- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–10
- Comedy
The Bad Guys in The Others?!
Book 16 of 20 in The Bad GuysView the full series
A late-series episode that keeps the Bad Guys saga moving through bigger, stranger threats while staying fast, visual and funny. Best for children already following the ongoing arc rather than as a first entry.
- Best for7–10
- FormatIllustrated
- Length192 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr15 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Onomatopoeic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Exciting
- Suspenseful
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
The Bad Guys in The Others?! continues the increasingly wild second-half arc of Aaron Blabey's series. By this stage, Mr Wolf, Mr Snake, Mr Shark and Mr Piranha are no longer simply scary-looking animals attempting good deeds; they are part of a sprawling comic-book saga full of strange forces, escalating danger and absurd revelations. The format remains highly accessible: short text bursts, expressive panels, visual gags and a fast rhythm that keeps reluctant readers moving. The story's title hints at mysterious new opposition and the sense that the gang are not alone in the wider conflict. It is still silly and cartoonish rather than genuinely frightening, but continuity matters more here than in the early books, so it rewards readers who have already travelled through the previous missions, transformations and team crises.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–10
- Independent · 7–11
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Dog man fans
- Captain underpants fans
- Reluctant readers
- Series arc
- Fast reads
Avoid if
- Prefers calm books
- Needs realistic stories
- Needs standalone books
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
In the classroom
How it works in school.
The wildly funny Bad Guys series — a legendary reluctant-reader hook and classroom-library staple.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the impostors — a second crew of Bad-Guys-like villains showing up and insisting they're the real team. The fakes-vs-real joke runs through the whole volume, with Blabey getting to redraw his cast in alternate styles. Late-series Bad Guys at its silliest.
- Breaking the rules safely
- Having a nemesis
- Making a difference
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
The Bad Guys where evil twins arrive — a second team claiming to be the originals, sustained across a whole volume of cast-mirroring jokes. Late-series; the joke depends on knowing the originals well. Reliable continuation.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
In the series
The Bad Guys.
20 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Aaron Blabey.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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