THIS WEEK: The Els decide that using their dog to test an experimental rocket is a good idea, in Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1. Meanwhile, John Stewart shines in The New Gods #7, guest artist A.L. Kaplan steps in for Absolute Flash #4, and Batman and the Penguin try to get along in Detective Comics #1098.
Note: The reviews below may contain spoilers.
Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1
Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Mike Norton
Colorist: Ian Herring
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Cover: Jae Lee and June Chung
Before we dive into this review, a disclaimer: I have a dog. Moreover, I have a clever, mischievous, and adventurous dog. I mention this because Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton feels aimed at dog people generally, and a certain kind of dog person specifically. Thus, it would be disingenuous to not tell you I am that kind of dog person.
With that out of the way, here is my completely objective review of this issue: Look at that good, good boy!
In all (or at least more) seriousness, Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton’s opening chapter does a fantastic job introducing the titular canine and depicting his everyday life with the El family. The conceit of this miniseries, if you’re unfamiliar, is that writer Ryan North, artist Mike Norton, colorist Ian Herring, and letterer Lucas Gattoni are telling the “definitive Krypto origin story.” That story will most likely end with Krypto reuniting with a teenaged Superboy in Smallville. In this issue, however, Krypto is “just” a normal dog.
I put the “just” in quotes not only because I’m a dog person, but because North, Norton, and co. do a great job depicting Krypto as a fully-realized character. He has a personality, emotions, and desires. He is as expressive as any real-life dog. When Norton depicts Krypto as being excited, you feel Krypto’s excitement. When Norton depicts Krypto as being apprehensive or scared, you feel his nervousness. North’s script is touching and clever, but this book works as well as it does only because Norton’s work so clearly paints a picture of Krypto’s inner life and personality. Regardless of whether you like dogs, Norton will make you root for this dog.
Which is what makes everything so scary when Krypto’s everyday life is completely upended. I don’t think it’s spoiling anything to tell you that Krypto does not get to remain on Krypton through this issue’s end. Proving that Krypton wasn’t that much more advanced than us, Jor-El and Lara use Krypto as a test pilot for a certain rocket, and things do not go as planned. Throughout the issue, Gattoni depicts words Krypto understands in uppercase black text and words Krypto does not know or care about in mixed-case gray text. This choice serves a lot of purposes. It focuses readers on Krypto’s story rather than the words being spoken around him. It shows readers what Krypto does and does not understand. And it makes Krypto’s last few seconds of contact with Jor-El and Lara that much more heartbreaking, as we see the couple switch from caring about the rocket flight to comforting Krypto with words of affirmation that they know he’ll understand.
Krypto, of course, survives the test flight and lands on Earth. From there, the back third of this issue settles into a fairly-standard “dog on the run” rhythm, right up until a final page twist that lands things squarely back in unique, DC Universe territory. (And will likely leave you worried for Krypto’s safety.)
Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton was clearly commissioned to capitalize on Krypto’s upcoming appearance in this summer’s Superman movie. But this opening chapter proves the creative team is crafting a story that is more intelligent, considered, and heartfelt than a simple “movie synergy miniseries.” Thanks to North, Norton, Herring, and Gattoni, this book and its star have a lot of heart. And yes – I would say that even if I wasn’t a dog person.
The Round-Up
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In a world in which a) I was not a dog person and b) weekly comics reviews did not have to focus on new #1s, The New Gods #7 would likely have been this week’s featured review. For reasons that will become apparent if you read the issue, this chapter of writer Ram V, artist Evan Cagle (with an assist from Travis Moore), colorist Francesco Segala, and letterer Tom Napolitano’s ongoing story feels quite timely. That timeliness makes this issue (and particularly, John Stewart’s actions within it) hit harder than it might have otherwise. But regardless of its relation to the current moment, this issue sings. V’s clear grasp of various Justice Leaguers’ personalities and Cagle and Segala’s expressive, anime-esque artwork make The New Gods #7 a strong entry within a strong series. - Absolute Flash #4 is the start of that series’s second story arc, and our first look at guest artist A.L. Kaplan’s take on Absolute Wally West and company. Writer Jeff Lemire uses this issue to expand Wally’s world and supporting cast a bit, with several Absolute versions of mainline characters (including at least one that Wally fans have doubtlessly been waiting for) making their debuts here. Letterer Tom Napolitano and colorist Adriano Lucas provide some needed continuity between Kaplan and primary series artist Nick Robles’s pages, but perhaps more importantly, Kaplan matches Nick Robles’s style and energy well enough that the transition between artists is fairly seamless. If you’ve been digging Absolute Flash up to now, this issue will continue to deliver for you.
It’s always great to see artist Lee Garbett back on a Bat-book, and Detective Comics #1098 is no exception. This issue continues Garbett, writer Tom Taylor, and co.’s team-up between Batman, Harvey Bullock, and the Penguin, with Batman and the Penguin storming an enemy compound to rescue Bullock from Taylor’s new big bads. Garbett’s adeptness with shadowy Bat-action and character acting complement Taylor’s script nicely, producing an issue that’s as easy and enjoyable to read as it is entertaining. You can tell Garbett enjoyed depicting Batman and the Penguin’s The Odd Couple-esque energy here; his delivery on a couple gags in particular left me laughing out loud.
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