The Bad Guys in The One?!
by Aaron Blabey · The Bad Guys #12
Fast, funny Part 2 that flips the Bad Guys into a multiverse quest
The story
Book 12 picks up immediately where Book 11 left off — the Bad Guys are still reeling from an inter-dimensional doorway Mr. Snake accidentally opened, and the team's first job is just getting someone to explain what is happening. Agent Fox turns out to be hiding a big part of who she is, a new cosmic villain is named, the team splits into two groups with very different missions, and Mr. Snake keeps 'turning' in ways his friends can't predict. By the end of the book, one half of the crew is plunging through a doorway disguised as a truly disgusting roadside restaurant, and the other half is blasting off into deep space to find mysterious allies. It's a transitional episode — exposition-heavy in places, no clean ending — but Aaron Blabey keeps the laughs coming from every direction.
Age verdict
Best for independent readers 7-9 who already know the series; works as a family read-with 6-year-olds who have watched the movie. Not recommended for readers under 6 because of the (very mild) scary-supernatural framing and because the humor density assumes comedy-reading experience.
Our take
Kid-first comedy GN that overwhelmingly serves readers as entertainment and reading-gateway over classroom or growth use.
What stands out
Each audience's top 3 dimensions. Out of 30 scored per book.
Kids love
- Laugh-out-loud Exceptional
Babymouse Goes for the Gold — [book] Ch.5 Poop Burgers visual gag — loudest laugh beat in the book. Confirmed 9 after Tier 3 deep-look.
- Middle momentum Strong
Off the Hook , triangulated with Breakout — [book] Ch.2→Ch.4 the multiverse reveal, force-field reveal, and team-split all stack without a slow . Confirmed 8 after Tier 3 deep-look.
Parents love
- Reading gateway Exceptional
The Sand Warrior , triangulated with Frog and Toad Together — [book] Ch.1 the 'previously on' recap is explicitly pitched to reluctant readers. Confirmed 9 after Tier 3 deep-look.
- Re-read durability Strong
Off the Hook , triangulated with Alma and How She Got Her Name — [book] the book contains so many visual gags and one-liners that re-reading rewards catching what yo. Confirmed 7 after Tier 3 deep-look.
Teachers love
- Reluctant reader rescue Exceptional
Hard Luck , triangulated with Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder — [book] dialogue-heavy, visual-primary, short word count, high laugh density = textbook reluctant-rea. Confirmed 9 after Tier 3 deep-look.
- Discussion fuel Solid
Comparable to Julian Is a Mermaid , triangulated with An Enchantment of Ravens — [book] 'Is it OK to keep a big secret from your friends?' (Fox). Confirmed 5 after Tier 3 deep-look.
✓ Perfect for
- • Kids already reading the Bad Guys series who loved Book 11 and need to know what happens next
- • Reluctant readers 7-10 who want constant visual gags and zero slow pages
- • Graphic-novel fans who enjoy Dog Man and InvestiGators
- • Kids who like ensemble adventure comedies with crews of loyal friends
- • Fans of the DreamWorks Bad Guys movie who are ready to follow the characters into wilder territory
Not ideal for
Kids who haven't read Book 11 yet (they'll be lost in the opening), readers who need self-contained endings rather than cliffhangers, parents who strongly prefer their kids to avoid toilet humor or cartoon-possession plot elements, and anyone looking for a vocabulary-rich literary experience rather than a fast visual comedy.
⚠ Heads up
At a glance
- Pages
- 144
- Chapters
- 5
- Words
- 4k
- Lexile
- GN330L
- Difficulty
- Easy
- POV
- Third Person Limited
- Illustration
- Fully Illustrated
- Published
- 2020
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Illustrator
- Aaron Blabey
- ISBN
- 9781338329513
Mood & style
You'll know it worked when…
Kids who were already hooked on the Bad Guys will race through this in a single sitting — the cliffhanger ending typically produces an immediate 'I need Book 13' demand from readers.
If your kid loved "The Bad Guys in The One?!"
Matched across 30 dimensions — interest hooks, character appeal, tone, pacing, emotional core. Not by what other people bought. By what fits the same reader profile.
The Day My Butt Went Psycho
by Andy Griffiths
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea
by Dav Pilkey
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
InvestiGators
by John Patrick Green
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets
by Dav Pilkey
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy
by Tedd Arnold
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
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