Recent DC movie announcements have the Dog of Tomorrow in the news, but it’s certainly not Krypto’s first time in the spotlight! Your Major Spoilers Retro Review of Krypto the Superdog #1 awaits!

KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG #1

Writer:  Jesse Leon McCann
Penciler: Ming Sun Ku
Inker: Jeff Albrecht
Colorist: Dave Tanguay
Letterer: Dave Tanguay
Editor: Joan Hilty/Rachel Gluckstern
Publisher: Johnny DC (DC Comics)
Cover Price: $2.25
Current Near-Mint Pricing: $3.00
Release Date: September 20, 2005

Previously in Krypto The Superdog: Sent into space by Jor-El to test the technology he intended to use to save Krypton, Krypto’s own puppy nature got the better of him. Accidentally setting off a system that put him in suspended animation, Krypto spend several years traveling in space. When he arrived on Earth, Superdog was fully grown, and he found that Jor-El’s son was already there, acting as Superman. That means that his owner is quite busy saving the world, and often doesn’t have the time to take care of his pal, leaving Krypto in the hands of a Kansas school kid named Kevin Whitney. After an accident involving a duplicating ray, a neighborhood cat was given all of Krypto’s powers, becoming Streaky the Supercat.

This first issue begins with a retelling of that tale, an adaptation of the first episode of the cartoon that it is adapting. But then, we turn our attention to Arkham Asylum, where an identified chalk-skinned man has summoned a pair of hyenas.

The pet hyena of Harley Quinn, Bud and Lou have been sent by their boss, who needs no introduction, into Gotham City on a mission of jocularity and mass destruction. With Batman out of town, the task falls to Ace the Bat-Hound, but when it becomes clear that the situation requires super-powers, Ace calls the other half of his World’s Finest pack for backup.

Krypto and Streaky set off for Gotham City but are shocked when the fastidious Bathound misses their rendezvous. Worried that something has happened to Ace, the super-pets encounter a boy named Sean who tells them that Ace wants to meet them in the subway. (I’ve never been clear on who can and can’t understand Krypto, but the implication here is that all Sean hears is barking, while Krypto understands his commands perfectly.) Of course, all the animals understand one another perfectly, which is good when they track down regular informant, Jimmy the rat. I’m fighting hard to not make a pun about Jimmy being a “squealer.”

And now, you are, too.

Perhaps the most endearing thing about this issue’s design carries over from Krypto The Superdog the cartoon, in that the designs and animation style feel like the Hanna-Barbera titles of the ’70s and ’80s. It’s really attractive stuff that sells the clever premise: Bud and Lou have used laughing gas on all the rats and mice and gophers and flushed gators that makes them all laugh precisely every fifteen minutes. Of course, if you’re the legendary Bathound, you have ways around problems like that.

The hyenas escape, and Krypto gets sidetracked, saving the lives of a trainload of passengers, but when the super-duo finds the hyenas again, the joke’s on Bud and Lou!

The issue ends with Ace returning Bud and Lou to their boss using the same lever-and-pulley system he used to outfit them in the beginning, while Streaky and Krypto return home to find that Kevin has made them a reward: Chocolate shakes. rimshot The cartoony adventure reminds us that, as part of the Superman supporting cast, Krypto can be as dramatic or as comedic as necessary, just like his owner. Krypto The Superdog #1 is, like most Johnny DC offerings, a fun, all-ages comic that gives us a Krypto who departs from the old-school design, but still works in every way, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. If you’re one of the people confused, concerned, or consternated about James Gunn’s live-action Superdog, you can take comfort in that.

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