The first time I was exposed to Dungeons & Dragons was when I was in middle school. One of my friends asked if I wanted to play. I didn’t quite understand the game or even its allure at the time. It seemed to me that it was just pretending to be someone you weren’t, which I found was what made it so compelling. The next time I’d see anyone play it was when I was in the Navy.

The game itself is steeped in lore and contained hundreds of characters which explained why some of the smartest people I knew played the game in the first place. The negotiation and social skills one would learn from the game is something one would never think you can get from roleplaying. Fast forward to today and RPGs are some of the best kind of games you can play in person, on game consoles, and even on your mobile device. This what made Patrick Rothfuss’ collaboration with Jim Zub for the crossover between D&D and Rick & Morty so appealing. We get a deluxe edition of the first issue in the series, Rick And Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons #1: Directors Cut.

We find Morty on the school bus, as he listens in on two kids who play D&D, who are deep into a game, one which intrigues Morty enough to want in. As he ends up going to hobby store to pick up a handbook and ends up flirting with a girl working there. As he starts reading, he soon realizes that he is out of his depth and asks Rick to teach him. As he shows him how he learned, which is far out of date for nay player, which forces Rick to step his game up. This leads to him creating a machine where both of them can build characters and play the actual game within a game.

Overall, an excellent tale that imbues the love of the game and of the people that play them, as this edition gives readers extra scenes and an excellent behind the scenes of the book. The story by Rothfuss and Zub is hilarious, action packed and well developed. The art by the creative team is pretty much gorgeous. Altogether, a joy ride for fans of the game and the TV show and this special edition is for fans of the creative team and the astounding work they did on this book.

Story: Patrick Rothfuss and Jim Zub
Art: Troy Little, Leonard Ito, Robbie Robbins and Alex Cormack
Story: 10 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing and Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.