A Muppetational Mystery 

It’s a good time to be a Muppet fan. After the smashing success of The Muppet Show revival, a full series order seems all but inevitable. Meanwhile in the parks, while some of us are still lamenting the loss of Muppet*Vision 3D, Kermit and friends will be taking up residence as the new stars of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Indeed, we appear to be on the verge of a full Muppets renaissance. Fortunately, fans won’t need to wait long for their next dose of Muppet charm, as Muppets Noir releases this Wednesday, February 18th.

Excellent timing aside, Muppets Noir feels like a dream project. Remember the clamor online when people suggested that the Muppets would make the perfect cast for the next Knives Out installment? (Editors Note: They absolutely would and I will die on this hill). The suggestion became so popular that director Rian Johnson has had to address it (and sadly shoot it down) on multiple occasions. Clearly, the Muppets are no stranger to mysteries (see: The Great Muppet Caper) and the appetite to see them partake in more is stronger than ever. 

Muppets Noir takes this desire a step further, asking the question “What if the Muppets not only took on a mystery, but rather the whole genre that has defined them for decades?”  It’s certainly ambitious, and while the Muppets are always up to the task, it helps that they are being written and illustrated by Eisner Award-nominated Roger Langridge. Langridge’s prior work with the Muppet Show Comic Book is one of my favorite comicruns of all time, as he transitioned the Muppets from stage to page flawlessly.

Release Date: February 18th, 2026

Writer: Roger Langridge

Artist: Roger Langridge

Colorist: Dearbhala Kelly

Letterer: Roger Langridge

Editor: Nate Cosby

Covers by: Roger Langridge, Declan Shalvey

Official Synopsis:

IT WAS A DARK AND FROGGY EVENING! It’s time to cue the music; it’s time to dim the lights! It’s time to get things started as the Muppets return tonight! The show is about to begin at the famous Muppet Theatre, and the regular pre-curtain chaos has the troupe’s stalwart MC, Kermit the Frog, coming apart at the seams. In an attempt to de-stress, he settles down to read a few pages of a favorite old detective novel — only to get kayoed by an errant brick to the bean, leaving him laid out backstage as his co-stars try to coax him back to consciousness. But unbeknownst to them, Kermit has taken up the hard-boiled mantle of his fictional hero to walk the darkened streets of Dreamland, righting wrongs and cracking cases under the concealing cover of night. Flip Minnow, P.I., has no time for song and dance — not if he’s going to solve the baffling mystery of the Snoozing Sleuth! Legendary cartooning talent and Muppets comics veteran ROGER LANGRIDGE bellies up to the drawing table once more for an all-new tale of crime and pun-ishment with The Muppets Noir #1 — featuring clue-filled cover art from both the author and guest artist DECLAN SHALVEY, as well as an appropriately enigmatic DELUXE MYSTERY BLIND BAG! The Blind Bag contains two limited editions of the issue selected randomly from a range of variant covers exclusive to this offering — including a new original cover, colored blanks, and more! Please Note: The number of Blind Bags is limited, and allocations may occur.

Preview of Pages 1-5

Review

So does Muppets Noir live up to the sum of its parts? After reading issue 1, I can safely say that the quality of this book is no mystery. Langridge hasn’t lost a step in writing these characters. The flow of scenes feels like a segment from the original ‘76 show. The characters, even as their noir-counterparts, feel authentic. The jokes and musical numbers (yes, you read that right) feel right at home. The result is that same feeling of pure joy you can only get from watching the Muppets. 

This is paired perfectly with the set-up of a quintessential noir story. While a backstage mishap acts as the catalyst to our mystery, we are introduced to Kermit’s detective alter-ego Flip Minnow. Minnow’s narration of any given scene is exactly what you’d expect from a noir gumshoe protagonist…if that protagonist was also Kermit the Frog. With each encounter with a new character, Minnow starts to realize that there may be more to this case than meets the eye.  I refuse to spoil any furtherstory beats because, as with any Muppet adaptation, part of the fun comes from seeing how each Muppet has been cast. I will say, however, that every appearance of a notable Muppet made me smile, as each role was perfect for that character. Classic Muppet jokes and gags help bring levity to the mystery while never undermining it. 

In addition, Langridge’s signature Muppet art is on full display here once again. Each character feels instantly recognizable but stylishly unique. While the Muppet performers have all sorts of tricks to help bring their characters to life onscreen, the challenge of conveying these bits of movement or emotion is seemingly next-to-impossible on a still page. Langridge overcomes this challenge easily, as he infuses his unique style on the characters, allowing readers to feel every comedic beat and genuine emotion, from a stressed Kermit to a concussed Gonzo.

Langridge’s art balances the Muppet’s foray into noir perfectly. It would have been easy to make the entire comic black-and-white, and most readers familiar with the genre would probably expect that to be the case. Instead, while Muppets Noir features black-and-white backgrounds, characters and other key elementsremain in full color. The result is a perfect blend of a noir-style feeling, balanced with the colorful world of the characters we all know and love. Also, pay special attention to the backgroundwhile you read. While there are no doubt clues to the ever-unraveling mystery, there are also countless cameos and sight gags everywhere.

As a fan of both the Muppets and noir style mysteries, Muppets Noir nails it, hitting all the right notes, and blending both in a combination that left me both smiling and excited for the next installment!

The Muppets Noir is a Muppetational Mystery!

The next Muppetational Mystery will be available at your local comic book shop tentatively in March. Preordering your books at your comic book shop is always recommended. Be sure to check out the many current Dynamite Comics Disney releases: Gargoyles Darkwing Duck, DuckTales, Disney Villains: Gaston, Disney Villains: Maleficent, Disney Villains: Ursula, Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Shiver of Christmas Town, Muppets Noir, and Stitch.

Let us know what you thought of Muppets Noir #1 in the comments below. What cover(s) did you get?

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