When I stopped by writer Ryan North’s table at a convention a few years ago, I’d planned to open with, “I love your work!” Instead, I blurted, “I love your dog!”

I’d followed the adventures of North and his sweet dog, Chompsky, on social media for a long time. So, when I recently heard that he was writing a five-issue miniseries for Superman’s doggo, Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, I already knew I was in for a treat. Pun intended.

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1 by Ryan North and Mike Norton is a retelling of the super-pup’s origin story, with almost the entire issue taking place on Krypton. While we’ve seen this story with the focus on Kal-El, it’s a refreshing change of point of view to see scenes of the family and home Krypto also left behind. The first issue of this series has the potential to change how we see Jor-El and Lara, as they feel more human and real than ever thanks to the care they show their pet.

In the first panel of the book, Norton shows us a very contented Krypto taking a nap in his dog bed, surrounded by well-loved toys. His bed is in the master bedroom, so we see immediately that he’s loved as part of the family. After a Big Stretch, it’s breakfast time, and Jor-El takes a moment to train Krypto to wait before eating his food. Seeing Jor-El say, “Leave it, Krypto,” gave me the immediate impression of, “Kryptonians! They’re just like us!”

Krypto and Lara on a walk together just drives that feeling home. Their encounter with another dog and her owner on a walk could be a textbook lesson in “show don’t tell” characterization. We learn that Lara is sociable but unafraid to speak her mind. That rather than a pure breed, Krypto is a bit of everything, indicating the Els aren’t driven by status. That Lara is trying to warn everyone about the imminent danger to the planet, to no avail.

This illustrative conversation with the other owner is all in the background as Krypto and his new friend do the on-leash dance all dog walkers are familiar with: the sniffing, the circling, followed by the pouncing and playing. Lara has never felt more human than she does in this quick scene, and it’s thanks to Krypto just being his lovable dog self.

The letterer of this issue, Lucas Gattoni, also deserves a special shoutout for using font color and capitalization to indicate when Krypto’s people are talking to each other and when they’re talking to him. Direct interaction with the beloved dog is in all caps, showing that it’s the more important dialogue—to Krypto, of course. (His name is always in all caps, which is absolutely how dogs hear our conversations.)

As Jor-El and Lara prepare for the fateful day that Kal-El will leave his dying planet, they decide to send Krypto on a test flight to orbit the moon and come back. They’ve successfully tested the ship uncrewed and understandably want to have all their bases covered before they subject their son to the risks of space travel. Onboard the ship, Krypto’s being a very good boy, and Lara and Jor-El take the time to reassure him through the ship’s screen. But a wayward wormhole traps the ship mid-flight, and Krypto is hurtled to an unknown space and time. He lands on Earth, scared and alone, until he’s found by someone…unexpected.

Seeing firsthand how much the Els cared for Krypto, from treats to walks to worrying about his emotional wellbeing, rounds out Jor-El and Lara from the superficial level of “doomed scientists” to real people who love their pet. While the remaining issues of Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton will shift the focus to the titular pup exploring his strange new home, the fact that North and Norton take the time to show us the loving home he left behind is a welcome and poignant addition to the long-established Superman origin story.
 

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1 is now available in print and as a digital comic book.

Kelly Knox writes about all-ages comics and animation for DC.com and is the author of several nonfiction books about some of your favorite film franchises. Follow her on X at @kelly_knox and Bluesky at @kelly-knox.com to talk superheroes, comics and pop culture.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Kelly Knox and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.