Review of "Dogman: Lord of the Fleas," by Dav Pilkey

 Review of

Dogman: Lord of the Fleas, by Dav Pilkey ISBN 9780545935173

Five out of five stars

Unlikely creature and hero Dogman in action again

 When a police officer and a dog were both dying of different injuries, the head of the dog was transplanted to the body of the officer to form what is called Dogman. While he does carry out police functions, he is still very much a dog. He has adopted Li’l Petey, a young cat that is a clone of the major villain Petey. With the robot 80-HD, the three of them form an ersatz crime fighting team. They are called the Supa Buddies.  

 The action features large robotic machines that are controlled by the heroes and villains and it is generally a spoof of the comics featuring heroes and villains. The plot is simple, although it wavers considerably down a meandering path. Throw in some of the world’s worst “knock-knock” jokes and you have a graphic novel designed for young children. They will enjoy the incongruity of the plotlines that sometimes seem unable to go anywhere but sideways.

 There is an ending where the villain goes back to prison a changed cat, at least that is the claim. This makes a conclusion that is an old-fashioned moral to the story.