Rick and Morty's summer gets extra weird in new variant covers

Rick and Morty: Crisis on C-137 variant cover
Rick and Morty: Crisis on C-137 variant cover (Image credit: Oni Press)

Rick and Morty are setting off on big adventures this summer, in two upcoming Oni Press titles: Big Dumb Summer Vacation, and Crisis on C-137. Newsarama readers get a sneak peek at special variant covers for each. 

Debuting in July, Rick and Morty Presents: Big Dumb Summer Vacation #1 is written by Annie Griggs, with art by Puste, colors by Leonardo Ito, and letters by Crank! Rick travels to a planet with bizarre rules for beach access, so Jerry naturally does everything in his power to break them all. Apparently, there are Sun Parasites involved, which definitely sounds like the most horrible summer vacation ever.

"We all love summer and having #goodvibes but in the face of doom, toxic positivity is just the worst," says Griggs. "Rick's big (and dumb) summer vacation is ruined by Jerry and his new annoying positive friend, Heliofrank. Can Rick escape all the gross good summer vibes? I dunno. Hope so! Anyway, check out these great variant covers! Looks cool!"

Puste adds, "Rick's stupid vacation with his whole family!  new friends, beaches, Hawaiian shirts, sun, lots of sun... how can this great plan be spoiled?  Find out in a wacky new Rick and Morty adventure."

Rick and Morty Presents: Big Dumb Summer Vacation #1 goes on sale July 27. Check out variant covers by Fred C. Stresing and Devaun Dowdy below.

Meanwhile, Oni Press is also releasing a four-part limited series that's much less laid-back than even the most ridiculous summer vacation. Rick and Morty: Crisis on C-137 debuts in August, and is written by Stephanie Phillips, with art by Ryan Lee, colors by Doug Garbark, and letters by Crank!

Now that the Vindicators are gone, Rick, Morty, and Noob Noob have to defend the galaxy against a threat so massive, it's actually beyond time itself.

"Rick and Morty allows you to be extremely creative and inventive, so we wanted to take the insanity of Rick and Morty and pair it with the kind of story you would typically find in a big superhero event... and then let even more insanity unfold," says writer Stephanie Phillips. "Ryan Lee is the perfect partner on this project, and his art has elevated the story beyond anything I could have conceived of. With Doug Garbak on colors and Crank! on letters, this team feels absolutely perfect and I'm honored to be a part of it."

"Collaborating with the brilliant mind of Stephanie Phillips on Crisis has indulged my most absurd and untethered sensibilities. Equal parts satire and love letter to the 'big event' superhero comics genre, Rick and Morty allows for huge creative swings throwing our favorite characters into a blender of cosmic chaos. This is exploration without limits - gonzo scenarios and characters that are insanely fun to draw. Doug Garbark and Chris Crank round out this stacked creative ensemble with their advanced skill sets on color and letters respectively."

Rick and Morty: Crisis on C-137 #1 is on sale August 10. Check out variant covers by Angela Trizzino and Jarrett Williams below.

Rick and Morty fans have plenty to look forward to this summer,  but if comics aren't enough, you can always revisit the best Rick and Morty episodes. 

Samantha Puc
Editor, Newsarama

Samantha Puc (she/they) is an editor at Newsarama and an avid comics fan. Their writing has been featured on Refinery29, Bitch Media, them., The Beat, The Mary Sue, and elsewhere. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction at The New School.

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