Dog Man Unleashed

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and death.

Like many comics, Dog Man Unleashed deals with the question of good and evil and highlights that good will always win out. The author first introduces the thematic struggle between the forces of evil and the forces of good in the Foreword. Harold and George, the in-universe “authors” of the Dog Man series, explain Dog Man’s origins. They set the scene by talking about a world where “evil cats” and “sinister villains” “wreak havoc” but can be vanquished by a heroic police officer—Officer Knight—and a heroic police dog—Greg. Because Dog Man is created from these two heroes, he becomes the ultimate force for good in the world’s battle against evil.

Fittingly, Dog Man is responsible for the defeat of three villains during the story. Petey, Flat Petey, and Flippy all represent the kind of evil that George and Harold warn about in the Foreword. All three are selfish loners who make choices exclusively designed to benefit themselves, without regard for how these choices impact others. Both Petey and Flat Petey are willing to manipulate others—Petey with his Love Ray and Flat Petey with Feeva’s Obey Spray.