Boss of the Underworld
Part of the collectionBoss of the Underworld→Three fast, funny, full-colour comic quests through a bonkers underworld, ideal for reluctant readers who want big laughs, strange creatures and a proper adventure.
- Books3
- Arcs1
- Span2025–2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
Boss of the Underworld is Tor Freeman's full-colour comic series for Hodder Children's Books, following Shirley, an accidental chosen one, and her giant cockroach pal George through a weird, wonderful, slightly disgusting underworld. Each roughly 160-page volume sends the pair on a quest, against the bullying Green Menace, into the Under-Underworld to rescue George, then through a gauntlet of seven deadly dangers, rendered in Freeman's bold, joke-packed cartooning. The recipe stays consistent: a brave-but-not-fearless heroine, a deeply odd fantasy world, rapid-fire visual comedy and a friendship at its heart. Dramatic enough to pull readers forward without becoming too frightening, it is meaty enough to satisfy while staying supremely reluctant-reader friendly. Best in order for the growing world and cast, though each book stands happily alone.
Three fast, funny, full-colour comic quests through a bonkers underworld, ideal for reluctant readers who want big laughs, strange creatures and a proper adventure.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Adventurous
- Exciting
Publication order is recommended, the world and friendships build, but each book has its own self-contained quest.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- INarrative arcBooks 1–3 · 2025–2026Low sensitivity
Shirley, chosen one of the Underworld
Shirley and George quest through a bonkers underworld across three full-colour comic adventures.
The Boss of the Underworld run reads as one continuing quest saga. Shirley vs the Green Menace drops Shirley into the Underworld and sets up her unlikely destiny and her friendship with George; Shirley vs the Huge Beast pushes deeper into the Under-Underworld on a rescue mission; and Shirley vs Seven Deadly Dangers sends the pair through an escalating gauntlet of ridiculous perils. Across the arc the world, cast and running jokes accumulate, but the tone holds steady: bold, gross-in-the-right-ways cartooning, relentless visual comedy, and genuine adventure and jeopardy that never tips into real fright. A brilliant, propulsive read for children moving into longer comics.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–10
- Independent · 7–11
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Very high
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Adult crossover
Low
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
Similar in feel
Different shelves, same wavelength.
About the author