The Umbrella Academy - Getting to the source

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I was introduced to the TV version of this comic by my daughter as she was a fan of author Gerard Way's band, My Chemical Romance. I like a bit of quirkiness and so it did appeal. It is about people with special powers, but they are also very dis-functional. My other half assumed it was something like the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events stories that we had read to our kids. She found those depressing as the poor kids in them never seemed to get a break. Umbrella Academy is also pretty dark, but fun too.

It is only now that I have seen the source material after that same daughter bought me the first book for Christmas. The core characters are the same and there are parallels in the plot, but it is a very different story.

Cover

Brazilian artist Gabriel Bá gives it a great style that does not seek to be totally realistic. Some of the characters are drawn quite simply, as I might expect from the comics I read as a kid, but there is plenty of detail to enjoy.

Inside

Please excuse the rough photos as my phone is out of action and I used my webcam. The funeral scene there is in the TV show, but with a very different look.

A lot of characters in the comic did not make it to the Netflix show and lots of new ones were introduced with various sub-plots. They were stretching a short comic into ten episodes per season, so I guess they had to make changes. I am not sure how much Gerard Way was involved in that.

I have yet to read the second volume, entitled Dallas, but the second season was set in that city, so I assume they did not totally divert from the comic. There is a third comic and the equivalent Netflix season will be with us fairly soon. It remains to be seen how long they will milk the characters, but if they can keep the quality up then there is potential. There is still plenty they have not explained.

I have enjoyed both versions so far and look forward to more of each.

This trailer does not give too much away, but gives you the flavour.

comics umbrellaacademy proofofbrain palnet neoxian superhero
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28 comments
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I watched the first season of the show and thought it was alright. I didn't realize that it was based off a graphic novel. That's pretty cool.

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TV producers are mining a lot of comics. It's good to see something other than Marvel and DC.

!BEER

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Yeah I've been noticing that as well. Snowpiercer, 300 and valerian are a few that come to mind.

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I have this on my list in Netflix but I haven't really gotten around to watching it. I have so many shows like that. I just read today that they are doing a Korean remake of Money Heist. That is cool that you have the comic to read and can see the parallels between the two. Do you think one is better than the other or do you think they both stand up as individuals.

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I think different media are hard to compare, especially when they have such distinct styles. I enjoyed both in this case. It can be disappointing when a movie doesn't match what you imagined for a book though. Some of the comic characters have been done so many times, e.g. Spider Man, Batman, Superman. I like to see something fresh. I am getting more into comics lately. It is a rich artform.

!BEER

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I think I watched 2 series of Umbrella Academy on Netflix, and I liked it. Cartoon violence is a lot more relaxing than a lot of the things that we end up watching. The Netflix algorithm always offers us lots of drug trafficking in South America, and the gang violence that goes with it. It's nice to watch something a bit lighter.

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I'm not so into gritty realistic violence, but I can cope with the fantasy stuff. Mind you, some of the stuff in this show did make me wince. I have access to a lot of the sort of stuff I like via Netflix and Disney+. We are spoilt for choice.

!BEER

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It would be nice to see a season 3. Maybe filming has been held up by you-know-what....

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(Edited)

It's due this year as far as I know.

BTW I removed my delegation as I see you are almost a minnow and doing well.

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Ahh that's cool. I actually bought a tiny bit of Hive yesterday as I had £189 floating around not doing anything, and Hive is the cheapest it's been for a while. It was very kind of you to delegate it in the first place! :)

!PIZZA

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You're very welcome.

!BEER !hivebits

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hivebits is a new one. Will have to research this! :)

!PIZZA

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The value fluctuates wildly, but it's another one to collect. All part of the fun.

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I've seen the Netflix series, too, but haven't read the comic either. I saw it in the local store but decided against it; I think I was a little too worried that it'd ruin the show for me, which I really enjoyed. Looking forward to season 3!

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I think the comment gives the characters more background, but then they are a little different. It didn't spoil the show for me. I have volume two to read soon. Season 3 of the show will be interesting given the cliffhanger we left them on.

!BEER

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