Writer: Daniel Kibblesmith
Artist: Jarrett Williams
Colorist: Alessandro Santoro
Letterer: Crank!
Cover Artists: Dave Bardin, Troy Little, Phil Murphy, and Tom
Fowler with Nick Filardi
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 7, 2026
Rick Sanchez has landed his grandson in a whole heap of
trouble. When the young teen stands before the Council of the Universes that
Matter, the Parmesan Universe gives him an ultimatum. Morty must bring his
grandfather before the council to stand judgment, or Parmesan will erase him
from every universe.
Perhaps some versions of himself deserve to die. But Morty
believes that most of his alternate selves in the multiverse deserve to live.
As Morty sets off in his spaceship, can he find his grandfather? And can Morty
bring him back to the council, knowing they will erase Rick from existence?
Let’s leap into Rick and Morty: The End #2 and see!
Story
Attempting to think like his grandfather, Morty travels to
fringe space. On a planet that technically doesn't exist, Morty confronts the
Ball Fondlers, a Bounty Hunter team featured on a show that Rick and his
grandfather enjoy. But taking on a group of lethal Bounty Hunters, even
fictional ones, has its hazards. Thankfully, the New Vindicators arrive. Sadly,
the woman leading the superheroes is Planetina, Morty’s former girlfriend.
While showcasing Morty’s reunion with Planetina, Daniel
Kibblesmith offers a glimpse into Rick's redoubt. After fighting with his
grandson and failing to reboot a universe that hates him, Rick takes sanctuary
in a fictional home. He knows his fantasy family doesn't exist. But they enjoy
his company, and everyone gets along harmoniously, offering Rick a moment of
peace. Rick and Morty: The End #2 serves up plenty of action, but even more
drama, as Planetina still suffers the pain of their breakup, and Old Man
Meeseeks lives in agony over not fulfilling his life’s purpose.
As the New Vindicators hunt for Rick, Morty struggles with
the fact that no one trusts him. Morty is fourteen years old. He's a young teen
who is trying to figure out who he wants to be. And a universal threat against
all Morties everywhere doesn't help.
While he esteems his grandfather for his brilliance, Morty
has tried to avoid becoming like him. Instead, like Rick, Morty has left a
trail of destruction and resentment in his wake. And given his former girlfriend’s
anger toward him, and Parmesan’s wrath at Rick, Morty seems trapped in a
pattern of behavior from which he would like to break free in Rick and Morty:
The End #2.
Art
After scenes showing each teammate preparing for their
mission, Jarrett Williams uses a splash page to introduce the New Vindicators.
Titanium D, an Alphabetrian enforcer, makes the biggest impression. But aside
from the giant metal capital letter, their cool jackets make Morty yearn for a
similar feeling of belonging. When her team finds him and the Ball Fondlers
splattered in blood, Planetina’s expression clarifies that she is not surprised
that Morty has betrayed more people he loved.
Alessandro Santoro paints Rick and Morty: The End #2 with a
palette of bright colors. Like the team jackets Morty admires, blue often
dominates backgrounds. Blue also links Rick’s light blue hair and shading with
his fictional son-in-law. But green colors Planetina’s tale of how they tracked
Rick down. Her green hair, symbolic of her ecowarrior mission, also links her
with the green accents and furnishings in the home she associates with Morty.
Crank fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative
boxes with uppercase dialogue that grows bold for intonation and enlarges for
raised voices. White block letters introduce each New Vindicator, while sound
effects amplify the deaths of beloved, if fictional, people in Rick and Morty’s
lives. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
When his life hit the skids, Rick treated people he met with
disdain because his later actions would fix things. But when things don't go
his way, Rick settles for something that isn't real, knowing it cannot last, in
Rick and Morty: The End #2.
Rating 9.8/10
For more cover options see my cover preview of Rick and Morty: The End #2.
