Muppet Snow White 2 (May 2010)

I’ve decided Paroline’s art works well for Muppet Snow White. The book doesn’t require any suspension of disbelief–it’s hard to use that term when talking about a Muppet story–as the reader is constantly reminded it’s the Muppets doing a Snow White “performance,” as opposed to it just being Snow White told with a Muppet cast.

Paroline’s a fine, cartoony artist and it works perfectly in that context.

The issue has some funny moments–more smiles than laughs–as Snider and Storck seem to be targeting the younger audience while still leaving room for adults (the presumable Muppet fans) to appreciate.

The big problem is with the cast–the principal Muppets aren’t really important in Snow White (Kermit doesn’t even show up this issue). Instead, Snider and Storck are using the nineties Muppet creations, who are better as skit fodder than as lead cast.

It’s decent enough, but unremarkable.

CREDITS

Writers, Jesse Blaze Snider and Patrick Storck; artist, Shelli Paroline; colorist, Braden Lamb; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Muppet Snow White 1 (April 2010)

Snider and Storck take many four pages in the middle of this issue as an aside. Yes, they introduce Snow White and her prince, but it’s mostly just them having a lot of fun with the script. When the comic opens, it’s very much in the vein of the Muppet Treasure Island movie, down to Gonzo and Rizzo narrating it.

Actually, the aside has a lot to do with that narrative approach, because Rizzo doesn’t know the fairytale so he follows the Disney movie plot instead.

It’s a little soon to guess how the series is going to turn out because after just this one issue… it’s clear there are going to be some pacing problems. The writers probably could have gotten the entire story told in this one issue.

Paroline’s art is decent. It lacks any polish, which might eventually work for this series. Again, too soon to tell.

CREDITS

Writers, Jesse Blaze Snider and Patrick Storck; artist, Shelli Paroline; colorist, Braden Lamb; letterers, Deron Bennett and Troy Peteri; editors, Jason Long and Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The Muppet Show 3 (February 2010)

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Now, another interesting move from Langridge. As opposed to the previous issues decisions, this one… well, it sort of makes even less sense in some ways. The story arc ends here–the Muppets return to their theater, which raises some questions about why Langridge focused on what he did in the previous two issues.

He makes the point of the issue about something mostly developed in the Fozzie backups of the previous two issues. All of the previous issue’s story elements involving the Muppets–excluding Gonzo and Fozzie–are ignored.

It’s a fine issue–a good one–it just doesn’t fit with the previous two. Langridge has some excellent skits, plays at least twice with storytelling in the comic book medium… though he does have one surprise I–and I imagine everyone reading–guessed at the beginning.

Overlooking that easy plot point, this issue made me wish the previous two were on par with it.

CREDITS

On The Road, Part 3: Box Clever; writer and artist, Roger Langridge; colorist, Digikore Studios; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The Muppet Show 2 (January 2010)

To keep things going this issue, Langridge introduces a town full of Statler and Waldorf’s relations. They make up the entire town (and the entire audience for the Muppet show).

The regular cast–except Scooter, it’s a Scooter issue–has little to do. First Scooter has to contend with Fozzie’s replacement, then he has to deal with telling jokes the audience will like.

There’s a lack of narrative thrust here–I’m wondering if Langridge is beginning to feel he’s running out of Muppet stories–especially given Kermit’s disappearance for much of the issue. He ought to be around, based on the setup, but he’s not.

So far, the Muppet Show ongoing feels episodic. And not in a complementary way.

It’s a decent read, but I’m not sure it’s good.

At least, the Fozzie strip–featuring the real Statler and Waldorf (for some reason Waldorf is frequently misspelled)–features imaginative work.

CREDITS

On The Road, Part 2: His Wackiness, Clint Wacky!. Garbage. Writer and artist, Roger Langridge; colorist, Eric Cobain; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The Muppet Show 1 (December 2009)

Langridge takes the show on the road–I wonder how many times someone’s made that statement about this issue.

The Muppet Show, as a comic book, has a limited number of possibilities–I think I’ve already suggested Boom! have a guest star (i.e. a comic book guest star) for each issue–so Langridge’s solution is to make the performances mobile.

It’s fun issue, though it has one of those endings of Langridge’s I don’t quite get (Piggy says something to Kermit, congratulating him, and he apparently uses it as an advertising slogan for the road show). Also, Langridge takes Fozzie out of the equation, something I’m not sure about.

I’m sort of assuming Fozzie’s absence becomes important later, as Langridge does use continuity in the series (another odd feature, given the original television show).

Some really nice songs, great jokes and lovely Langridge artwork make the comic a fine read.

CREDITS

On The Road, Part 1: Watch That Tiger. Alphabear. Writer and artist, Roger Langridge; colorist, Mickey Clausen; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The Muppet Show 0 (November 2009)

I’m not sure why Boom! did a zero issue of The Muppet Show. Maybe to show off a different artist could illustrate Langridge’s scripts to good effect?

Paroline does a good job faking Langridge’s style, so much I didn’t even realize it wasn’t him until the second or third page. I just assumed he was being lazy because it was a zero issue.

As it turns out, he’s not being lazy. While the issue is a story within a story–Fozzie and Rizzo are trying to pitch a Pigs in Space movie and we get their disastrous pitch and the movie summarized–there’s a lot of the Muppet Show regulars. In fact, I think everyone shows up for a moment, except Rowlf and Scooter.

So, after thinking it was a strange thing to put forth as a zero issue, it turns out it’s a good sample of Langridge’s take on the Muppets.

CREDITS

Pigs In Space! The Movie; writer, Roger Langridge; artist and letterer, Shelli Paroline; colorist, Digikore Studios; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Muppet King Arthur 4 (March 2010)

A happy ending for King Arthur? The writers even comment on it. It does work, of course–so well I didn’t even think of a happy ending being out of place until they mentioned it.

For this issue, Boom! upgraded the paper stock to something shiny. It holds the colors much better and gives Muppet King Arthur a lot of visual oomph. The art was excellent before, but here it’s shiny.

It’s amazing, with this great art, King Arthur was a book I thought I’d be complaining about (visually). What a difference an artist makes.

The story takes some fun turns–Kermit and Robin’s pun-off is a pleasant couple pages, but the discussion of it is even funnier (the unintentional puns winning out).

Benjamin and Storck take a lot of time wrapping things up, taking time to give characters exits. Makes for a very pleasing read.

Great Muppet series.

CREDITS

Writers, Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck; artist, James Silvani; colorist, Eric Cobain; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Muppet King Arthur 3 (February 2010)

And the need for an overall narrative–or at least plot progression–finally catches up. The comic even opens with it, as Kermit (as Arthur) complains to his knights about their lack of activity. They’ve just been sitting around since the last issue.

So off they go looking for the Holy Grail. Muppet King Arthur might be one of the loosest adaptations in the ‘Muppets in popular, public domain literature’ genre, but it’s not like King Arthur really has a good four issue story in it. Taking that difficulty into account, this series’s approach makes sense.

But it’s also funnier without all the Arthurian drama. For example, Mordred–Kermit’s nephew Robin–is against him for not being taken seriously. Similarly, Piggy’s Morgan Le Fey is Arthur’s romantic interest, which works well.

Lots of good jokes, some great full page gag sequences….

I just wish there wasn’t only one more issue.

CREDITS

Writers, Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck; artist, Dave Alvarez; colorist, Digikore Studios; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Muppet King Arthur 2 (January 2010)

Apparently someone agreed with me. The art this issue is from James Silvani (with a different colorist too) and the whole thing is different. It looks fantastic. The Muppets are fully realized, not amateurish sketches, and Silvani loves the Camelot backgrounds. It’s an amazing difference.

The script is even better too, with Benjamin and Storck doing something very nice for a limited series–they’re following up the first issue, but not really doing anything to hinting at what’s coming next. It’s not a bridging issue, but it’s also not building in a traditional limited series fashion.

It almost reads more like an issue in a Muppet anthology series (there’s nothing here one would have to read the first issue to understand).

The anachronism humor is all solid, with a lot of good puns. There’s also a lot more of a “Muppet Show” feel, with a couple segments and direct references.

CREDITS

Writers, Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck; artist, Dave Alvarez; colorist, Digikore Studios; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Muppet King Arthur 1 (December 2009)

Muppet King Arthur has one rather big problem. It doesn’t really have any other problems, actually, as the writing is great–it’s funny as a Muppet comic–there’s plenty of the self-aware anachronisms the genre (the Muppet retelling) has always had, both in film and comic mediums. It’s also smart like a Muppet comic (or film) should be, accounting for adults more than children as an audience. It’s also beautifully paced.

So what’s the problem?

Artist Dave Alvarez is not ready for primetime. His artwork, if it weren’t digitally colored (poorly I might add, but they didn’t have much to work with), is about on par with a high school comic strip. It’s two dimensional and totally lacks personality. And he appears to dislike backgrounds as much as Vince Colleta.

It’s a shame. While I have hopes the writing will get even better, I know the art will not.

CREDITS

Writers, Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck; artist, Dave Alvarez; colorist, Digikore Studios; letterer, Deron Bennett; editor, Aaron Sparrow; publisher, Boom! Studios.