Marvel Studios and The Muppets are kind of similar when you really think about it. Both are long running institutions that continue to entertain die-hard fans, reinventing themselves to appeal to a new generation. Not content with the public adoration over The Muppet Show’s reboot event or Avengers: Doomsday’s impending release, both properties are teaming up for something so big you’ll only have one-shot to experience it. Prepare for The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe!
Muppet Mayhem Becomes A Four Panel Free-For-All
Apparently Marvel Comics’ covers paying tribute to The Muppets’ 70th anniversary went over so well last year that they decided to dig a little deeper. And what better occasion than another anniversary? This time we’re celebrating five decades of The Muppet Show, with a single issue comic that’ll be available on September 23rd.
What’s more, other Muppet-infused variant covers will be hitting Marvel titles throughout that very month. Per the official press release, here’s what madness awaits in the fall:
It’s all hands on deck as superstar creators including Eisner-winning Muppets super fan Chip Zdarsky and acclaimed artist Pete Woods, along with Ashley Allen, MacKenzie Cadenhead, Kyle Starks, David Baldeon, Mike Henderson and more unleash The Muppets’ trademark chaos on the Marvel mythos!
As you can tell from the art above, this exercise is an excuse to see the likes of Kermit the Frog and Spider-Man mix it up. Which, quite frankly, is something I think we could all use a bit more of in our lives. One person that seems to agree with me is The Muppets Studio’s Vice President Leigh Slaughter, courtesy of these remarks on The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe:
It has been exciting for The Muppets Studio to collaborate with Marvel Comics in a new and unique way to bring the personality, humor and mayhem of The Muppets into the Marvel Universe and vice versa. To do this during the 50th anniversary year of ‘The Muppet Show’ makes this project even more meaningful.
With so much celebration surrounding 50 years of The Muppet Show, there’s no better way to play into the occasion than getting into some multiversal mischief. Which is a good doorway into the details of what to expect in this madness and merriment.
The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe Is About To Outdo The Avengers
Alright, it’s time to raise the curtain on exactly what sort of Muppet adventures we’re going to be reading in September. Without further ado, here’s the story synopsis for The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe:
Tonight’s very special guest stars—THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! Enjoy epic tales told in the Mighty Marvel Muppet Manner including:
- Rowlf the Dog is kidnapped by Mojo to help launch his new streaming service! It’s the crossover no one saw coming as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Wolverine, Emma Frost and many more team up to save the day in this pop culture history-making adventure by Chip Zdarsky and Pete Woods.
- Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker welcome Bruce Banner and Hank Pym to Muppet Labs for a daring experiment with Gamma Rays and Pym Particles! What could go wrong? Find out in this explosive story from Kyle Starks and Mike Henderson.
- When Clea falls ill from a mystical virus and Doctor Strange doesn’t have the cure—help arrives from the unlikeliest of sources: the Swedish Chef, in this appetizing tale from Ashley Allen and Paco Medina.
- Pigs in Space meet raccoons in space! Cosmic chaos ensues when Captain Link Hogthrob, First Mate Piggy, and Dr. Julius Strangepork crash into Rocket Raccoon and Groot in an intergalactic romp by MacKenzie Cadenhead and David Baldeon.
- And more, including stories by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Adam F. Goldberg, E.J. Su and Áthila Fabbio.
I’m glad that there are still some surprises still in the offing in the future, because this handful of stories already have me ready to camp out at my local comic store. Any team up that puts Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie in a lineup that includes Wolverine, Black Panther, “and many many more” automatically has my attention.
However, that Muppet Labs story with The Incredible Hulk and Ant-Man is also a tasty prospect. This sort of star power puts Avengers: Doomsday’s director’s chair stunt to shame, and something tells me Joe from Legal is still recovering from the contract signings. (Maybe that’s why this is only a one-shot.)
On the plus side, that means it’s time for even more variant covers featuring The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe’s cast. If you like those Spider-Man items shown above, get ready for this:
You know something, I can definitely see Deadpool’s Merc with the Mouth as a Muppet Treasure Island fan. Which means he’s celebrating that film’s 30th anniversary in style by becoming a part of its cast. We’ll be able to finally get things started with The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe, on September 23rd. So be sure to put those pre-orders in now, and don’t forget to keep a browser tab opened to THS Comic Book news, for all updates chaotic and colorful in the world of the funny pages.
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