“Yesterday’s” Comic> Superman For The Animals

This is tough for Superman. He’s a dog person.

Superman For The Animals

DC Comics (2000)

“Dear Superman…”

(Not to be confused with one of my favorite Superman stories, but there is a similarity I’ll be addressing.)

WRITER: Mark Millar

ARTISTS: Tom Grummett & Dick Giordano

COLORIST: Glenn Whitmore

SEPARATIONS: Digital Chameleon

LETTERER: John Costanza

CREATIVE CONSULTANT: Richard De Angelis

EDITOR: Paul Kupperberg

Superman looks over some his mail, a number of them seeking help and at least one Lois finds kind of dumb. However, one in particular is the focus of our story. Tommy Delaney is twelve-years-old and new in school. He ends up making friends but with the wrong crowd, mostly thanks to the lead kid named Ballser. As time goes on Tommy begins to get concerned about Ballser’s treatment of animals. He convinces one kid to shoot a dog as payback for the dog attacking him, but the owner is Tommy’s neighbor and he sees how hurt he is and the dog having to lose a leg. On another occasion, Ballser tries to throw a cat off a bridge into traffic, only to have it rescued by Superman on his way to a fire at the plant Tommy’s dad works at, saving his dad just in time. When Ballser drowns a squirrel the science teacher was nursing back to health, it’s the last stray and Tommy, inspired by Superman’s power and humility, stands up to the kid. During the fight the gang learns that Ballser has been responsible for a rash of animal killings and when he threatens them as well they stand with Tommy. Ballser gets help, Tommy and his friends make better friends, and Tommy ends up adopting the cat from earlier. Superman himself congratulates Tommy, but didn’t stay around long enough for Tommy to know it was him.

What they got right: This story succeeds on two fronts. First, it showcases what makes Superman so good as a character, especially to kids. (See also the other “Dear Superman” story in the link earlier.) He inspires others by having great power but also great humility. He stands up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, and inspires Tommy to do the same, only for the animals Ballser is going after. He wrote the letter to thank Superman for that inspiration and because “I figured a guy who gets mail from all over the world from people in trouble deserves to hear some good news every once in a while”. It’s not about the super, it’s about the man. That’s how you make a good Superman story.

Also, for all the talk about how preachy comics have gotten, this is a story that does a good job of it. It’s a PSA comic so it makes sense (not a free one mind you) but it tells a story first, with the message serving as the theme of the story. I think this is when animal cruelty was a hot topic so it was a good time to make it, and it doesn’t come off as heavy-handed. Ballser is not treated the same as a supervillain. They send him to therapy at the end and the kids wisely distance themselves from him when he turns on them. When the school therapist dismisses it Tommy explains it was because he had dealt with cases considered tougher and didn’t want to think it was as bad as Tommy said, even before the cat and squirrel incidents. He’s not shown in a negative light. He’s wrong but with understandable reasons. There are also good reasons why Tommy doesn’t tell his dad or the teacher and they also are good reasons even if we know Tommy should. Tommy has to learn this himself. Even without Superman it would be a good story of a boy who realizes something is wrong and does something about it. Superman is merely the hook to draw you into the story and it works well.

What they got wrong: If “over a hundred” collars, I guess they’re supposed to be trophies of animals he’s killed” is an actual estimate and not typical child exaggeration (Ballser’s crimes would include hanging cats and roasting a labrador in his kennel…alive!), what is even the hell? We know he also goes after stray and wild animals. I’m assuming the point is to lead up to how seriously harming animals like this is a road to being a serial killer (in fact, a number of serial killers of humans started with animals), but after this body count he should be seeing that therapist in juvenile hall or a children’s mental hospital or something! Tommy just says Ballser is sent to “heavy-duty therapy”.

Recommendation: Superman For The Animals isn’t really a Superman story. While he’s used well it’s Tommy’s and a good one to show kids how abusing and killing animals for fun is a horrible thing with horrible consequences. It’s definitely one to look up.