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.

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: April 8th, 2026

Writer: Roger Langridge

Artist: Roger Langridge

Colorist: Dearbhala Kelly

Letterer: Roger Langridge

Editor: Nate Cosby

Covers by: Roger Langridge, Jae Lee

Official Synopsis:

IT’S TIME TO MEET THE SUSPECTS! After succumbing to the consciousness-clobbering effects of a brick to the noggin, Kermit the Frog finds himself walking a new beat in Dreamland as private investigator Flip Minnow. His first assignment? Tracking down Meringue Crustworth, the missing daughter of pie magnate Dolores Crustworth. Seems like a straightforward enough case, but there’s something about the situation that isn’t sitting well with Flip — something that goes far beyond his inexplicably deep-seated aversion to pies. Joining forces with the friendly beat cop Officer O’Bear, the green P.I. starts running down leads, which eventually steer the pair into an oddly unappetizing pie shop that leaves Flip’s phobias untriggered. But what the flatfoot and the gumshoe discover inside turns out to be even stranger than a narcoleptic frog in a trench coat! Master storyteller ROGER LANGRIDGE continues his heart-felt return to the Muppet realm with The Muppets Noir #2 — featuring sharply shadowed covers from both the author and guest artists JAE LEE & JUNE CHUNG!

Preview of Pages 1-5

Review

The Unusual Suspects

Have you ever heard of the allegory of the boiling frog? The premise is that if a frog is put into hot water, it will jump out immediately. However, if the frog is put into water where the temperature is gradually raised, it might not detect any threat, resulting in…an unfortunate ending.

While I’m sure our favorite amphibian private eye will eventually prevail, the temperature is definitely rising in his latest case. The second installment of Muppets Noir finds Kermit, aka Flip Minnow, diving deeper into the whereabouts of Miss Piggy’s noir counterpart, the elusive Meringue Crustworth. As the case unfolds, the circumstances around Crustworth’s disappearance get increasingly weirder – in the best, most Muppet way possible, of course!

While readers might debate how many answers they get from this issue or how many new questions arise, they can rest assured in the fact that the amount of laughs surpasses both in spades.  

Under pressure to produce results, Flip Minnow hits the pavement looking for answers alongside the trusty Officer O’Bear, played by faithful-friend-in-any-universe, Fozzie Bear. As they visit the various establishments of their monochromatic metropolis, readers are treated to more charming Muppet cameos.  While most interrogations result in dead-ends for Minnow, each interaction feels like a delightful segment from the Muppet Show.

Thanks to the expressive writing illustrations of Roger Langridge, these bits feel every bit as sharp here as they do on screen. Statler and Waldorf’s barbs hit just as hard, the Swedish Chef’s cooking methods are just as incomprehensible, and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s experiments are just as predictably unpredictable. While certainly nostalgic and on-brand, we also see some characters in brand new circumstances. Ever wondered what an over-caffeinated frog looks like? Pick up this book!

So far, the only downside to this book is around page twenty-four, where you discover that there is no page twenty-five. While waiting for the next installment may be tough, this issue is worth multiple reads. Each page is dripping with visual gags, easter eggs, and references.

Indeed, issue two builds on the solid foundation of the premiere issue, and sets the stage for part three. Like Kermit himself, Roger Landgridge has put together one heck of a show, and I can’t wait to see the next act!

The Muppets Noir is a Muppetational Mystery!

The next Muppetational Mystery will be available at your local comic book shop later this month tentatively on April 29th. Preordering your books at your comic book shop is always recommended. Be sure to check out the many current Dynamite Comics Disney releases: 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 #2 in the comments below. What cover(s) did you get?

Don’t forget to follow @DuckTalks and @DynamiteComics for all of the Disney comic news.