The Bad Guys: Episode 1

The Bad Guys is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey and now colored by Sarah Mitchell. Originally published in 2015, it is the first of 20 titles in a series that has gained a massive readership. Aaron Blabey began as an actor and artist, and he began writing children’s books in the mid-2000s. The Bad Guys details the adventures of four predators who hope to change their reputations by performing heroic acts. Throughout their adventures, the novel explores themes including Being Misunderstood and Fighting Stereotypes, Transformation and Going Against One’s Nature, and Teamwork Amongst Unlikely Allies. The Bad Guys was adapted into an animated film in 2022.

This guide utilizes the 2025 Scholastic Inc. edition of the graphic novel.

Plot Summary

The Bad Guys opens with Mr. Wolf, the story’s main character, standing in the shadows, dressed in a sleek black suit. He directly addresses the reader, hoping to convince them that his bad guy days are over and that his rap sheet, filled with incidents of eating people, is not a reflection of his character. He hopes to create a new reputation as a good guy.

Mr. Wolf introduces his friends, a gang of other misunderstood predators. First is Mr. Snake, who also wears a black suit and is often irritable. He would rather be off eating mice. His rap sheet includes eating pets and nearly eating a pet store owner. Next is Mr. Piranha, who came from Bolivia. He complains about the lack of meat available. Last is Mr. Shark, who fills an entire page in the book and asks about eating seals. Mr. Shark will eat anything, but Mr. Wolf tries to hide this fact. The rest of the gang seems confused about the purpose of the meeting, as they haven’t yet agreed to Mr. Wolf’s goal of becoming heroes. Mr. Wolf tries to explain what “being good” means, but the others don’t really see the point.

Mr. Wolf puts on a white cowboy hat and tries to convince the others that they should be tired of being feared, but they aren’t. Still, they all get in Mr. Wolf’s muscle car and ride until they find a cat stuck in a tree—the perfect opportunity to prove their heroism. The group stands on top of one another to reach the cat, but Mr. Snake gets annoyed and swallows Mr. Piranha. Mr. Wolf violently swings Mr. Snake around until the piranha is launched out of his mouth, landing directly on the terrified cat. The cat leaps down and scratches Mr. Wolf before running away.

Mr. Wolf comes up with a new plan: rescuing 200 dogs from a heavily guarded animal shelter. He pulls out a pink dress and instructs Mr. Shark to wear it while Mr. Wolf and the others break in. Mr. Shark puts on the pink dress and distracts the gorilla guard while Mr. Wolf uses a grappling hook to toss Mr. Snake and Mr. Piranha into the building. After several painful misses, they get inside and free the dogs. Mr. Wolf then drives the car into the building to break through the wall. The confused and terrified dogs flee in panic at the sight of the creatures who saved them.

In the story’s conclusion, the new good guys sit around eating fast food and gloating about their accomplishment. They all admit that helping others felt surprisingly good and agree to keep trying. Mr. Wolf hugs everyone, and together they drive off toward their next mission.