#28. "Dog Man and Cat Kid" by Dav Pilkey

It's safe to say that after four installments, "Dog Man" is easily the most successful "Captain Underpants" spin-off to date. But what about a creature with a dog's head and a man's body is so attractive to literature? It could be that it's a satirical take on police procedural and superhero tropes alike, but it could just be that Dav Pilkey lucked out in creating one of his strongest universes, even if it exists within the mind of his beloved George and Harold. Sure, the animation is crude and sometimes the jokes are more blunt than thought out, but it's a world of childlike wonder the likes of which Pilkey hasn't obtained since the days of Professor Poopypants. Here, he finds a story that not only satirizes the moral struggle of heroes, but Hollywood in general. The boys have gotten older, and now their love of movies is beginning to impact their work.

#27. "Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties" by Dav Pilkey

Author Dav Pilkey had an impressive 2017 with the movie adaptation of his beloved Captain Underpants, which was met with plenty of acclaim. However, his recent output with spin-off Dog Man has been even more interesting, especially as it's a view from Pilkey but of his enfant terribles George and Harold, who have graduated to the fifth grade and now have a deeper and more mature stance on comic book culture. So, how do they apply that to their own creation? Well, "Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties" is a book that manages to mix in juvenile humor with a growing emotional subtext and a series of pop culture references that are fun and irreverent. The mythology of this series is unexpectedly rich, and with this book Pilkey and the boys may have outdone himself.