If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics.

This week we're taking a look at the trope of the animal companion, another popular trend from the Golden and Silver Ages of comics that has resulted in a number of enduring characters and concepts. If you couldn't hook kids from the newsstand with another kid in a cape and short pants, certainly a flying dog in a mask would do it. There are so many cool animals in comics that we've had to split this topic up by publisher.

Show notes:

  • You can read about the Atomic Knights and their bitchin' giant dogs in this hardcover that collects their complete Silver Age adventures.
  • Early Wonder Woman adventures featuring the kangas can be found in the Wonder Woman Chronicles.
  • Krypto the Superdog had his own tv show that featured many of DC's coolest animal characters, including, most importantly, the Space Canine Patrol Agents.
  • If, like me, you think every superhero and supervillain should have a cool, thematically appropriate pet, you should check out the DC Super-Pets Character Encyclopedia, with illustrations by Art Baltazar. It is pretty rad.
  • The adventures of the Legion of Super-Pets are chronicled in Showcase Presents the Legion of Super-Heroes.
  • Not enough comics featuring cool super-pets are in print.

 

Enjoy this week's episode and be sure to let us know what we got wrong in the comments!

 

Check Out Some of Our Other Episodes of Fantastic Five, Too

 

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