This week: The exploration of the origins of the Dog of Steel concludes with Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #5.
Note: The following review may contain spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation for the comic in question, check out the final verdict at the bottom of the article.
Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #5
Screenplay: Ryan North
Artist: Mike Norton
Colorist: Ian Herring
Author: Lucas Gattoni
Cover Artist: Jae Lee & June Chung
Krypto is having his most high-profile year yet, from starring in the blockbuster movie Superman to a plum endorsement deal with Milkborn. As part of its Summer of Superman efforts, DC capitalized on Krypto’s increased visibility with Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, a five-issue series from writer Ryan North and artist Mike Norton that details Superboy’s canine adventures from his departure from Krypton to his reunion with Kal-El. The series concludes this week with an issue that’s just as emotional and funny as the last.
Ryan North and Mike Norton have built their separate careers on stories that combine a clever sense of humor with relatable humanity and warmth. When it was announced that they would be working on the “Krypto” series together, it seemed like the most perfect fit. And while the book probably wasn’t quite what fans first imagined, their collaboration on the series was great. If readers (read: me) were expecting a fun adventure through space with a carefree, playful dog, they were expecting something completely different. Because Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton is an absolutely harrowing and often heartbreaking read about a dog who is forcibly separated from his family and then tries to find some semblance of home. He experiences the best and worst humanity has to offer, and knowing that he’ll find a loving family in the end is probably the only thing that kept this series from being desperately sad by the end. Until I read the fourth issue of this series, I had never read a comic that included a warning against sadness, but it definitely came through.
That being said, North and Norton never manipulate the reader’s emotions. There’s a sincerity to Krypto’s experiences that makes what he’s going through instantly relatable, an incredible feat for a non-human character who never speaks. Much of that comes from the artwork of Norton and colorist Ian Herring. Norton’s line art is clean and animated without being cartoonish, and his character work is strong. Crucial to the success of the series, Krypto is especially expressive, his eyes conveying all his emotions and the weight of what he’s feeling. Herring’s coloring pairs beautifully with Norton’s linework, and the dominant palette gives the series a classic feel that never feels dated or underrated.
If there’s one complaint I have about the final issue of Last Dog of Krypton, it’s that it feels like two issues truncated and rolled into one. There are essentially two stories in this issue, one in which Krypto saves his family from an attempted murder, and the other in which he finally makes it to Kent’s farm and reunites with teenage Clark. This heroic scene feels integral to the rest of the series, with Krypto learning an important lesson about controlling his abilities. However, the pace between Krypto’s arrival at the Kent farm and his reunion with Clark feels extremely fast, and Jonathan and Martha quickly accept that they have a new super-powered canine member in their family. I would have liked to have seen that part of Krypto’s story expanded a bit more, as it felt like a much-needed catharsis after the heavy and emotional journey Krypto went on to get there.
That said, Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton is an overall great read, full of strong, dramatic storytelling, and yes, it’s very cute and a very good boy. North, Norton, and company have created something special with this series, sending Crypto on a difficult but ultimately very satisfying journey. I hope there’s room for more standalone Crypto stories from this creative team at some point in the future.
Final verdict: Buy.
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