Some animals unfairly get a bad rap. Just because they have sharp teeth or look scary doesn’t mean that they’re bad guys. Just look at The Bad Guys by Australian cartoonist Aaron Blabey. It’s all about a wolf, shark, piranha, snake, and tarantula on a mission to prove they can do good.
Their undertaking puts the group on a path of a series of hilarious misadventures. There’s plenty for kids (and adults) to love, whether it’s breaking 10,000 chickens out of a maximum-security farm or dealing with a zombie kitten apocalypse. It has even spawned a critical and box office hit by Dreamworks.
If you or a young one in your life enjoyed the movie, there’s never been a better time to check out the graphic novel series. Read on to find out how many graphic novels are available, the different editions, and more.
What age group are these graphic novels suitable for?
According to Scholastic, The Bad Guys are made for kids aged 7-10.
Looking on Common Sense Media, parents have rated The Bad Guys as being suitable for ages 6+. The site goes on to say:
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.
Are they in colour?
While the movie is very colourful, the graphic novels are presented in greyscale.
Using a combination of pen and Copic markers, Aaron Blabey’s loose style looks great in black, white, and grey. Colour is not essential to the story, and the jokes come across well without it.
Scholastic has released a full-colour edition of the first graphic novel. No word on if there will be future editions at this stage. I will update the guide if they’re announced.
Where is the best place to start reading The Bad Guys?
It might sound obvious, but the best place to start the series is from the very beginning in The Bad Guys: Episode 1. It introduces the core group of characters (except for Mr Tarantula, who debuts in the second graphic novel) and their core goal of trying to be good guys. By reading them in order, you see the characters grow and change as they strive to be good.
In theory, you can jump on with later episodes as each has a self-contained element. However, characters return from earlier stories and reference previous graphic novels. This might be confusing for some readers.
The Bad Guys Graphic Novel reading order
Take a look below to find out what The Bad Guys graphic novels are there and what the recommended reading order is.
The Bad Guys: Episode 1
Published in 2015.
Note: Scholastic Press has also released a full-colour version of Episode 1.
The Bad Guys: Episode 2: Mission Unpluckable
Published in 2015.
The Bad Guys: Episode 3: The Furball Strikes Back
Published in 2016
The Bad Guys: Episode 4: Attack of the Zittens
Published in 2016
The Bad Guys: Episode 5: Intergalactic Gas
Published in 2017
The Bad Guys: Episode 6: Alien vs. Bad Guys
Published in 2017
The Bad Guys: Episode 7: Do-You-Think-He-Sarus?
Published in 2018
Note: The Bad Guys: Episode 7: Do-You-Think-He-Sarus? has heaps of extras that the other graphic novels don’t have. These include an original short story featuring Dr. Marmalade, quizzes, games, and more.
The Bad Guys: Episode 8: Superbad
Published in 2018
The Bad Guys: Episode 9: The Big Bad Wolf
Published in 2019
The Bad Guys: Episode 10: The Baddest Day Ever
Published in 2019
The Bad Guys: Episode 11: Dawn of the Underlord
Published in 2020
The Bad Guys: Episode 12: The One?!
Published in 2020
The Bad Guys: Episode 13: Cut to the Chase
Published in 2021
The Bad Guys: Episode 14: They’re Bee-Hind You!
Published in 2021
The Bad Guys: Episode 15: Open Wide and Say Arrrgh!
Published in 2022
The Bad Guys: Episode 16: The Others?!
Published in 2022
The Bad Guys: Episode 17: Let The Games Begin!
Published in 2023
The Bad Guys: Episode 18: Look Who’s Talking!
Published in 2023
The Bad Guys: Episode 19: The Serpent And The Beast
To be published in 2024
The Bad Guys: Episode 19: The Serpent And The Beast will go on sale on 2nd July, 2024.
Buy The Bad Guys on:
Boxed Sets and Compilations
For those who want the most bang for their buck, there are also boxed sets and compilation editions of The Bad Guys. Keep on reading to find out more.
Boxed Sets
Boxed sets are a great way to get multiple books at once in a cost-effective way that also look great on the bookshelf. Each boxed set of The Bad Guys contains five graphic novels.
The Bad Guys: Bad Box
Contains: Books 1-4
The Bad Guys Box Set: Books 1-5
Collects: Books 1-5
The Bad Guys Even Badder Box Set
Contains: Books 6-10
The Um Even More Baddest Box Set Ever
Contains: Books 1-12
Compilations
Scholastic has also compiled three graphic novels in the one book.
The Bad Guys Collection
Collects: Books 1-3
Where can I find The Bad Guys graphic novels?
The Bad Guys can be bought at all good comic book shops, bookshops, Amazon/Kindle, online retailers, and on eBay.
You can also find The Bad Guys at many libraries. Use WorldCat to find a library that has this graphic novel series in their collection near you.
Discover more about the different options for finding comics and graphic novels with this handy guide.
Have your say!
Have you found this guide helpful? What other graphic novel series would you like to see have a similar guide for? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Facebook or Twitter.
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I have the bad guys collection books 1-3 and collection books 4-6. I’m wondering when I’ll be able to get more like this, I’m giving them as a gift.