Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas

It’s the second instalment in the Dog Man story, and evil Petey the cat has unsuccessfully cloned himself, producing a cute kitten, adopted by Dog Man (half dog, half cop). Aided by the amazing robot 80-HD (say it out loud to get the joke), the three Supa Buddies might just be the superheroes everyone’s been waiting for. Only, before they can get going, Petey steals the little kitty away.

After a strangely familiar origin story of children transported to a distant island, surviving without the civilising influence of society or parents, Petey reveals that his enemies are after him – and he must protect his kitty clone.

Dog Man, created by Captain Underpants’ Dav Pilkey, is a comic masterclass, perfect for the surreal sense of humour of the average six- to nine-year-old. It’s a full-colour comic throughout with five to six simple panels per page and split into eight chapters, so kids can feel like they’re reading a lot quickly.

Genuinely laugh out loud, it’s exactly the kind of silly humour kids love and are familiar with, while being clever (in this case, a re-versioning of Lord of the Flies), succinct and highly original.