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Comic book fans will be talking about 'Superman this' and 'Fantastic Four that' all year, but any parent knows the real comic book movie event of 2025 is Dog Man, releasing on January 31. Dav Pilkey's graphic novels launched in 2016 and have grown to more than 60 million books in print; appropriate considering that's also the number of times my son has read his copies of each of the nine books in the series. Dog Man isn't just kinda big, it's supa big - When Dog Man: The Scarlet Shredder was released in 2024, it was the best-selling book in the USA.

So if your young readers (first grade through third grade, or 6 to 10 is a good starting age range) haven't already fallen head-first for the head of a dog on the body of a cop, you'll want to check out the 9 full graphic novels and of course the upcoming feature film debut. It's been a true joy as a parent to see how Pilkey's books have developed my kid's fervent desire to read as many comics as humanly possible (my son and I finally have the same goals!). Likewise, Pilkey's Dog Man is great at introducing the imaginative possibilities of comics. If you're like me, though, you'll find that after a 60 millionth read or so, your young one may look to you and say, "Papa? What should I read next?" And thanks to this list, you'll have lots of answers, without getting lost in the perpetually expanding world of great graphic novels for new readers!

Below you'll find a complete guide for life after Dog Man, with all the best most age-appropriate comics to read. Best of all, you won't have to take my word for it, as I've enlisted the aid of comics experts to share their favorite Dog Man adjacent reads as well.

If you like Dog Man, you'll love the Full Dav Pilkey library

The first and most obvious answer is to read everything else by Dav Pilkey. You'll almost certainly want to start here with Cat Kid Comic Club, a spinoff companion to Dog Man starring Lil' Petey, Molly, Flippy, and a handful of other favorites.  

While Dog Man continuity is far from labyrinthian (Cable and X-Force this ain't), it's worth noting that Cat Kid Comic Club Vol. 1 was released in late 2020, after the first nine Dog Man books (Dog Man Vol. 1 through Dog Man Vol. 9: Grime and Punishment). Seeing as we're operating under the premise that you started with the Dog Man series, this shouldn't be a problem, but you'll at least want to be caught up through Dog Man Vol. 8 (Fetch-22), as this is the book that sets up where all the main players will be (particularly Flippy and the tadpoles) come Cat Kid Comic Club. Otherwise, it's quite easy to dive right into CKCC and enjoy what is, for my money, one of the absolute best ways to inspire kids to make their own comics! 

On top of that, Dog Man: Big Jim Begins just came out on December 3, 2024, so the Dog Man Universe is only growing.

Now, technically, you could call Dog Man a Captain Underpants spinoff, although at this point that'd be a bit like calling Justin Timberlake an N'Sync spinoff (and he never calls back, so I don't know why we keep calling him in the first place!). The tethers are metafictional, as each Dog Man opens with a brief introduction from Harold Hutchins and George Beard, the creative fourth-graders from the Captain Underpants books who are (fictionally) the actual writers and artists of Dog Man! It's yet another really fun way that Pilkey ties his works together and encourages kids to create.

The long and short of it, though, is a lot of newer readers are coming to Dog Man first, and still have the chance to go back to Pilkey's 12-book Captain Underpants series. These are described as "illustrated novels," a mixture of chapter book, comic, and all the toilet jokes you can shake a pair of tighty-whities at. Plus, if they enjoy Captain Underpants, this is actually the first Pilkey property to make it to the big screen! Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie came out in 2017.

Here's what the experts say about books like the Dav Pilkey library:

"If your young reader loves Dog Man, they'll enjoy The Dog Knight by Jeremy Whitley, Are Indigo, and Melissa Capriglione. It's an engaging graphic novel about a shy kid who magically transforms into a brave knight-dog, ready to face school bullies. The vibrant artwork, diverse characters, and themes of friendship and courage offer a fun twist on transformation that your Dog Man fan will appreciate!” - Stephanie Williams, Comics writer (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur: Wreck and Roll!) and historian (Strange and Unsung All-Stars of the DC Multiverse).

If you like Dog Man, you'll love funny animal graphic novels like Dog Man

The InvestiGators

John Patrick Green's The InvestiGators from First Second Books is one of our household's absolute favorite series of kids' graphic novels. The books star Mango and Brash, secret agent Investigators, as they team up with Octopuses, robots, sheep, chameleons, badgers, and regular ol' secret agents to solve missions only a super spy alligator can. Green's cartooning is incredibly inviting, throwing more puns and meta in-jokes per book than just about anything out there. Although the investigators do travel by toilet through the sewers, these books are far less reliant on the more crude goofball bathroom humor of Pilkey's works.

There are currently nine core books, with two spinoffs (and a third on the way in 2025).

Agent Moose

Not every comic on this list is going to be an animal doing a silly James Bond routine, but that wouldn't be a bad list! Agent Moose from Mo O'Hara and Jess Bradley follows in the style of Investigators, if slightly less madcap, as Moose and his sidekick Owlfred solve the mysteries of the Big Forest. There are three full graphic novels in the series.

Mayor Good Boy

Not only do kids love reading Mayor Good Boy, but it might have the greatest political solution of our time: What if the Mayor was just, like, a good dog? Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon have loads of fun with this series of three graphic novels for young readers, and clearly understand seven to 10-year-olds, as they quickly take their first book straight to the zoo. If there's anything better than funny animal graphic novels, it's a zoo full of them. 

Here's what the experts say about funny animal graphic novels like Dog Man

“For me, Aaron Blabey's The Bad Guys series is a wonderful companion to Dog Man, offering a delightful mix of humor and action that captivates young readers. Both series feature quirky characters and explore themes of friendship and redemption, making them relatable and engaging for young readers. The vibrant illustrations and clever storytelling enhance the overall reading experience, ensuring that fans of Dog Man will find The Bad Guys just as entertaining and enjoyable. Highly recommended.” - Mark London.  CEO/CCO Mad Cave Studios

If you like Dog Man, you'll love awesome adventure comics like Dog Man

Hilo

While I know Judd Winnick as the comics writer responsible for Marvel's Exiles and Batman: Under the Red Hood, it's only after I had kids that I realized his forever destiny is likely the excellence of Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth. Hilo is the story of D.J. and Gina struggling to rekindle their friendship when all of a sudden a superpowered boy from space crashes on Earth, bringing a trail of monsters, robots, and mystery with him. It's a series full of consistent action, friendship, and age-appropriate feelings!

Wings of Fire

For the uninitiated, Wings of Fire is Tui T. Sutherland's series of highly successful fantasy novels (those are books without pictures - BOOOO) that Scholastic's Graphix imprint has been giving the graphic novel adaptation treatment since 2018 (Hooray!). The comics about a world of dragons on a quest for their ultimate destiny are adapted by Sutherland and Mike Holmes, and are currently through the 8th book in a 15-book series of novels. 

If you have a fan of dragons and epic adventure, these are tough to beat. The Wings of Fire books skew on the older range of our young readers audience, and may be best for second grade and up. But as always, your mileage may vary depending on the maturity and general genius level of your amazing child!

Magic Tree House

Speaking of graphic novel adaptations, Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series has been getting the comics upgrade since 2021, via Jenny Laird, and Kelly & Nichole Matthews. Magic Tree House is very effective at a pure distillation of childhood imaginations (what if we found a treehouse and it transported us to dinosaur times), and both the graphic novels and the OG chapter books are a great fit for readers between first and third grade.

Here's what the experts say about awesome adventure comics like Dog Man:

"My personal pick for what to try after Dog Man is Chad Sell's The Cardboard Kingdom series. This is a bright, fun trilogy for readers 9 to 12 that follows a neighborhood group of kids using their imagination to transform themselves and their endless supply of cardboard boxes into anything the situation requires. The stories don't shy away from more emotionally complex subjects, and the cast is broad enough for just about any reader to recognize a kindred spirit. The most recent book in the series, Snow and Sorcery, came out in 2023." - Blue Delliquanti, comics writer/artist (O Human Star, Across a Field of Starlight)

If you like Dog Man, you'll love just plain good comics for kids who love Dog Man

Calvin and Hobbes

You may be familiar with this one. Bill Watterson's timeless comic strip classic pulls off that remarkable, Toy Story-era Pixar feat of appealing as much to adults as it does to children, a true all-ages miracle of art. Don't believe me? When your child finishes a 34th read of Big Jim, plop a Calvin and Hobbes compendium in front of them and just see what happens! Try not to get lost in the book yourself!

Big Nate

Speaking of newspaper comic strips turned massive kids' comic phenomenon, it's a straight line from Dog Man to Lincoln Peirce's Big Nate. Big Nate is great for kids newer to school because it focuses on the humor of their newfound forever home, while highlighting the coolest possible kind of person: an 11-year-old (can you imagine anyone older!). The long-running series is also great for voracious readers because it gives them over 30 volumes (and counting!) to dig into over and over after Dog Man. 

The Baby-Sitter's Club

If you grew up in the '90s (you know, *a million years ago*), there's a great chance you're at least passingly familiar with Ann M. Martin's The Baby-Sitter's Club, a series of approximately 10 trillion novels about a group of friends and their adventures while babysitting. Scholastic's Graphix line of The Baby-Sitter's Club graphic novels started adapting the works into comics in 2006, with superstar Raina Telgemeier adapting the first four before the series moved to Gale Galligan and a host of talented creators.

If your young reader takes to The Baby-Sitter's Club, it could be a great launching pad into the Raina-verse, one of the only comics creators out there who rivals Dav Pilkey for sheer popularity and sales power. Her graphic novel Smile is a perfect entry point from here!

Here's what the experts say just plain good comics for kids who love Dog Man

"I love the One Cool Duck series by Mike Petrik published by Astra. He’s one of my favorite cartoonists right now and his line work has this really playful, fun, and almost retro style but never feels stiff, sappy, or nostalgic. It’s just full of charm and heart and makes me smile. This is a very fun read for the whole family."- Dave Scheidt, Comics writer (Mayor Good Boy)

If you like Dog Man, you'll love comics for parents who are tired of potty humor!

Sorry, no such comics exist. Every good kids comic is at least *a little* gross.

While I'm only half kidding, if you're tired of saying phrases like "bogger eatin' toilet head" during a read-along, there are good options that skew a little older and more mature.

If you like Dog Man, you'll love comics to read with your kid who loves Dog Man

Amulet

Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet is an absolute gem in the young-readers and middle-grade comics space, a gorgeous Studio Ghibli-esque fantasy your kids can fall deep into. Personally, I found it a little too emotionally heavy for my first-grader to read alone (the series begins with the loss of a family member), making it a better fit for a read-along together so we could talk through some of the complexity, and enjoy the ride as a family.

Bone

No one tell my wife, but I won't sit here and pretend I didn't have kids almost exclusively so we could read Jeff Smith's Bone together. Every passing year is really just a checkpoint along the way to this journey straight outta Boneville. Bone is the ideal for an all-ages read adults can enjoy with their young readers. As with the rest of the entries in this category, as the book progresses some of the dark fantasy may be too scary, so as always, parent as you see fit!

The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics

This is a slight wild card because the original Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics are not 'for kids' in the way that the vast majority of TV and movies have been. Nonetheless, after the 2023 TMNT: Mutant Mayhem movie got my young readers obsessed with the Turtles, I found the Mirage era Turtles comics were surprisingly comforting and fun to read together. If these don't hit the spot, IDW has an 800-page compendium of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (comics based on the 1987 TV cartoon) scheduled for early 2025 release. Plus, we all know you've been sitting on a surfer-boy Michelangelo impression you've been dying to explore more fully. This is your moment.

Here's what the experts say about comics to read with your kid who loves Dog Man

"I have the perfect suggestion for comics after Dog Man -- it's The Unpetables by Dennis Messner. It's about two buddies that have escaped from their petting zoo, and are out to see the world. They just have one rule -- No Petting! It has a similar vibe, and it's very laugh-out-loud funny." - Chris Staros, editor-in-chief of Top Shelf Productions

What's wild is these are just *some* of the more popular comics for kids who love Dog Man. There are SO MANY more, and great ones are being published all the time! This should give you and your young readers plenty of reads like Dog Man to get you through the rest of the year.

Get ready for what's next with our guide to upcoming comics, how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to Free Comic Book Day 2025.