Broken Frontier

The Umbrella Academy is the brainchild of My Chemical Romance front man, Gerard Way. Beginning in 2007, he created a world of dysfunctional heroes, crazy villains and wild scenarios, not bound by common logic. Picking and choosing some of the best storytelling techniques from artists like Grant Morrison, Wes Anderson and Mike Mignola, he developed a unique style that reads like a structured fever dream of skewed heroics.

Many readers were skeptical of a musician taking the reins of an original comic property. Unaware that Mr. Way is steeped in the medium’s lore, I remained at arm’s length as well, until after Apocalypse Suite, the first Umbrella series had reached its conclusion. Through word of mouth, I picked up the trade and now find it to be one of the series I am most excited about when it ships.

With partners in crime, Gabriel Bá & Dave Stewart, Way has given us a yearly event of mini-series, each being self-contained yet continuous pieces of work. This past year saw the conclusion and subsequent collection of Volume 2, Dallas. The details of the plot are too complicated to recap, but involve time travel, talking monkeys, Viet Cong Vampires in the 1960s, giant mummies, Saturday Morning Cartoon serial killers, God as a cowboy and the botched/successful assassination of John F. Kennedy. The Umbrellas save the world, as well.

Mimicking a release schedule not unlike that of Hellboy, we are given a chance to revisit these lush characters every year. The success and originality of The Umbrella Academy: Dallas is a learned lesson in not judging a book by its cover. Also, that lightning can strike twice. Here’s hoping for three times.

The next volume, The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion really can’t come soon enough.