Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 741
EAN: 9781593079789
ISBN: 1593079788
Label: Dark Horse
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 192
Publication Date: 2008-07-16
Publisher: Dark Horse
Studio: Dark Horse

Gerard Way, of My Chemical Romance, makes his comics writing debut in this outrageous superhero epic that Grant Morrison called "An ultraviolet psychedelic sherbet bomb of wit and ideas. The superheroes of the 21st century are here at last..." In an inexplicable, worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world." These seven children form The Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again

Customer Rating:
Summary: I Love Gerard Way
Comment: This is a very imaginitive work and is suitable for any comic book fan over the age of 13 or so. Can't wait for more from Mr. Way.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Warning!
Comment: I didn't laugh, didn't care and had to push myself really hard to finish this barely readable comic. The art is fine. This story is not. Well if you could really call it a story. It's a mish-mash of hastily thrown together parts that certainly doesn't add up to anything much. It took me about 10 attempts to get through it. I put in down on several occasions threw sheer frustration at the juvenile story and dialogue. The worst thing you can say about a comic or any story for that matter is when you just aren't interested in finding out what happens next and what happens to the characters. WHO CARES was the resounding answer for me with this comic unfortunately. This is the worst comic I have read in a very long time.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: It was entertaining enough, but...
Comment: Ultimately not a very satisfying or good story. It was spurred along by random cool gimmicks and ideas, but in the end I think that was all it was. The parts were greater than the whole. I won't be buying volume two unless Way comes up with an even cuter instrument of world destruction.

Ok, maybe that was a bit too harsh. It was a great start and had it's moments. I just think the story would have benefitted alot if he fabricated the plot a bit more seriously and thoroughly in certain parts. I'd upgrade my review four stars if it let me.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I Live For Stuff Like This
Comment: I just finished reading "The Umbrella Academy" and I have to say that this comic--and others like it--is one of the many reasons why I'm becoming more of a graphic novel fan. Its originality made me turn the page and I love the fact that Way played up the dysfunctional family angle throughout the entire volume. Because the characters are so complex, they remain interesting by not coming off as these cheesy individuals who just come together to save the world. And the writing. Though it's dark, it's funny to the point where I'm laughing at the most inappropriate parts. It's as if Way uses his comic to express what he can't say through his music.
In other words, I love it. I love it. I love it. I'm not just saying this because I'm an MCR fan. There has to be another volume in the works. I hope there is.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: An interesting experiment.
Comment: One could be forgiven for expecting that a comic miniseries by one of the members of the band "My Chemical Romance" would be a gratuitous vanity project. That is, however, not the case. While I do not rate is as highly as many others here do, Gerard Way has produced a genuine story, with nice art by indie favourite Gabriel Ba (also known for Matt Fraction's Image series "Casanova").

As the description says, an unexplained global phenomenon saw numerous children born to women who had not previously shown signs of pregnancy. Seven of these are adopted by an eccentric millionaire, Sir Reginald Hargreeves (secretly a space alien), and raised to fight evil. This is the classic superhero setup of the X-Men. Well, it is, and it isn't. Way subverts some of the basic idea, particularly regarding the Professor X figure, Hargreeves (aka The Monocle). Hargreeves is a cold and demanding person who is not interested in providing the children with a genuine father figure; he is merely their boss. He even refers to the children by numbers, rather than names (their names are supplied by the 'mother' he deigned to provide, an animated clothes dummy; the kids are split in how they treat her, with some accepting her, while the rebelious Diego sees her as just another layer of artifice in their upbringing). Hargreeves' parental neglect is the catalyst for the primary villain plot, revolving around #7, Vanya, who has no powers, and thus was just not "special" as Hargreeves tells her directly. However, she may indeed have some purpose for an eccentric villain out to bring about the end of the world.

Way's style has been compared to Grant Morrison (who provided strong praise for the series, and an introduction to this trade paperback), and, indeed, one can draw strong comparisons between this series and Morrison's "JLA". High concepts are thrown out quite frequently, there is a lot of action, and there isn't a huge amount of characterization. The two most interesting powers concepts are the White Violin, the weird villain of the piece, and, even moreso, those of Allison/The Rumour, who can literally warp reality by lying (most clearly demonstrated in a bonus story included in this collection written for Free Comic Book Day).

Recommended for people interested in a Morrison-esque superhero experience.

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