Written by Tim Beedle
Illustrated by Arman Villavert, Jr.
Published by Boom! Kids

52 Pick-Up Week 29:

Never before have I come across such an ill conceived notion as Muppet Robin Hood. I loved The Muppet Show growing up, so I couldn’t help but check out this adaptation from Boom! Entertainment’s Boom! Kids division. I didn’t know what to expect, really, and I suppose I got exactly what I bargained for.

At its core, this is, of course, the story of Sir Robin of Loxsley. The players, of course, are the staples of The Muppet Show and subsequent Muppet movies. The result is a hodgepodge tale that conveys the basics of the source material while draping it in “comedy.” Here’s where everything falls apart.

This book relies very heavily on two kinds of jokes - pedantic, childish gimmicks to please the younger crowd and Muppet Show throwbacks for those of us old enough to remember it. The problem is, kids simply won’t get what the hell’s going on during the throwbacks, and the older audiences will have to suffer through the immature jokes just for a taste of nostalgia. No one wins.

On top of all of this, the art is a bit weak. It’s not terrible, by any means, and you should be able to identify all of your favorite characters. It’s just… not what I would’ve wanted to see.

Muppet Robin Hood is a disappointing experiment in going from Muppet movies to Muppet comics, and as such gets 2.5 out of 5 giant chickens. If you’re looking for a clever adaptation of the tale of Robin Hood, go with the Disney animated version, or - if you want a few laughs - Robin Hood: Men in Tights. These feels a bit like that, but without the merriment.

I may try one of the other Muppet comics in the future, but I’m not sure. To be fair, I did skim through the fourth and final issue of this miniseries and found it considerably better than the first; though still flawed. The improvement came at the expense of the silliness and a greater focus on the nostalgic references - fine for me, but in a book published by Boom! Kids, it may be going right over its target audience’s head. A parent buying this book for their eight year old might love it, but that kid’s probably not going to understand why the two ancient knights are heckling the bear with the bald spot.