The Umbrella Academy Volume 2: Dallas
Story: Gerard Way
Art: Gabriel Bá
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Nate Piekos
Lowdown: Loved it. The Umbrella Academy (both volumes) are the craziest, zaniest super-hero stories I’ve ever read. They have a freshness and energy that fuels my love for the comics medium.
The dysfunctional family is probably the most over-used dramatic device in history. If you want some heavy, award-winning drama, simply frame it around a family with problems. The greater the dysfunction, the more people will love your story. It’s all cliché to me. I’m just going to roll my eyes.
Many people have applied the dysfunctional theme to super heroes teams. The Umbrella Academy is no different, but somehow manages to avoid the tiredness of the idea. These characters aren’t just dysfunctional, they’re crazy. Not just mentally, but in a “Does that guy really have a gorilla’s body and call himself Spaceman?” way.
And the characters are the best part. They are so well defined, so unique it doesn’t really matter what the plot is: we’d have a blast if they were making crepes. Fortunately, the plot involves more than just cooking: time travel, the after-life, assassins, the end of the world, etc.
Pick up Volume 1, The Apocalypse Suite, then read volume 2. You won’t be disappointed.
—
The Umbrella Academy Volume 1: Apocalypse Suite — Buy from Amazon (with kickback
The Umbrella Academy Volume 2: Dallas — Buy from Amazon (with kickback
