SPOILERS!!
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED
With the rash of TV shows in the last few years that have been adaptations of comic books, you would think that the release of ‘yet another’ would have everyone rolling their eyes while Netflix rolled out their long marketing campaign for the newly arrived ‘Umbrella Academy’. Not only is this a show based on the comic created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba but it is also about another somewhat exhausted genre, superheroes. Only considered a genre and not a sub over the last couple of decades, TV was slow to catch up, instead venturing down the route of original stories of the genre, I’m thinking of ‘Misfits’ here and to a lesser extent, sitcoms like ‘My Hero’ and ‘No Heroics’. That’s what the UK has to offer anyway. But now, we have the likes of Agents of SHIELD (more spy than superhero but still very sci-fi) and Legion. Comic book adaptation have proved to popular and as the original stories were all in episodes, it makes sense to turn them into serials. Preacher, iZombie, Happy!, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Riverdale and of course, The Walking Dead. Not all can be winners, such as Outcast and the incredibly underrated Middleman. New shows joining the ranks this year; Deadly Class, Doom Patrol and The Boys are out later this year. With new adaptations out every year, is there room for more? Well, when it comes to the Umbrella Academy, there most definitely is.
Tag lined ‘Super. Dysfunctional. Family’ doesn’t actually scrape the surface of this family of super powered people. The comic stands out in more ways than one as does the TV show its based on not just because of its characters, universe or plot. With only two collected volumes of the comic released before the show went into production, it seems that the creators of the show and Netflix were banking on the notoriety of the comic to bring in the viewers. I only read the first book a couple of months ago in prep for the show and I’m glad I did but I still had multiple questions about what was happening.
There have already been first reactions to the show going round the internet as well as the usual lists about what questions have been left unanswered as well as differences from the comic, all of which I’m personally fine with. The universe the academy exists in is a very weird one and not like ‘ours’ so any changes to make things a little less complicated I’m ok with.
I’ve rambled on for a bit without talking about the show properly. Beginning with a prologue, a sign of setting up the scene, novel style, explaining how the Umbrella Academy came to be. When 43 children are born simultaneously around the world to women who weren’t pregnant at the start of the day, am eccentric millionaire adopts (or rather buys) as many as he can find, which is 7. He trains them, disciplines them and never once fathers them like a real parent. Out the 7 children, 6 have special powers and one doesn’t, BUT she does seem to be on medication, so you can guess what you will hear. Trying to be spoiler free as possible. The children grow up (apart from Vanya, who plays violin) in the lime light as superheroes but as they get older, one by one leave the academy, except for Luther, who pays for his loyalty. All the children are numbered and this is what their ‘father’ calls them, never by their names given to them by their robot mother. As adults they are all following their own path and they haven’t seen each other in years. One brother, Number Five, disappeared when they were 13 and hadn’t been seen because he leapt too far into the future and saw the apocalypse and lived to an old age in it, until he was recruited to be a hitman for a shady secret organisation. For anyone who hasn’t read the comics or not seen the show yet, this might mean absolutely nothing to you. Sorry guys.
Seven children, seven numbers, seven weird powers. Space boy aka No.1, is strong and he also has monkey DNA so he literally looks like a mutant. No.2 The Kraken, is good with knives, he always hits his targets, plus he wears a weird leather thing to carry all his knives. No.3 The Rumour, literally says ‘I heard a rumour’ and whatever she says it comes true. Unfortunately she learnt too late that her life is built on lies and her ‘rumours’ which is why she is divorced and not allowed to see her daughter. No.4 The Seance, can speak, hear, hang out with the dead BUT he can do so much more, like, visit the afterlife and chat with god. More on that later. Because of the whole dead thing, he’s a junkie, to drown out the voices, a real tortured soul. No.5 disappeared into the future, got stuck and then clawed his way back to his family. He can move through space and time but he’s really a great hitman. No.6, The Horror, had the ability to release monsters from another dimension through his stomach, but he died mysteriously. This hasn’t been revealed in the show or comics, yet. No. 7, The White Violin, the ‘ordinary’ one who plays the violin but really is the most powerful. Able to control everything around her, her emotions affecting the objects and people and if she plays the violin, well, that means the end of the world. All the family members are disturbed, scarred and struggling in some way, physically and emotionally, but together they are, well, really dangerous.
The fact that the show is a combination of both comics, might mean the show could go its own way, diverted from the comics. Including making more of time travelling hitmen, Cha-Cha and Hazel which was a fun and sometimes funny diversion from the main gang. But who knows what could happen next. I just want there to be a season 2. Plus with all these Marvel cancellations Netflix has room in their schedule.
A family that tries to prevent the apocalypse together you would think stay together. I’m hoping Netflix sees sense and renews the show. Fingers crossed umbrella fans.