How Many Dog Man Books Are There?

Some of the best books are – believe it or not – children’s books. These books are ways of introducing stories and life lessons to children without overburdening them with the drudgery and pain of being a fully fledged adult.

How Many Dog Man Books Are There?

Of these kinds of children’s books, there are none that are more beloved than graphic novels. The bright colors, pictures, and stories from panel to panel really capture the imagination of most children.

One of the most popular and well received children’s graphic novels of the last few years is that of Dog Man, a spin-off of the Captain Underpants series.

However, with the books being so popular, it is kind of hard to determine exactly how many Dog Man books there are out there for people to read. In this article, we seek to give the factual answer to this question, so you don’t have to go searching.

A Look At ‘Dog Man’

Before we jump to directly talking about how many books there are in the Dog Man series, let’s take a look at the background, universe, and plot of the series, while also trying to avoid giving too many spoilers for those who may want to read them in the future.

The first Dog Man book was released in 2016 by Dav Pilkey. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Pilkey always struggled in school due to having ADHD and dyslexia as a child and being taught in fairly strict conservative schools.

As such, he was usually forced to sit at a desk outside the classroom in the hallway.

It was during this time that he came up with his most famous and enduring character and series: ‘Captain Underpants’.

Pilkey started writing professionally in 1991 with the Dragon series, however it wasn’t until 1997 with the release of the first Captain Underpants book that his career took off.

Within the universe of Captain Underpants, the two protagonists write a comic called Dog Man, which they created in Kindergarten. At the end of the last book, they rediscover the Dog Man comics and reading them, they become inspired to rewrite and make them once more.

After the end of Captain Underpants, Pilkey wrote the Dog Man graphic novels and released the first one in 2016. These follow the tales of a part dog, part man superhero who saves people from vicious animal criminals that seek nothing more than the world’s destruction.

Dog Man was created accidentally by Petey, the world’s evilest cat, when he fused the body of Officer Knight and the head of Officer Knight’s dog partner, Greg, after they had been killed in an explosion.

Now he seeks to protect the world from further accidents like this, especially in the seedy underbelly of the city he lives in.

This is a great comic for children or even older kids, as even though it deals with some adult themes, it does so in a goofy way and in a way that is relatable to children. Not only that, but kids love a superhero story and love having someone to root for.

How Many Dog Man Books Are There?

The unique elements of Dog Man’s character as some levity to the situations he finds himself in and makes him an easy hero to love.

The Dog Man graphic novels also have plenty of side characters who are unique in their own way, bringing the entire universe of the Dog Man to life and making it not only seem more realistic, but also more engaging as well.

The love for the graphic novels and the story of Dog Man among the general public has been shown at a massive economic level, as in 2020 the Dog Man graphic novels sold over 3.8 million copies, close to 13% of the total comics sold that year.

If that doesn’t show a massive love for Dog Man, we don’t know what will.

How Many Dog Man Books Are There?

Currently, there are 10 Dog Man comic books, with one more set to be released very soon. These 10 books are:

  • Dog Man (2016).
  • Dog Man: Unleashed (2016).
  • Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties (2017).
  • Dog Man and Cat Kid (2017).
  • Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas (2018).
  • Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild (2018).
  • Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls (2019).
  • Dog Man: Fetch-22 (2019).
  • Dog Man: Grime and Punishment (2020).
  • Dog Man: Mothering Heights (2021).

The next Dog Man book to be released will be ‘Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea. Each book follows the adventures of Dog Man and his sidekicks, as they struggle to stop crime from a litany of different villains, with the odds always stacked against the canine crusader.

Like most of Pilkey’s works, the protagonist is someone who is outside the norm established in the comic world, but deals with the increasingly ridiculous events around them by jumping straight in rather than questioning the sanity of the situation, making for a funny and interesting read.

Which Dog Man Books Should I Read?

All the Dog Man graphic novels are pretty good, especially for kids. But if you wanted to test the waters in relation to which ones you should read, you should definitely read the first one.

It is the only one that isn’t one linear story, but a few different shorter stories that define the world of Dog Man, give you an idea of how the rest of them will read, and whether you like them or not.

If you do like the first one, then you should definitely read the rest as well, as they are equally – if not more – enjoyable, but they follow one large plot, rather than a bunch of smaller, unrelated plot lines.

Conclusion

The Dog Man graphic novels are a spin off the Captain Underpants books and are some of the most popular comic books around today. There are currently 10 of these graphic novels that have been released, with another graphic novel due to be released very soon.

If you liked the Captain Underpants books, then you are sure to love the Dog Man graphic novels.

Sophie Andrea