On your previous subject of internal rules, I think I've figure out the rule of the Dover Boys: everyone in the story is terrible at their intended role in it. The Dover Boys are terrible at being heroes, Dan Backslide is terrible at being a villain, Dora Standpipe is terrible at being a helpless damsel in distress, and the guy who's only there for plot-irrelevant gags is even terrible at being irrelevant to the plot.