The final issue of Muppet Robin Hood hits the stands this week. (Solicitations say Wednesday, September 9th, but because of Labor Day weekend, stores will most likely have it on Thursday, September 10th. Call your local comic book store to confirm.) This marks the end of BOOM Studios’ first “Muppet Fairy Tales” arc, but did it hold up? Will it be the Muppet comic for all other Muppet comic books to aspire to? Probably not, but it wasn’t half bad. It might even be half good! I don’t know, I haven’t read my review of it yet.
Writer Tim Beedle does a competent job at plotting and capturing the Muppets’ voices, but he really shines at bringing the craziness of the Muppets’ world. I’d love to say more about specifics, but there are several scenes that will definitely work better as a surprise. I will say this: In this issue, you will see the most unexpected recurring Muppet character you can think of (no, it’s not Bozark), and you will see a brilliant two-page sequence featuring the Swedish Chef that reminisces something Monty Python might have done.
Unfortunately, it’s not all action and whoopie cushions. Beedle is still being weighed down with the task to actually, y’know, tell the story of Robin Hood. There are a few sequences, just like in the other three issues, filled with dialog used to further the plot. But I have faith that Beedle would do a fantastic job at writing an original story with the Muppets. If BOOM ever decides to publish a second Muppet Show comic (please never let Roger Langridge stop writing the TMS comic!), Beedle might prove to have the chops to write a story with that old-school Muppet feel that we all love so much.
Artist Armand Villavert, Jr. is still the weakest link for Muppet Robin Hood (for the sake of not repeating myself, feel free to check out previous reviews for my opinion on Villavert). But BOOM made some fantastic choices for cover artists. Amy Mebberson and David Peterson have drawn some of the most fantastic pieces of Muppet art I’ve seen, and I’m chomping at the bit to see Mebberson’s work on the upcoming Muppet Peter Pan comic. I’m also antsy to see if BOOM can coerce Peterson into taking a break from his Mouse Guard comic to do some interior art for any future Muppet comics.
So the question remains: As a whole, was Muppet Robin Hood any good? If you asked me, I’d say yes, it was a good comic, and enough fun to make it worth your dollars. But if you asked some other members of the ToughPigs forum, they might say that the characterization was too far off and the art was painful to look at, so it wouldn’t be worth your time, let alone the money. So let’s split the difference: I’m going to recommend buying the inevitable trade collection of Muppet Robin Hood. Assuming it’s similar to BOOM’s other collections, the trade will most likely be digest-sized and only cost $10. Ten bucks for a fun Muppety romp through Sherwood Forest? Sounds like someone hit the bullseye.
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