Krypto #85: The Return

From: Superman #287 (May 1975)

Elliot S! Maggin's follow-up to Krypto's return as an amnesiac pooch in the pages of Action's Green Arrow back-up took 6 months and is a bad case of much ado about nothing. A fourfold disappointment, in fact.

Last we saw Krypto - or "Demien" - he was in Star City. Six months later (as the reading flies), he arrives in Metropolis via garbage scow. He's following his super-nose home, without really knowing what that is. On the way, his head is turned by an upscale show dog called Chelsea, and well...
The butler/dog-walker isn't too keen on this mutt who smells of garbage courting his employer's pricey princess, but she breaks her leash and runs off with the canine Romeo. Coincidentally, the dogs go to Metropolis' answer to Central Park where Superman and Lois Lane are also on a date. Krypto digs for bones and accidentally unleashes an inflammable blue gas that starts a fire and sends Lois to the hospital. And in the middle of all that, we get the story of how he lost his memory.
That's right, some crazy Silver Age alien creature did it, and it's got nothing to do with this story, and Krypto doesn't even remember it. You'd think that having set up the amnesia, Maggin would have more of a story to tell, but no. Disappointment #1.

Krypto then sees his master fly overhead and memories come flooding back. And that's that as far as a reunion goes. The dog just falls into line and helps Superman with more of the blue fire, this time revealed to be part of a complicated heist.
That they don't make more of a meal of it is Disappointment #2.

So Krypto saves the artifacts from the fire while Superman deals with the thieves, and off the friends go to Chelsea's place, where her owner - a rich heiress who is never seen and is never given a name - has agreed to basically breed her dog and Krypto, seeing as he's Superman's famous dog.
Oops, Chelsea now wants nothing to do with this would-be humper. Unlike Lois, she's not interested in a mate that's so different and potentially dangerous. Oh well. After introducing a love interest for Krypto, it's taken away, and maybe he's sad, but we're not picking up the Bronze Age Krypto's thoughts as we once did the Silver Age's, so who knows. It's all a bit, flat. And why NOT show Chelsea's mistress? That seemed relevant. But actually, nothing is. Disappointment #3.

And #4? Well, Krypto's back after 5 years of waiting, right? Well, sort of. Would you believe he doesn't appear again for another 15 months?! Disappointment #4.

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