Anyone who’s gone to see Superman in theaters knows that Krypto the Superdog wound up being the movie’s MVP. Most of it is because the concept of “a dog with Superman’s powers” is the kind of comic book goodness that these films should learn more into, but the other half comes from the fact that Krypto is a straight-up menace; James Gunn even said that Krypto was inspired by his rescue dog, Ozu. It’s this energy that fuels Superman Unlimited #3, which is appropriately titled “Good Boy”.
Taking a page from Superman Unlimited #1, Dan Slott uses the opening pages to dig into the early moments of Krypto’s life, revealing that he was quite the handful when he first came to Earth. Flash forward to the present day…and he’s still a handful, literally taking Jon Kent for a ride when the Son of Superman is tasked with taking the powerful pooch for a walk. The timing couldn’t be worse, as the new Toyman is on the loose.
While I love the idea of an entire issue taking place from Krypto’s perspective, it’s slightly undercut by cutaways to other plot points, including a detour to Gorilla City and Jon wrestling with what path he wants to take next in life. Slott took a similar approach in his previous work, especially in his Amazing Spider-Man run, yet these detours feel like they’re pulling away from the main story of Krypto. Likewise, what should be the Superdog’s victory is somewhat undercut by a last minute plot twist.
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Even if the plot is bumpy, the artwork still remains a major draw of Superman Unlimited #3. Rafael Alberquerue even gives Krypto a new, shaggier design that evokes his appearance in Superman, and relishes in depicting how destructive the Superdog is. Once Jon takes him walking, Krypto turns into a red blur that circles the globe. And in a fun way of continuing the flashbacks, once Krypto sniffs out the Toyman, he flashes back to the times he and the rest of the Superman family fought the mad inventor. Marcelo Maiolo drenches these flashbacks in a warm sepia tone, making the fields of Smallville truly feel like home.
The other standout of Superman Unlimited #3 is the new Toyman. Not only is he sporting a design that’s reminiscent of Superman: The Animated Series, but he’s also packing plenty of deadly toys that rivals his predecessor’s. The deadliest? A massive robot powered by Kryptonite that looks like an evil version of Ultraman, complete with a sinister gold and green hue. But what really makes this Toyman feel distinct is the approach Dave Sharpe takes to his speech. Due to the lowercase letters, he actually sounds like a child.
Superman Unlimited #3 attempts to put the spotlight on Krypto the Superdog, though a new villain and superfluous subplots get in the way. Still, it’s a reminder that Krypto is, in Superman’s words, a very good boy when it comes to helping out the Man of Steel.
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