Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Snappy dialogue and irreverent humor in fun graphic novels.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Parents say that the series initially offers a humorous take on themes like friendship and redemption, engaging young readers with its lighthearted narrative and belly laughs. However, many reviews express concern as the later installments veer into dark and inappropriate territory, featuring horror elements and themes that may not be suitable for children, leading several parents to reconsider their support of the series.
- lighthearted humor
- dark themes
- potty humor
- friendship lessons
- parental concerns
Summarized with AI
Based on 8 kid reviews
What's the Story?
In the BAD GUYS series, Mr. Wolf and his friends Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, and Mr. Shark try to do good deeds so people will stop seeing them as "bad guys" just because that's their species' reputation. After freeing 200 dogs from a maximum security dog pound and 10,000 chickens from life in cages and certain death on a chicken farm, they try to save the homes of cute, furry animals from demolition, only to be tricked by an evil guinea pig, who unleashes an army of zombie kittens on them. There are adventures in space, a creature with too many butts who is eating the Bad Guys, and all sorts of other completely realistic adventures that somehow all involve Mr. Piranha's digestive issues.
Is It Any Good?
These funny, irreverent books will hold young readers' attention and make them giggle. Don't look for serious messages about life and morality here. Look for -- and find -- engaging, age-appropriate humor, great illustrations, and a reminder that reading is fun. As graphic novels, the Bad Guys series has the flexibility to engage with readers on many levels, and it succeeds with both hilarious, fast-paced conversations between the animals and images that jump off the page. The few drawbacks -- that the constant bickering between friends could be a bit much for the youngest readers, and the only female around is a curvy secret agent Mr. Wolf is smitten with -- are overshadowed by the sheer joy these books bring to readers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the Bad Guys are on their adventures: Why would they care what their reputations are? Would you try to fix your species' reputation if you were them?
The Bad Guys fight a lot, but they always stick together. Do you have any friends that you seem to fight with a lot? Or are these friends more like siblings?
What other graphic novels have you read? What can they do that regular prose books can't?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : December 27, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 10
- Number of pages : 144
- Available on : Paperback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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