It may be hard to believe, but Dav Pilkey has been the renegade author of an adult superhero who flies around in underpants for 20 years. In 2013, the "Captain Underpants" series became the most banned book in American schools (yes, even beating S&M fiction like "Fifty Shades of Grey") for being insensitive and juvenile. It only makes sense then that its latest spin-off "Dog Man" has a certain obsession with the low brow jokes and sloppy animation. To add further subtext, the series was created by two characters, of whom are chastised for their crude humor. Yet for those willing to put pretensions aside, what Pilkey has created yet again is a delightful, bizarre, and just plain fun superhero riff that doesn't take itself too seriously. Is it the best book ever? Not even by Pilkey's standards. Yet it's hard to deny that "Dog Man" at least has a good time with what it has, and your willingness to go along will determine your own mileage.
The compilation begins with the origin for the origin story. People familiar with the "Captain Underpants" franchise will already know the names George and Harold; of whom are central characters to the adventures of their principal-turned-superhero named Captain Underpants. In their free time, they draw comics. Considering that they're young and a bit lazy, their work that follows is pretty simpleminded, occasionally problematic with grammar, and full of the basic dog jokes. Pilkey uses them as a pseudonym here, even breaking the continuity of the various compiled issues with teacher's notes that add humor to how much of a troublemaker these two are. It's important to remember that this is from George and Harold's perspectives, otherwise it becomes problematic.
So, who is Dog Man? As presented in this series, it is the story of a police officer and his dog. One day they both get into a bad accident that throws them into losing their bodies. To compromise, the dog gets the head and the man gets the body. There's not much else in the superhero powers realm, but Dog Man has his fair share of canine features, including licking his commanding officer and going to the bathroom in improper places. While the central villain is a dastardly cat inventor named Petey, the series rotates additional villains that include the mayor and evil hot dogs. The story even gets existential as the absence of books turns everyone into idiots, leaving Petey a depressing and smart cat. Despite being full of low brow jokes, the segment feels oddly poignant.
Like "Captain Underpants," the work of "Dog Man" is pretty juvenile. Its humor pops up sporadically, mixing clever wordplay with slapstick amid sloppy animation styles. Yet where this could easily become repetitive and obsolescent, Pilkey has a gift for telling a solid story that projects everything to a solid conclusion. This is a book geared at children the same age at George and Harold, so the prose is equally as slapdash. However, one of Pilkey's greatest achievements is being able to subliminally inspire the power of reading and creativity. He may have been ahead of the curve when he launched "Captain Underpants" in 1997, but it now feels vital to kids who want to laugh and have a good piece of escapism.
It may not be his best work, but it features all of the hallmarks of his style. The occasional flip-book gag in which the reader flips pages to see often humorous violence is still here. Even the "How to Draw" feature gets cheeky when Pilkey explains how to draw an invisible version of Petey. These books may lack the intellectual levels of your J.K. Rowlings, but sometimes books like "Dog Man" can make for a fun quick read. It works if you're young enough to not critically think about it, or have the capacity to just enjoy what life would be if your dog was a superhero. Considering that there was a sequel released early in 2017 called "Dog Man Unleashed," it likely shows that there's a market out there for these books, and thankfully Pilkey knows how to speak to readers with dumb jokes without telling dumb stories.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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