Parents' Guide to

The Bad Guys Series

By Carrie Kingsley, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Snappy dialogue and irreverent humor in fun graphic novels.

Book Aaron Blabey Graphic Novel 2016
The Bad Guys Series Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Wildone33
Wildone33 Parent of 4-year-old
December 17, 2019
age 4+

Crass but has some definite upsides

These books definitely have potty humor and if that offends you then these are not for you. My son is 4 and we randomly picked this up at the library. He loves that he can "read" the story so clearly because of the detailed pictures. I've even looked at other graphic novels but they're too complex in dialogue still. This is written at a lower level and easy to digest. We have discussed the insults and as I'm reading I'll point out that they're not being good friends. We also talk about how each character is feeling and how they react. The first few books were my personal favorite (before the butt monster) but we've checked out each one from the library. My son doesn't react to the poop or butts other than pointing them out. We just say "gross" and move on. Last thing, I recommended these to a friend who's son struggles with enjoying reading and entertaining new material. They have purchased all of the books as well. There are definitely some downsides and I think each parent can choose what they want their kid to read but I don't think the series is a write off.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
anrhill
anrhill Parent of 7-year-old
May 29, 2022
age 7+
The books are just fine but my mom loves it so much she's in the Indy 500 so that's why I'm leaving this review I hope you like the books too.
See all 6 parent 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?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (6 ):

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

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