other piece of Rick and Morty content. Regardless, there is enough humour peppering the pages of this issue to make it a fun print to flip through.