Krypto, the Last Dog of Krypton #3 – Ryan North, Writer; Mike Norton, Artist; Ian Herring, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: For 90s kids who watched the classic Disney movie “Homeward Bound”, the mere mention of a dog trying to make his way home is likely to create some tears. Ryan North knows this, and is ready to deliver. Our favorite good boy has just gotten out of a bad situation – being adopted by Lex Luthor, who tried to train him through abuse and intimidation and nearly got his whole family killed in the process. But now, Krypto’s truly on his own, trying to make his way to the boy who he doesn’t even know made it to Earth. Winter is settling in, so he’s making his way down the long lonely road – unable to find companions even in local animals, who are scared of him. That is, until he finds a little girl out in the wilderness. There’s just one problem – she’s lost, the snow is falling, and she only has a limited time before the elements get to her – and Krypto has no idea where she’s supposed to be.
There’s relatively little dialogue in this issue, with the solo Krypto segments being completely silent and the scenes where he’s with the girl being very quiet and subtle as she slowly gets weaker and weaker. Your heart will break as you see how helpless Krypto feels – and you’ll cheer when his figures out what he needs to do, even if it’s risky. He’s a good dog with Superman, of course, but this issue really drives home that he’s just as much of a hero on his own as he is when he’s a sidekick. The art is great, and while it’s a very quick read, it’s one that’ll make you cheer out loud at the resolution. But unfortunately, this family isn’t the happy ending Krypto’s meant for, and he’s soon on his way again – but he’s not the only early arrival from Krypton, and the other one is watching him. North is doing a great job of setting up the reunion we’re all waiting for.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
