Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton

by Ryan North, Mike Norton (Illustrator)

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Fiction, Superman, Animals

120 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2026

About the author

Hi, I'm Ryan! I was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1980 and since then have written several books. You can read my Wikipedia page for more, or check out my author site at RyanNorth.ca!

I'm the author of the webcomic Dinosaur Comics (that's the comic where the pictures don't change but the words do, it's better than it sounds and I've also done crazy things like turn Shakespeare into a choose-your-own-path adventure, write a comic for Marvel about a girl with all the powers of a squirrel, or mess up walking my dog so badly it made the news.

I'm working on more stuff as we speak, hopefully it's good

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 stars

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily North's best work so far.

We have Krypto, everyone's favorite super pup, but the plot of this story reveals that his journey is filled with hardships like anyone else. Starting on Krypton where he lives a simple, happy life with Jor-El, Lara, and baby Kal-El, Krypto gets separated from Clark's parents in space. This leads him to being abused when on Earth by Lex Luthor, who tries to manipulate Krypto’s growing powers for his own malicious piece of shit ends. Krypto must survive the streets, making friends with a pack of stray dogs, and dealing through hardships. Krypto fights to survive, but just like Clark, his heart is what makes him special as he continuously chooses goodness despite his struggles and the threats he faces.

Sad, teary eyed at times, grinning ear to ear other times, this was a pretty magical ride that I can see myself reading a few times more. A 4.5 out of 5, I'll bump it to a 5.

[Tom Zilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. More intense than I expected.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Від «Крипто: Останній собака Криптону» не чекав нічого складнішого за милу пригоду про суперпса, а натомість отримав просту, але дуже чуттєву історію про самотність, вірність і дивну людську здатність одночасно рятувати й псувати.

Раян Норт не намагається зробити з Крипто “ще одного Супермена” в собачій подобі. І це, мабуть, найсильніше рішення в усьому коміксі. Перед нами не герой у звичному сенсі, а загублена істота, яка не розуміє нового світу, але вперто рухається крізь нього з тією самою впізнаваною собачою довірою до життя.

Сюжет тут доволі прямий: Криптон, політ, Земля, поневіряння, зустрічі, втрати, пошук дому. Ніяких хитрих конструкцій, жодної гри в “подивіться, як все деконструйовано”. Ця історія не тисне на сльози брудними прийомами, хоча часом підходить дуже близько. Деякі епізоди вражають, особливо там, де Крипто стикається не з космічними загрозами, а з людською жорстокістю, байдужістю чи просто холодом великого чужого світу. Легка іронія в усьому цьому теж є: суперсили не дуже допомагають, коли найбільше потрібно не врятувати планету, а зрозуміти, кому можна довіряти.

Окремо варто відзначити малюнок Майка Нортона. Саме він продає цю історію на емоційному рівні. Крипто залишається собакою, в якій легко читаються радість, страх, образа, цікавість і відданість. Це тонка і красива робота.

Найцікавіше тут — погляд на людяність збоку. Через Крипто добре видно і краще, і гірше в людях. Доброта часто виглядає буденно, зате запам’ятовується сильніше за будь-який подвиг. Гарна історія, яка має шанс вам сподобатися.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously we'll deserved after KRYPTO stole last year's SUPERMAN movie...and might do the same in the upcoming SUPERGIRL movie.
Happily impressed by the art and surprised by the take on KRYPTO'S history.
Krypto's first owner on Earth! Who knew?

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's basically an origin story for Krypto, from Krypton to Smallville and all the stops in between. And, like any story about a very good boy, it tugs the hell out of those heartstrings. Each issue sees Krypto move closer to his destination (Superman's arms) while also saving the day and dealing with the awfulness of humanity (Lex Luthor in particular).

Ryan North perhaps pushes the "big feelings" button more than necessary, but damn it, it works. And those big feelings would not be so big without Mike Norton's stellar and emotive artwork. Krypto is a simple story, but lovely and powerful all the same. And yes, a dog dies herein, and poor Krypto receives some abuse. Fair warning!

[Rob Schamberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about how rescue pets also rescue us.

[Charles Korb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought at the recommendation of Ryan North.

He can certainly write a compelling dog story, it's just hard to read a five chapter book where at the end of 4 of the 5 chapters something bad happens to a dog.

[Alex Sarll]

Ryan North is one of the most reliably rewarding writers in comics at the moment*, but if you really want him to tug the heartstrings, give him an animal book. And while some of those have had talking leads (Unleashed), or at least ones where another character can interpret for the the readers (Squirrel Girl), here the difficulty level is a little higher, because whatever his remarkable abilities, Krypto is as non-verbal as any Terran dog**. Fortunately, Mike Norton is on art, and it turns out his skill in rendering expressive canines is not limited to his signature pugs. Net result: all the feelings. The story follows Krypto from the dying days of Krypton to his reunion with Kal, and if some of the backstory is the sort of stuff that would normally have me huffing about prequelitis (especially the issue where the lost pup is found by the already awful young Lex Luthor), the fact that you have a lead who wouldn't have been able to mention this in subsequent encounters allays some of my concerns, and also I'm more invested than I would otherwise be because, however staged the jeopardy, the lead is a very good dog. Which does also mean it's vastly more stressful than it would otherwise have been when bad things happen – thank heavens I finally signed up to North's newsletter, and so saw the warning about not reading the sad penultimate issue until the final one was out too. But yeah, very much one for anyone who was smitten with James Gunn's screen Krypto (and I'm deeply suspicious of anyone who wasn't).

*Yes, I know One World Under Doom is falling apart in the final act, but being 2/3 good still makes it the best Marvel event in ages.
**Hell, arguably less verbal than that one who could say 'Sausages'.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect. While it may not be canon to DC continuity, this is the perfect example of why that is not necessary in the realm of comics and graphic novels. Everything about this book is beautiful, from the covers, to the artwork, to the writing, and everything between. If you love Superman, DC Comics, stories about animals, and especially our good-boy Krypto, this is a must read.

Ryan North absolutely kills it with every issue of this story. If you don't roll a tear or two multiple times, then you may want to have your emotion chip put back in. While there is plenty of fun to be had, and a action to be enjoyed, the real treat of this book is the emotional journey Mr. North takes readers on. From Jor-El and Lara telling Krypto he is a good boy as he is lost to the cosmos, to Krypto experiencing death for the first time, to his heartwarming reunion with Kal-El, this book will put you through the wringer emotionally. And if you are like me, you will love every moment of it. The story is not exposition heavy, and lets the art do much of the heavy lifting. But the dialog that is there is used brilliantly.

In the very first issue, as I mentioned above, Jor-El and Lara send Krypto out in a test space ship to try and get data for their planned evacuation of Krypton. The trip starts fine, and Jor-El and Lara are loving dog owners, doing all they can to make sure Krypto feels safe and is not scared. But, as things tend to do in comics, something goes wrong. Instead of exposition explaining what is going wrong and leaving it at that, Ryan North delivers some of the most heart breaking dialog I have ever read in a comic as Jor-El and Lara realize Krypto is about to be lost forever. They desperately try to figure out how to save him, but once that becomes futile, their focus shifts to trying to reassure Krypto that he is loved. Jor-El's final words to Krypto are "You're a good dog, and you're the best dog, and we lo--" is crushing. If you have every loved an animal, then you can immediately empathize with that desire to make them feel safe and loved.

As I mentioned, the art does much of the storytelling. And what beautiful art it is. Mike Norton's composition is impeccable. The story is clear and direct, easy to follow, but not in any way bland. The action scenes are dynamic, and the expression and emotion he is able to convey, not just on human faces, but the animals as well, is spectacular. There is a full page panel about half way through the first issue that might be the cutest thing ever drawn in a comic.

If you can't tell, I love this book. It is my favorite comic in a long time, and I hope it does well enough that both Mike Norton and Ryan North get to work on the character again.

[Ángel Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Os diré algo: hasta el año pasado, mi mejor amiga era la contrapartida femenina de Krypto. Mi Bêlit (evidentemente, el nombre es un homenaje a la Reina de la Costa Negra) falleció a los 16 años de edad, ya muy ancianita, tras una vida larga, feliz y dedicada en cuerpo y alma a hacer felices a los demás. Físicamente, era Krypto. Mil leches, como él, tamaño mediano tirando a grande, blanca y... bueno, pues Krypto. En cuanto a carácter, fue un torbellino hasta prácticamente el día en que murió: juguetona, afable, capaz de perseguir a un gato el tiempo que fuera hasta acorralarlo... y luego dedicarse a ladrarle durante unos cuantos minutos, sin saber qué más hacer, hasta que el gato encontraba el modo de escurrirse o ella misma se aburría de ese ejercicio en futilidad y se marchaba a seguir jugando con su pelota. Siempre que alguien se dirigía hacia la puerta, erguía sus orejas como diciendo «¿no me vas a sacar»? Así que, en ese sentido, también se parecía mucho a Krypto.

Bêlit fue un tesoro para todos los que la trataron, incluidos (sobre todo) para mis hijos, que aprendieron a amar a los animales gracias a ella. Sin su presencia, nuestra casa es menos hogar y más un lugar en el que vivir, y ya está. Sé que habrá vuelto al ciclo de la vida en un plano superior al nuestro, porque sería injustísimo que un ser así no tuviera alma y Trump sí. Pero sigue embargándome la tristeza cada vez que pienso en ella; y cada vez que abro la puerta de mi casa, espero que venga a saludarme y a frotarse entre mis piernas como si viviera para esos momentos, para hacer más soportable la vida de sus humanos, y mi corazón da un pequeño vuelco cada vez que eso no ocurre.

Así que, ¿qué puedo decir de este cómic? North sabe lo que es un perro. North sabe lo que es ser un buen chico siempre, a pesar de los pesares, a pesar de que Luthor lo maltrate, o pase frío, o tenga que comer sobras o sufrir todo tipo de vejaciones, hasta que encuentre a su Clark. Yo quiero creer que mi Bêlit (que vivió semanas terribles en la perrera hasta que la adoptamos, que salió de allí con una enfermedad espantosa de la que se curó gracias a que mi mujer no se separó de ella en días, estudiando el MIR en la clínica veterinaria sentada al lado del animal entubado, acariciándola y confortándola, pero que le dejó secuelas en forma de terribles diarreas explosivas que aguantaba estoicamente hasta que podíamos bajarla a la calle) encontró en mi familia el equivalente a los Kent.

Y que este libro sea un homenaje para todos los buenos chicos y buenas chicas del mundo.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rocketed away from Krypton before its destruction, Krypto finds himself trapped on Earth and trying to find a way home.

If you like doggos at all, then yes, this book will upset you. It's not quite on the We3 levels of bawling that I did when I read that book (and I refuse to ever re-read it for that very reason), but there were more than a few moments that made me tear up. If you regularly have to check Does The Dog Die? before consuming some media, I'd maybe avoid at least issue 4 of this title if not the whole thing, because it is Sad at times.

North's storyline is fairly straight forward, giving us a new-ish origin for how Krypto made it to Earth to be with Superboy, though the idea of each of the four issues after the first being one season worked better than I expected. I wasn't entirely sold on the inclusion of Lex Luthor, even as a kid, but he's only in the one issue.

Mike Norton's artwork is the real star of the show here though, making sure that Krypto is perfectly expressive without ever looking like anything more than the dog he is. He communicates joy and sadness and anger with the limited facial expressions of a dog perfectly, and the lettering choices (which are explained neatly in the back of the trade) were really cleverly done too.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I expected from a comic about a cute dog. This is North's take on Krypto's life before reuinited with Clark, and it isn't an easy journey. There are times when it's outright difficult to read, and I cried more than once. Poor Krypto encounters a great deal of cruelty over the course of this book. There's actually a content warning on the back cover. I don't think I've seen DC do this before, but I think it's justified for this particular book. I think the animal cruelty is so unexpected that it's fair to warn readers about it, especially because this is the kind of book that might appeal to young readers as well. It isn't all trauma. Krypto was deeply loved on Krypton, which makes for its own kind of tragedy, and his reunion with Clark is so joyous. It's a great book, but definitely be sure you're in the right headspace for it before you start reading.

[Norman Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warning: animal cruelty and animal death. Collects Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1-5.
This is a sometimes funny, sometimes emotional, always interesting retelling of Krypto's origin. After falling into a wormhole on a test mission, Krypto lands on Earth and is adopted by teenage Lex Luthor. Luthor abuses the dog (his powers haven't manifested yet) who eventually runs away to wander the countryside. Krypto has several adventures, helping people and being befriended along the way. Of course, against all odds, Krypto eventually meets up with Superboy in a poignant last few pages. It's a fairly predictable story, told with heart by writer Ryan North and artist Mike Norton. Jae Lee and June Chung provide some spectacular covers.

[Brittany Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as individual issues.

I was so excited to see Krypto get his own comic. Man, what a disappointment it turned out to be. Ryan North is a good writer, but I don’t think anyone wanted a depressing and traumatic mini series about Superman’s best friend. There’s virtually no story here. We get short little miserable peaks into Krypto’s life before he reunites with Kal and then two pages of him finding him. Is this really the Superdog story we needed? Who is this for? If anything, it would have worked a lot better as an oversized one shot. As it is, it’s not something I’ll ever touch again nor can I recommend it.

[Emile Rudoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si solo pudieran leer un cómic este año, tendría que ser este. Así de bueno es. Me fascinó. Quisiera comprar el compilado y tenerlo en mi librero. Así de bueno es.

Es una historia sencilla pero no por eso menos buena, de Krypto, desde que deja Krypton y arriba a la Tierra hasta que logra reencontrarse con Kal-El que ya para ese entonces es Superboy. No quiero vender demasiada trama, pero en verdad es precioso.

Si te gustan los perros (plot twist a mi no), debe de ser un must en tu lista de lectura. En verdad lo vas a disfrutar. En verdad quisiera que hubiera mas cómics como este. Son necesarios.

[Aletha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan North, are you fricken kidding me?!?? Did you have to kill a dog in this?!?!?!??

Our dog is a rescue dog (who also happens to have one ear up and one ear down kind of like Krypto) who was likely not treated well by his previous owners so this was a VERY hard read for me.

While I appreciate the warning they put on the back on the TPB I just don't see why the animal abuse had to be depicted rather than implied instead. (I am STILL upset over We3 and I'm pretty sure I read that over 15 years ago...)

If I didn't already hate Lex Luther before I DEFINITELY hate his ass now.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

That’s an easy 5 stars from me! I laughed, I cried, I said “awwww,” and hugged my own rescue dog repeatedly. Not always an easy read for someone who generally prefers dogs to people, but overall a delightful experience that I’m sure I’ll want to revisit! Norton’s art was adorable, Lee’s covers are always amazing, and North’s story was wonderfully written as well. Lots of interesting twists and turns.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Krypto goes thru a wormhole during a test flight from Krypton that ends up on Earth a few years later. His resulting shaggy-dog adventure (told from his dog POV) is cute, encountering faces and places familiar to the most popular Superman stories, but it’s also more of a theme park tour through an adolescent era for Superman and a few of his eventual arch-nemeses than a proper dramatic story.

[Teressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 I don’t often read comics the whole way through, but I started previewing it and then I was reading and then I couldn’t stop. This has strong Bolt/Incredible Journey/Homeward Bound vibes and is a must read if you are a DC fan and/or you love animals. What a ride. This was exceptional and I loved the art and lettering. Check out the interesting blogpost DC has about the making of the book. Highly recommend. Loved!

[Lily Strasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE KRYPTO WITH MY WHOLE HEART AND SOUL!! This was such a sweet, wonderful little collection of stories about how Krypto made it to earth and I absolutely loved it! I loved all the different people he meets and all the different situations he was put in (even if some of them felt like a complete gut punch when you turned the page!). I loved the illustrations and the attention to detail. So so good!

[Chloë Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet, and at times very emotional and tense, story about survival through the eyes of a pup. He might have powers, but he still faces a lot of hardships and struggles to find his place and survive in the world - just like Clark. The beautiful art finishes this story off nicely, with the team ensuring Krypto is as emotive as he can be without the power of speech. Loved!

[Jota Houses · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muchas son las narraciones de los orígenes de Superman pero hasta ahora no había caído en mis manos la historia de Krypto el Superperro, estrella indiscutible de la última versión cinematográfica sobre el Hombre de Acero. Una historia bonita, redondita y con final feliz que alegra los corazoncitos de los lectores en esta era de superhéroes atormentados con un poco de brillo de la Edad de Plata.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Ryan North's work in general - Squirrel Girl and Adventure Time particularly. So I had high expectations for this book. It didn't quite reach them, but it did still show a little more heart than I expected, even if it's not quite as funny as his other work. And, as much as I love Jae Lee's art, his covers really seemed to be a different tone than the rest of the book.

[Nevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan North and Mike Norton love dogs, and this story has heart. It doesn't have very much plot, though, and the mostly wordless pages go by fast. The first two issues are interesting and cover every good idea North had. The last three feel like padding.

[André-Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faire chialer avec un chien en cape ? Défi relevé haut la main. Ryan North prend le concept absurde de Krypto, le super-chien et le traite avec un premier degré absolu et bouleversant.
On suit ce pauvre chien paumé sur une planète ''alien'', terrifié par ses propres pouvoirs, cherchant juste son maître.
La mise en scène de Mike Norton est incroyable : pas besoin de textes, tout passe par le regard du chien. C'est la preuve définitive qu'un bon scénariste peut transformer n'importe quel personnage de second plan en chef-d'œuvre d'émotion. Très sympa !

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10:
With a severe lack in plot and unnecessarily putting Krypto through the wringer, this series doesn’t work well for me. I would’ve loved a positive, happy, and exciting Krypto story, not what we get from this.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

art is pretty good.
story us okay, but has soem beautiful and poignant moments.

[Buis · Rating 5 out of 5]

REad the oindividual issues. It's amazing.

[Odo · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10