The canonRick and Mortycomics from Oni Press are about to blowthe franchise’s entire madcap Multiverseto smithereens in the upcomingRick and Morty vs. the Universe, which will be a four-part miniseries, interspersed with a trio of one-shot comics that will add to the hilarious chaos of the event.
Screen Rant is pleased to offer up the exclusive reveal of the covers forRick and Morty vs. the Universe: Summer of Love#1, written by Daniel Kibblesmith and Jody Houser, with art by Phil Murphy, the first special coming in the wake of the initial issue ofRick and Morty vs. the Universe.
Described by Oni Press as “the first ever Rick and Morty comic event,” the hype surrounding the series so far has centered on whether the already-ambitious franchise can kick it up another notch, or twelve, apropos of a major comic book event storyline.
Oni Press Is Gearing Up For “Rick And Morty Vs. The Universe,” The Franchise’s First Major Comic Event
Rick and Morty vs. the Universe: Summer of Love#1, Written By Daniel Kibblesmith And Jody Houser; Art By Phil Murphy
The full synopsis forSummer of Love#1 offers a hint of the ludicrous action in store for fans asRick and Mortymakes history with the franchise’s first event series. As described by Oni Press:
WELCOME TO THE FIRST RICK AND MORTY VS. THE UNIVERSE TIE-IN EXTRAVAGANZA! Summer rockets into a Smith family crisis with cosmic implications! Rick and Morty are doing their bachelor party thing with Prime Universe, so Summer decides to throw her own bachelorette shindig for Parmesan! No naughty gummies or pennysaver strippers here—Summer will throw a bachelorette party to remember, complete with debauchery, violence, and destruction! Hey, this will end well! (News flash: It won’t.)
This tantalizing tease of over-the-top action suggests thatRick and Morty vs. the Universewill, in fact, be launching full throttle into a story arc that will live up to its name, and have cataclysmic consequences that will reverberate down the line for the legendary series.
Rick and Morty vs. the Universeis, in part, a celebration of a decade of critically-acclaimedRick and Mortycomics published by Oni Press. So, it is certainly worthy of a “go big or go home attitude,” even by the standards of the franchise, which already exhibits a routine tendency to push things to their limit. This is set to be no exception, withSummer of Lovealone promising to be “complete with destruction, violence, bad decisions, and truly distasteful bachelorette party favors!”
Oni Press Promises “Vs. The Universe” Wil Be An Ode To Classic Comic Crossovers
Rick and Morty vs. the Universe: Summer of Love#1; Available July 28, 2025 From Oni Press
Speaking aboutRick and Morty vs. the Universe, Oni Press Matt Dryer set expectations even higher, declaring:
Kibblesmith and company have expanded the multi-dimensional madness of Rick and Morty to epic proportions, thrusting everyone in Rick Sanchez’s orbit into a state of unbridled chaos! This series is simultaneously one of the greatest Rick and Morty stories to date, and a love letter to the classic comics event series that shaped and destroyed universes and imaginations!
As Dryer mentions,vs. the Universeis more than just an event series in terms of the number of issues set to hit shelves in the span of a couple months, but in terms of its approach to storytelling, which is meant to evoke franchise-defining superhero eventssuch as Marvel’sSecret Warsand DC’sCrisis on Infinite Earths, albeit warped throughRick and Morty’sfamiliar hyperbolic lens.
HowRick and Morty vs. the Universewill equally pay homage to and parody the form of comic book event spectacles will be the joy of reading the series as it unfolds.Commencing at the start of July,vs. the Universe’sfour issues, and its three ancillary specials, will continue withSummer of Lovein August, and from there be released bi-weekly through October, making this the dawn of a prolific and exciting new chapter forRick and Morty’scomic book adventures.
Rick and Morty vs. the Universe: Summer of Love#1will be available Jun 20, 2025 from Oni Press.
