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CollectionAges 7–10Graphic Novels

Boss of the Underworld

A universe by Tor Freeman

A fizzing full-colour comic quest series in which an ordinary girl and her giant cockroach best friend become the accidental heroes of a bonkers underworld.

  • Series

    1
  • Books

    3
  • Best for

    7–10
  • Status

    Ongoing

At a glance

Primary creator
Tor Freeman
First book
Boss of the Underworld: Shirley vs the Green Menace · 2025
Tone
Funny, Silly, Adventurous, Exciting
Overall sensitivity
Low

The shape of it

The shape of this universe.

Boss of the Underworld is Tor Freeman's fizzing full-colour comic series about Shirley, an ordinary girl who falls through a manhole into a bizarre subterranean realm and is promptly declared its chosen hero. Across three volumes she and her giant cockroach best friend George quest through forests, sewers, emotional bogs and monstrous perils, facing bullying bosses, huge beasts and seven deadly dangers. The pleasure is the sheer oddness, charm and joke-per-page energy: Freeman packs every panel with expressive creatures, visual gags and comic timing, wrapped around just enough fantasy-quest structure to keep pages turning. Dramatic enough to feel propulsive but never genuinely frightening, it is a laugh-out-loud pick for readers moving into longer comics, and a natural fit for Bunny vs Monkey and Dog Man fans.

A fizzing full-colour comic quest series in which an ordinary girl and her giant cockroach best friend become the accidental heroes of a bonkers underworld.

Primary themes

Tone palette

  • Funny
  • Silly
  • Adventurous
  • Exciting

The series

One way in.

Cultural footprint

A shelf of evidence.

Cultural ubiquity

2/ 5

A working classic for readers in the know.

Sensitivity

Low, and collection-wide.

LowCollection-wide

Across the collection

All 3 books.

About the creator

Tor Freeman.

Tor Freeman

Both

Tor Freeman: British author-illustrator of the Boss of the Underworld graphic-novel series — gleefully absurd UK middle-grade comics for funny-bone readers ages 7–10.

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