Muppet Robin Hood, the red headed stepchild of The Muppet Show Comic Book, is half over, with the third issue being released this Wednesday. Thankfully, the comic hasn’t headed into train wreck territory, but it continues to pale in comparison to Roger Langridge’s comic, which is destined to sit right next to this one on the shelf.
Thankfully, Tim Beedle’s script remains strong, keeping most of the Muppets in-character, while letting the Robin Hood story move forward. I say “most” because someone’s got to discuss the plot while the wackier characters make funny faces in the background. Johnny Fiama, who was revealed to be Prince John in the second issue, talks and acts like Prince John (with the exception of a stray “cannoli” reference here and there), though the rest of his inner circle, which comprises of Sal, Sam the Eagle, and Gonzo, are allowed to be themselves. Three out of four: that ain’t bad!
On the other side of the coin (and on the other side of Sherwood Forest), Robin Hood and his Merry Men are still characterized very well. In this issue, Scooter stands out by delivering a line that’s all but ripped from The Muppet Movie script. (In my head, it was even delivered with a good ol’ fashioned “Scooter Fist”.)
Muppet Robin Hood continues with the Muppet comics’ tradition of including as many obscure characters as humanly possible. In this case, they use the Archery Contest as an excuse to toss characters both old and new into the fringe. A few of them came as a real surprise, and I hope we see more in the next issue. I’m holding my breath for Doglion, Bill the Bubble Guy, and the Avocado.
And it’s not just the obscure characters who show up. Pepe the King Prawn lives up to his name as King Richard. It seems that he’s been busy touring with the Electric Mayhem Crusades. Bunsen and Beaker also appear as, um, scientists. I know, hard to believe. Of the main characters, that leaves just Statler and Waldorf to make an appearance. I’m going to hazard a guess that they’ll be on hand to heckle at Robin’s hanging. That seems like something they’d do, those sadists.
My biggest gripe about this comic hasn’t changed: it’s still artist Armand Villavert, Jr., who continues to do an adequate job. His art isn’t horrible, as he manages to capture some of the characters spot-on, but he completely drops the ball on others. For example, Gonzo looks like “fan art”, and not in a caricaturish kind of way (like Sam, who may not look exactly like the puppet, but the design allows him to show his expressions more blatantly) . His Dr. Teeth in particular is frighteningly awful. But on the other hand, his Pepe looks great, and I’m still loving his Sam and Janice. He also does some great renditions of the one-off characters, whom I’ll refrain from naming in the spirit of spoilers. They’re easily recognizable, yet not static. But in the long run, Villavert needs to work on his character designs a bit more if he’s being considered for any future Muppet comic projects.
I’m keeping with my original recommendation for this comic, which is that I think it’s absolutely worth buying, but it might be more readable in its inevitable collected format. And as much as I’m enjoying it, I’m glad there’s only one issue left, and then we can look forward to Muppet Peter Pan (and, of course, our overly nitpicky review).
Muppet Robin Hood #3 will be available on Wednesday, August 5 at your local comic book store.
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