Who's the best superhero dog: Krypto the Superdog Or Ace the Bat-Hound? Both pups have proven their superhero chops over the years, teaming up with Superman and Batman, respectively. This is undoubtedly an incredibly difficult choice for animal lovers, so let's take a look at the history of these beloved pets. Interestingly, both dogs debuted within a few months of each other back in 1955, though Krypto appeared first. Created by Otto Binder and Curt Swan, Krypto was the House of El's family dog, who found himself on a test flight before baby Kal-El was sent to Earth. Blown off course, the alien canine drifted for years until his rocket finally picked up a signal from Kal-El’s. By this point, the Kryptonian was a teenager and the dog quickly became his closest companion.
As for Ace, he was created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. Batman and Robin saved him from drowning, only to discover his owner had been kidnapped. The Dynamic Duo let Ace tag along after he followed the Batmobile. However, Ace had a distinctive marking on his forehead and Batman didn’t want a connection between him and his alter ego. So, he did what any rational guy who suits up as a bat every night would do - he put his emblem on Ace’s dog tag and fashioned him a makeshift hood. The dog continued to lend a paw to fight crime after his rightful owner gave him to the Caped Crusader.
It’s a tough call over which super pet is the best. Krypto has all the powers of the Man of Steel which makes him a formidable fighter, but also very difficult to train, as Superman can attest. However, Krypto has done more than act as a canine companion to the Last Son of Krypton. He also headed up the Legion of Super-Pets, which included Streaky the Super-cat, Comet the Super-horse and Beppo the Super-monkey. Krypto is also set to appear in Titans' upcoming second season. Ace might not have any superpowers to speak of but like all dogs, he’s lovable, loyal and would do anything to protect his person.
Krypto has saved Superman more than once, but the Kryptonian canine’s quintessential story has to be Superman #680. He came to the Man of Steel’s rescue when Atlas was about to end him. The issue concluded with Supes shouting, "You want to cheer a hero? This is a hero” while pointing to his faithful pooch. Although he did once narrate his own issue, Ace hadn’t been seen much post-Crisis since the Dark Knight’s stories grew too dark to include the pup. Ace has appeared outside the comics too, in shows like Batman Beyond, though he never got his own series like Krypto the Superdog. He was later reimagined as Titus in DC’s New 52 where he wound up as Damian Wayne’s pet. A new iteration of Ace also showed up in DC Rebirth as a former guard dog of the Joker, who was later adopted by Alfred. Bruce thought the dog was a lost cause, but of course, came to love him in the end. The Eisner-winning story was inspired by writer Tom King’s real-life rescue dog.
Both Ace and Krypto are undeniably amazing and any human would be lucky to have either one. When it comes down to it, it’s nearly impossible to choose between these two heroic dogs. What is certain is that Superman and Batman would be lost without them. Let’s hope that they both show up in the upcoming DC Super Pets movie.