THE MUPPET SHOW #1 REVIEW

[Blake Petit]

Review by: Blake M. Petit Blake@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Great

A message from the swamp brings Kermit down – can the rest of the Muppets bring him back?

Writer: Roger Langridge
Art: Roger Langridge
Colors: Digikore Studios
Letters: Deron Bennett
Editor: Paul Morrissey
Cover Art: Roger Langridge
Publisher: Boom! Kids

It’s time to play the music! It’s time to light the lights! It’s time to crack open the first issue of The Muppet Show! Roger Langridge has done a fantastic job of capturing the aura of controlled chaos that makes the Muppets so exciting and translating it to the comic book page. In this first issue, Kermit the Frog gets a letter from back home that leaves him depressed. His nephew, Robin, leads the rest of the Muppets in trying to cheer him up, but in the end, Kermit’s only real chance for finding his smile will have to come from himself.

The comic book perfectly mimics the format of the TV show, with the backstage framing sequence serving as the main plot, and lots of one- or two-page gags that represent the acts on-stage. We’ve got favorites like “Pigs in Space” and the Muppet News Flash, we have the Swedish Chef somewhat misinterpreting Robin’s request for help, and we’ve got a fantastic two-page musical gag with a bevy of frogs. When I heard about this book, I pretty much took it as a given that the musical aspect of the show would have to be ignored, but Langridge has even managed to capture those acts wonderfully. The poetry on the page lends itself so easily to a tune – I found myself singing along, without any idea of what the actual tune is. What’s more, there are some gags in this comic that fit the Muppet sensibility but that won’t work in live action – Fozzie’s “Hat Routine,” for instance.

Langridge has developed his own style for drawing the Muppets. While they’re all clearly recognizable, not all of them are strictly on-model for the physical puppets (Gonzo being the most obvious example). His interpretation is so good, though, that there’s no complaint at all. This is as good a version of the Muppets as one could possibly hope for in the comics. Boom! Kids has had a great launch for their line of Disney comics. If you’re a fan of the Muppets, if you want a comic to share with your kids, you’ve gotta get this book. Highly recommended!

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[Andrea Speed]

I've heard good things about this.

It's a very odd niche, but I think Boom seems to have found a groove in good adaptations of existing properties. That's pretty difficult, so kudos to them.