With each passing entry, Dav Pilkey has found new ways to make his "Dog Man" series his best work yet. Nobody would guess that a story that centers around a dog with the body of a human police officer would capture so much pathos, reflect the impacts of trauma across three generations, and present it through the guise of a story written by a bunch of juvenile kids. The ninth spin-off from "Captain Underpants" maybe pushes things into something more impressive, landing nicely between the wacky slapstick that has always been the cornerstone of the series and an ending that is downright eviscerating. Most of all, it's evidence that heavy themes are capable of appealing to younger audiences, capturing something human in the absurd. While it may not necessarily be the most memorable story in this series, it's definitely evidence of why Pilkey is so much more than a goofball.
Continuing the saga of Dog Man is a familiar arc. The titular character finds himself in a heap of trouble and gets fired just as chaos is about to hit town. Meanwhile, there's the B-Plot, which is where the heart of the series has migrated to. "Former" villain Petey is trying to become a good father while outrunning his past. His son, L'il Petey is doing everything to be a do-gooder with Dog Man and sidekick 80-HD, but the pressure for Petey to forgive himself is difficult, especially when Petey's Father is a staunch, life-long criminal who breaks free of prison and sets everything amok whenever he gets the chance. He believes that you can't change, that if you're bad you'll always be bad. It's the emotional conflict that plays against the main action, which is just as wacky as they come.
Much like the previous entries, the story is written from the perspective of George Beard and Harold Hutchins, who named this particular entry after Fyodor Dostoyefsky's "Crime and Punishment." With small references thrown throughout, the narrative grows complex as it becomes a deep study of morality. Will Petey help everyone save the day, or stand by and let the pressure to be the villain overwhelm him? In a perfect antithesis, he's also dealing with L'il Petey, who is curious about what happened to his mother. The story ends on a poetic note of silence with the cartoon characters overlooking the grave and reflecting on how everything will be fine. As somber as it is, it's Pilkey's perfect long-term game where he's slowly built enough empathy for the characters to allow this to happen. Where Petey started as a comic fool, he is now a complex and sad figure.
It's evidence of how the story has grown underneath the surface. Meanwhile, Pilkey has a strong penchant for making the surface-level plot as wildly inventive as ever. There's plenty of visual gags and puns, where the Flip-O-Rama's become more creatively designed, and the mayhem overwhelms several panels. It may not be the most cohesive chapter yet, but those who love the characters will find plenty to enjoy in how they work together to solve problems. There are minor grievances that lead to humorous fighting. It's business as usual, though maybe with more direct destruction than normal. By this point, readers are well aware of what to expect, and it's not Pilkey's most creative output.
With that said, it does feature the world continuing to expand. As a study on how to get kids into reading and writing, Pilkey features a covert introduction to his next series "Cat Kid Comics Club" when he mutates a pond of tadpoles that gain sentience and wants to learn how to be more creative. It's a subplot to a ridiculous subplot, but one that only shows how wildly creative and exuberant this franchise is. Much like the back pages that teach audiences how to draw characters and "read to your pet," Pilkey has always been a master of making the arts the least pretentious that they've ever been without robbing them of their power. Given that this also features some strong emotional sway in Petey's arc, it definitely helps to make the world more rewarding.
Whatever "Grime and Punishment" lacks in being the funniest or most exciting entry in the series, it continues the trend of making Dog Man a complex study of humanity. Without sacrificing any artistic integrity, Pilkey has slowly introduced more and more emotional weight to his characters, allowing the power to be reasonably executed. The series continues to be a delightful look into children's literature and shows the capability for these type of stories to be a lot sillier and a lot sadder than many authors would allow. Even if this is one of the more uneven chapters, the ending still packs a punch and makes the continuing depth to be essential, maybe even the best work that Pilkey has written. His balancing act is, in some sense, ridiculous. Luckily that's a very good compliment.
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