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It's Big Jim's birthday, and the warden gave him a lot of balloons. He gives one to Tippy, Fluffy, and Mr. Whiskers. He tries to give Petey a balloon, but Petey pops it with his claw, making Big Jim cry. Petey tries to make Big Jim happy, but Big Jim tells him to go away. Petey finally makes Big Jim happy when he claims that he got Big Jim a present, which he buried in the jail yard litter box, and will hold Big Jim's balloons while Big Jim digs it up. Unknown to Big Jim, Petey flies away with Big Jim's balloons, and Big Jim only finds poop in the litter box. At long last, Dr. Scum discovers a weakness of Dog Man's to exploit, and tailors his latest criminal invention to do just that. His mechanized "Burgle Balls" terrorize the citizenry, stealing a fortune in jewelry and other expensive wares. Dog Man will have to battle his own canine nature to stop Dr. Scum, but he won't have to go it alone. Li'L Petey (aka Cat Kid) and 80-HD (Lightning Dude) are at his side, warriors for justice to aid the "Bark Knight". The Burgle Balls can't overcome all three, but Dr. Scum has a contingency plan: his Colossal-Bot 2000, a four-armed behemoth that could crush the city beneath its feet. Can the Bark Knight, Cat Kid, and Lightning Dude defeat this new foe? Maybe if Petey joins the fight, affirming his commitment to change his ways for the kid's sake. Whether or not Petey's father can be reformed, Petey has the choice from this day forward to set an example for Li'L Petey by opposing his own darker urges. Has he truly turned good? We'll find out as the series moves forward. The Cupcakemobile and Cupcake Computer are both based on the Batmobile and the Batcomputer, all spoofing Batman's belongings. Big Jim is a cat who currently a prisoner at Cat Jail, along with Petey, Mr. Whiskers, Tippy, Fluffy, and several other unnamed cats. When he got hypnotized by Crunky and Bub, he thought he is a superhero named Commander Cupcake, and therefore started an addiction to cupcakes.
Kid comic creators George Beard and Harold Hutchins (now with added maturity!) are thrilled to present readers with the next installment of their co-written graphic-novel series. When Grampa invents the Motor Brain, Big Jim sings Itsy Bitsy Spider, which Grampa finds annoying and yells at him, Big Jim starts crying, then Grampa says he needs his help to test the Motor Brain, after which Big Jim tests it and becomes Snug. A little bit later Grampa asks Snug for the Motor Brain, Snug tosses it, and then Grampa wears it and turns into Crud. Later Crud is caught in a trap set by Dog Man, who is disguised as a cat. However, he manages to escape. After that, he makes a lunch bag monster called Munchy and tries to take over the world. Later on, Petey forgives and stops hating him, which Grampa finds it confusing and annoying. He throws the Motor Brain but it was found by Big Jim who puts it on to become Snug again and chases Grampa.
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Petey is giving a speech about how cats deserve more rights than dogs, while the FLEAS are forming a new plan on Petey's whisker. He is interrupted by the Jail Warden, telling him he got a pardon. He then forgets everything he just talked about and tries to leave Cat Jail. Big Jim then shows up and gives Petey a hug, and the FLEAS end up on Big Jims whisker. One of the themes of this book, including scenes where Petey and Li'l Petey stepping on the mud while looking at the stars and Chapter 14: The Mud and The Stars, is inspired by Harold's favorite short poem:
The following versions of the books were used to create this study guide: Pilkey, Dave, Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls and Dog Man: Fetch-22. Scholastic Inc. New York, New York, 2019. Kindle AZW file.
When Grampa calls Li'l Petey a "jabberjaw", it is a reference to the Hanna-Barbera character of the same name. This book draws clear distinction between feelings and action: you need more than good intentions to be a decent person. In an argument between Li'L Petey and his grandfather, the old cat claims he never felt love for Petey a day in his life. "Love isn't just something you feel," Li'L Petey tells him. "Love is something you do!" Powerful words from a perceptive youngster. You can't force yourself to feel affection for someone, but you can dutifully protect and provide for them as though you felt love. In the end, how you treat them is more important than what you felt while doing it. Things might have turned out differently had Petey's father grasped this years ago. Li'L Petey encourages Dog Man in a similar vein when he finds our hero hiding in a trash can, terrified of Dr. Scum's Burgle Balls. Li'L Petey assures Dog Man he's a "good boy," but, "that doesn't mean very much. Look around. This city is filled with good people...but none of them are doing anything! It's not enough to just be good. We gotta do good! Even if things get scary!" Being a hero requires that you stand up to evil when you're afraid, risking your safety to do good, and Dog Man's record of heroism is why we love and admire him.
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