The Umbrella Academy

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The Umbrella Academy
Promotional artwork
Publication information
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Schedule	Monthly, every third Wednesday
Format	Limited series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	September 19, 2007[1] - Present
Number of issues	15 (12 Including 3 short stories)
Main character(s)	Sir Reginald Hargreeves Spaceboy The Murder Magician The Kraken The Rumor Pogo The Séance 00.05 The Horror Vanya Hargreeves
Creative team
Writer(s)	Gerard Way[2]
Artist(s)	Gabriel Bá James Jean (cover illustrations for series 1 only)[3]
Letterer(s)	Jason Hvam (Internet preview only)[2] Nate Piekos
Colorist(s)	Dave Stewart[3]
Creator(s)	Gerard Way[4]
Collected editions
The Apocalypse Suite	ISBN 978-1-59307-978-9[5]
Dallas	ISBN 978-1-59582-345-8[6]

The Umbrella Academy is a comic book written by Gerard Way with art by Gabriel Bá, cover art by James Jean, colors by Dave Stewart and letters by Blambot's Nate Piekos. The six-issue limited series^[7] is released by Dark Horse Comics, the first issue making its premiere on September 19, 2007.^[1] It won the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Finite Series/Limited Series. A second series The Umbrella Academy: Dallas followed in 2008. The series has been optioned for a film adaptation planned for release in 2012.

[edit] Main story

The members of the Umbrella Academy, a disbanded group of superheroes, reunite after the death of their adoptive father, "Sir Reginald Hargreeves". Hargreeves, an alien disguised as a famous entrepreneur, collected the members of the Umbrella Academy shortly after their birth and trained them to save the world from an unspecified threat. After his death, the members carry on his plan to save the world.

[edit] Influence

Way has stated that the biggest influence on this piece of work is his favorite writer, Grant Morrison of Doom Patrol. He has also stated that Pat McEown of ZombieWorld: Champion of the Worm was a big influence on his work. Way has said that Edvin Biuković is his all-time favorite artist and that "his Grendel Tales are like my bible to draw from".^[4] The obvious allusions to Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums are also undeniable.^{[original research?]}

[edit] Characters

• The Monocle (Sir Reginald Hargreeves) – An alien disguised as a wealthy entrepreneur and inventor, he adopts the members of The Umbrella Academy at birth.
• The Umbrella Academy:
  • 00.01 Spaceboy (Luther Hargreeves) – The leader of The Umbrella Academy; his body is that of a gorilla’s and was transplanted after a failed expedition to Mars. His powers are enhanced physical strength and resilience. After his career with The Umbrella Academy he moved to the Moon and lived at the Annihilation Control outpost. On the moon, Luther is attended to by a robotic butler of sorts, named Ben. As revealed on the Dallas storyline, Spaceboy and The Boy (Number Five) are twin brothers.
  • 00.02 The Kraken (Diego Hargreeves) – The reckless and rebellious member of the group, described by The Monocle as “an insolent brat.” He has the ability to hold his breath indefinitely and has demonstrated a strong affinity for knife-throwing. He and Luther have a very clear rivalry and Diego seems unwilling to take orders from Luther.
  • 00.03 The Rumor (Allison Hargreeves) – Described as narcissistic. She has the ability to prevaricate, whatever she says becomes the truth. After her career with The Umbrella Academy, she married her boyfriend Patrick, who she has since divorced, and had a daughter named Claire.
  • 00.04 The Séance (Klaus Hargreeves) – Showcasing a fretful, morbid temperament, his powers are to contact the dead, levitate and telekinesis. He has the words "Hello" and "Goodbye" tattooed on his palms, and it has been theorized by Mr. Pogo that he's been taking drugs since he was a teenager, and he has himself said he is taking speed.
  • 00.05 The Boy (see notes at back of The Apocalypse Suite) - Disappeared at the age of ten and reappears in his childhood form 20 years into the future. 00.05 appears to be capable of traveling through time under his own power, although he was forced to spend decades in the future trying to prove the possibility of backwards time-travel before he was able to achieve it. He was shown to have aged normally in the distant future, but regressed back to his youth in transit. 00.05 claims to have read accounts of the Academy's immediate future and their connection to an apocalypse. As revealed on the Dallas storyline, Spaceboy (Number One) and The Boy are twin brothers.
  • 00.06 The Horror (Ben Hargreeves) – He possesses monsters under his skin from other dimensions. He is deceased, but no information regarding his death is given. There is a memorial statue of him located in the front of the Academy. Even though he's been dead since before the start of the series (but after the Murder Magician affair), he's been portrayed as a member of The Umbrella Academy since ever, appearing as his statue counterpart, or as images of him alive.
  • 00.07 The White Violin (Vanya Hargreeves) – The most estranged member of the group, Vanya showcases no particular powers, other than an interest in music. Vanya is known to have written a book detailing her life with the Academy and her decision to leave. According to The Conductor, leader of the Orchestra Verdammten, she's the most powerful of the Umbrella Academy, even leading to The Monocle for suppressing her powers from the beginning.
• Inspector Lupo – A police officer, detective and friend of The Umbrella Academy. (Has a resemblance to Commissioner James Gordon)
• Abhijat – The Monocle’s bodyguard and assistant.
• Dr. Pogo – A talking chimp associated with The Monocle. Spaceboy's Best friend growing up at the Academy.
• Mrs. Hargreeves (Grace Hargreeves) - Referred to as "Mom" by the members of the Academy. While the Monocle is shown in a portrait in the first issue, with a woman beside him, this is apparently not the children's "Mom," who shows up in the second issue and appears to be an only partially animate plastic mannequin. Little information is given as to her origins.
• Hazel and Cha-Cha - A pair of extremely violent Nazi assassins working for the Temps Aeternalis. They both wear brightly colored cartoon character masks, maniacal and psychopath behaviour, and have a love of sweets.

[edit] Apocalypse Suite

The six part series, Apocalypse Suite, began with the release of the first issue on September 19, 2007. One issue is to be released on the third Wednesday of every month for six months.^[1] The series editor is Scott Allie, and the series assistant editors are Rachel Edidin and Sierra Hahn. The series designer is Tony Ong.

[edit] Plot

In an inexplicable worldwide event, thirty-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".

The siblings reunite after Hargreeves dies. Vanya is transformed into "The White Violin". She attempts to take over the world, and is shot in the head by The Boy.

[edit] Dallas

A second series called The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, began publication on November 26, 2008.

This plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (October 2009)

[edit] #1 “The Jungle”

The first issue was released on November 26, 2008.

It opens with a flashback. The Monocle and the US President discuss a problem only the Academy can solve. In the present the Lincoln Memorial attacks The Umbrella Academy but the building is stopped by a statue of John Wilkes Booth. The statue then kills a statue of Lincoln. There s another time jump foreword. Vanya has no memory, Seance has become famous, Luther watches TV and eats cookies, Allison has lost her voice and hates Vanya, and Kraken investigates. Number 5 is attacked by the Temps Aeternalis. He quickly kills them. Hazel and Cha-Cha arrive. 00.05 says, "We're already dead."

[edit] #2 "Boy Scouts"

The second issue was released on December 24, 2008.

Hazel and Cha-Cha are at a diner eating pie. They ask for the recipe of the pie, the cook won't tell them. He explains "I wouldn't even tell if you cut off my arms and legs," the two then proceed to do so. The Kraken sees Lupo and Body in Lupo's office at the police station, and they ask his "Where's The Boy?" Kraken doesn't know. The Kraken returns home and complains Spaceboy is doing nothing to find 5. Alison discovers the Monocle's monocle and No. 5, who believes he is the president. Seance is captured by Hazel and Cha-Cha who can use him to locate 5.

[edit] #3 "Television" or "Are You There, God? It's Me, Klaus"

The third issuewas released on January 28, 2009.

The chapter starts with the Seance inside of a television left on by the obese Spaceboy, who is asleep on the couch, and the Seance is trying to tell Spaceboy about what happened to him (being captured and how he will kill him). The television then breaks and Spaceboy wakes up. The Seance was communicating with Spaceboy through the television and Hazel and Cha-Cha found out, breaking the television. Cha-Cha then, after some words about the Seance's shoes and powers are exchanged by the three, puts a gun to the Seance's head. The Seance tries to pay his way out of his situation with money or "hooker amputees," but Hazel and Cha-Cha have the nukes may have been the weapons referred to in the first issue's flashback. Then, after discussing how the nukes were found and the plans that Hazel and Cha-Cha had for finding 00.05, Hazel shoots the Seance. 00.05 starts to tell the Rumor about his past life. He "left out" details of his past from the future. He was captured by the Temps Aeternalis, an agency that preserves the time continuum and recruits "anomolies," like 00.05, and puts them to work. He was changed through surgeries and other training, which explains much of the skills and other abilities he acquires during the Umbrella Academy series. 00.05 was considered the best and was specially trained by a Shubukin Goldfish with a genius-level intellect and the instincts of Nathan Bedford Forrest to take care of specific individuals. 00.05 found out that the augmentations bonded his DNA with those of notorious assassins and he was to kill President Kennedy but, he rebelled. Spaceboy flies to where the Seance was held and tortured and finds him, dead. An electric prod handled by Hazel shocks Spaceboy, believing that it killed him. The Seance, on the other hand, is seen in a pure white Heaven with God, depicted as a cowboy. The Cowboy tells him that he is to return to Earth and to "Stop being such a fairy and kill those two sons o' bitches. And stay off the drugs, Klaus." The Rumor and 00.05 are in a Chinese restaurant continuing their previous conversation. Then, 00.05's commanding officer, the Shubukin Goldfish, walks in to talk with 00.05. 00.05 threatens his officer but the officer states that he has his biological mother in the eyes of two agents that can kill her if necessary. His officer demands that he is to finish the job against the President (Kennedy) by preventing 00.05's past self from interfering. Allison is invited but writes "And why should I care what happens to this little jerk?" He reveals that 00.05's biological mother has twins, implying that Allison may be, in fact, 00.05's biological sister.

[edit] #4 "A Perfect Life"

This issue starts out as a dream by Spaceboy imagining he has a "perfect life" being married to the Rumor and having chimpanzee children. Then everything explodes and Hagreeves appears and asks if Spaceboy really thought it would all work out. The story proceeds to Hazel and Cha-Cha's Hideaway where Agnes has taken off the shoes (in pays of respect) of Seance (leaving him open to use his powers). Hazel and Cha-Cha enter the room where Seance (presumed Dead by the duo), a useless Spaceyboy, and Agnes are held and reveal to have with them the nuclear explosives which Kennedy had given to Hargreeves Seventeen Years Ago. The duo activate the bomb only to discover that it has a timer. Seconds later, Cha-Cha pulls out a gun and blasts Hazel's brains out before pulling the trigger on himself, it's revealed that Seance (with God's help) has returned from the dead and that he had possessed Cha-Cha and at the same time disarm the bomb. Meanwhile, at the Perseus Building, spoiled son of corporate millionaire (Mr.Perseus) is arguing with the board of his corporation on what to do with millions that has recently come into his possession. To one of the board member's disaray, he proposes that they spend ("his daddy's") money on some Experiments, and that anyone who tries to get in his way will be killed. The story proceeds to the Corrections Department (The Office At The End Of Time) where Number Five's employer (Carmichael) is discussing tactics to the Temps Aeternals (an agency dedicated to the preservation of time) on how they're to finish the job of assassinating John F. Kennedy which the older Number Five had failed to do so. Carmichael reveals a younger Number Five in the front of the room (causing the Temnps to react immediately via pulling their laser guns out) to which Number Five responds not to bother and that the only reasons they aren't dead already is because Number Five has decided to help. Later that night, Seance, Spaceboy, and Kraken meet at back at The Umbrella Academy where Seance appears to be digging in Pogo's grave. It's revealed that Pogo wasn't buried under his memorial, but rather a Temps Aeternals agent who tells them (via Seance) that Number Five is planning to go back to 1963, Dallas, to assassinate JFK, which angers Kraken. Seance, Kraken, and Spaceboy use the dead Temps Aeternalis Agent's time machine to go back in time. Meanwhile back in Hazel and Cha-Cha's Hideaway, Body (Inspector Lupo's Chimpanzee Partner) and a handful of officers are tending to Agnes (who apparently remained at the scene of the crime). Body then hears a beeping sound, Agnes tells him its the nuclear detonator with one second remaining, ending Chapter Four (and with that, the world).

[edit] #5 "All the Animals in the Zoo"

The fifth chapter was released on March 25, 2009. It begins at sunset, with soldiers marching through a jungle. One soldier is telling a joke, but stops when he can't remember how it goes. Two other soldiers are bringing up the rear, and one remarks that he's very confused about why they're in the Vietnamese jungle; and the other says it is because they're job is to carry a mummy to Saigon. The first soldier talks about his disdain towards their Sergeant, who he says "stumbled out of the jungle three years back." The Sergeant then appears, and says that their purpose for being here is to drag the mummified body of an ancient king back to Saigon, so that he can be resurrected, and win the war. Suddenly the soldier who was telling the joke runs back, saying he remembers the end of the joke; before he can finish his sentence, however, a bullet shoots out of his forehead, and a firefight ensues. As darkness falls, the firefight turns from a typical Viet Cong ambush to an attack from V.C.V's (Viet Cong Vampires). As blood is spilled on the carcass of the mummy, he suddenly awakens in a terrible fury, growing to the size of a small skyscraper. Before he can step on the soldiers and start rampaging through the jungle, however, a blast of fire erupt throigh the sky, and crashes into the mummy's head, decapitating and killing him. As the unknown attacker lands, one chimpanzee soldier takes aim, but the Sergent tells him to stand down, saying, "no-he's with us." The attacker is then revealed to be a heavily bearded Spaceboy, who then revelas that the Sergeant is actually The Kraken. They have a discussion, where Kraken asks Space if he's done feeling sorry for himself. He then says that because Seance, after transporting them back in time with the stolen Temps Aerelais watch, sends them back three years BEFORE 00.05's and Rumor's arrival in Dallas, he's been in Vietnam because "this is the only place that makes sense." Seance then arrives, and takes both Kraken and Space back to his nightclub in Saigon. He then tells them they're going to get to Dallas in time, and shows them a newly built Televator, its construction being assisted by a young Pogo. Space tries to tell him something, but Pogo stops him, saying that he can't know anything about the future. Seance then hands an elderly lady a baby that he'd been carrying around, and Space asks if it's his baby. Seance says yes, and Space says "but i thought..." Seance says "you thought what?" and smiles. The Televator then zaps them into oblivion. The next scene shows 00.05 and Rumor, along with several other assassins, in the back of a truck. He lays out their battle plan, instructing NO ONE is to hurt his past self, and that they just have to convince him to kill Kennedy. They all then bust out the back of the truck, and as 00.05 marches up the steps he says, "Now-lets go kill us a president."

[edit] #6 "The World is Big Enough Without You"

The sixth issue, "The World is Big Enough Without You" was released on April 25, 2009 The story opens in 1963 at The Umbrella Academy where a young Number Five and a living Hargreeves present to a couple of investors an exact replica (diagram) of The Solar System (which Number Five states is his alternative to boring their esteemed guests with an arrogant display of his time displacement capabilities or a diagrammed thesis on slips in the chronosphere) to which Hargreeves realizes that an important detail is missing in Number Five's diagram, the planet Earth is missing. The story proceeds to Dallas where a young looking Number Five along with a group of Temps Aeternal Soldiers are attempting to convince a much older looking Number Five to assassinate the president to which the older looking Number Five responds, "Kiss my ass, kid!" Many of temps are murdered in the blood bath, until one of them finally manages to wound Number Five which has gone against his orders as his younger looking self maybe killed in the process. The temps inform Number Five that there has been a change of plans at which point, Spaceboy, Kraken, and Seance arrive to the rescue. Spaceboy asks the younger Number Five where Rumor is, to which Number Five responds that she's "Nowhere you can reach her." To which Spaceboy picks him up by his head and threatens to pop it off if he doesn't talk. Spaceboy then orders the older Number Five to do what he came here to do which is to assassinate all the other shooters who were to be involved in the Kennedy assassination, he then leaves via time machine on one of the dead Temps. Number Five then reveals that killing him won't save the president, that of every murder he's committed, Kennedy is something special. "He's an idea. And what you can't take down with bullets...you have to take down with words." It's then revealed that Rumor has taken Mrs. Kennedy's place in the President's parade car and speaks, "Mr.President...I heard a rumor that the back of your head is about to explode." The story proceeds to a hospital where a "shocked" Mrs.Kennedy is being questioned and asking questions of her own. A disguised Rumor exits the hospital and enters a time machine (discguised as an ambulance) where the rest of her siblings are already waiting. Spaceboy believes that in exchange for her voice back, Rumor would assassinate the president. Rumor then reveals that had she not do what the Temps had told her to, they would have shot and murdered one of the Academy's Biological Mothers, she also reveals that he and Number Five are in fact twins. She also tells Space that she only did it because she loves him. The Ambulance takes them back to their present time where to their surprise, everything remains the same. Spaceboy leaves the team yet again, presumebly searching for himself. Carmichael reveals himself to be nearby serving children Ice Cream. Rumor demands an explanation as to why everything remains the same to which Carmichael replies that everything they did were CORRECTIONS, that the point of everything was to maintain the status quo. He also reveals that they truly saved the world this time as due to the assassination of Kennedy, they prevented him from giving Hargreeves the missiles and nukes which Hazel and Cha-Cha had stolen and used earlier in the series. Number Five then destroys the fishbowl head which Carmichael is kept in and as payback for implacing every killer and murderer inside him, he eats Carmichael. The Academy parts ways yet again. Seance visits a bar and using a jukebox, plays a song which matches the Chapter's title (The World Is Big Enough Without You). Rumor returns home to comfort her sister Vanya (implying that she has forgiven her for her actions in "The Apocalypse Suite"). Kraken looks at old picture of him and his unit from when he and his brothers were in Vietnam. The whereabouts of Spaceboy are unknown. Number Five eats ice cream on sidewalk with his dog. He reaches into his pocket and takes out the small Earth piece which was missing from his diagram in the beginning of the Chapter. The series ends in 1963 where Rumor notifies Hargreeves that President Kennedy has been killed to which Hargreeves asks Rumor, "Since when do we own a television?"

[edit] Third Series

Gerard Way announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con that the third series would be entitled The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion.^[8]

[edit] Short Stories

A first short preview story of the series was released on November 2, 2006 on the Dark Horse Comics website.^[2] The first printed story was “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.” which appeared in the 2007 Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day issue.^[3] Another story, “Safe & Sound”, was published in July 2007 in Dark Horse Presents online on MySpace.^[9]

[edit] “Mon Dieu!” (Internet Preview)

An Internet preview was released on November 2, 2006 on the Dark Horse website. The story was colored by Dan Jackson and lettered by Jason Hvam.^[2] It is included in the Apocalypse Suite collection.

[edit] Plot

The story is only two pages long and contains two main characters, The Séance, appearing as an adult, and The Boy, #00.05. A time-travel machine causes the The Séance to briefly experience life as a French military commander.

[edit] “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.”

Cover of the 2007 Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day issue, featuring the first printed story of The Umbrella Academy, “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.”

The first printed story of the series, the title is a line from the B-side track "Kill All Your Friends" by Way's band, My Chemical Romance ("And you can sleep in a coffin, but the past ain't through with you"). "…But the Past Ain’t Through with You.", appeared in the 2007 Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day issue. The comic book was released on May 5, 2007, Free Comic Book Day. It is included in the Apocalypse Suite collection. The comic book also features the début of Pantheon City written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Clément Sauvé and Zero Killer written by Arvid Nelson and illustrated by Matt Camp.^[3]

[edit] Plot

This plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (September 2007)

The story begins with Spaceboy, The Rumor, and The Séance finding The Rumor’s body in an alley. The scene changes to the studio of the Lucifer Clark Show, a late night talk show, with the Murder Magician, accompanied by his assistant, The Assistant. The Murder Magician matter-of-factly admits to killing The Rumor in front of Lucifer Clark and a live studio audience, both of which seem to not take him seriously. The Murder Magician goes on to reveal his Murderbot, which he claims he will use to murder people. The scene changes to Inspector Lupo complaining about the situation in the studio with two police officers, while they await the appearance of the Umbrella Academy. All five members appear, just having teleported from Tokyo after fighting a sea serpent. Inspector Lupo explains the situation: the Murder Magician has hypnotized Lucifer Clark and the audience, activated the Murderbot, and demanded ten million dollars and a date with a soap opera actress named Gina Barbeux. The scene changes to the inside of the studio, which is now being destroyed by the Murderbot. The Murder Magician and The Assistant are dancing on stage and Lucifer Clark is in a Dagger Head Box. As the Murder Magician is about to saw Lucifer Clark in half, the Murderbot crashes to the ground. The Umbrella Academy appears and Spaceboy orders the Murder Magician to surrender. The Kraken attacks the Murder Magician as The Assistant flees. Spaceboy grabs hold of the Murderbots arm, orders The Horror to grab the other arm, and The Séance to loosen the bolts of the robot. The Horror and Spaceboy each pull a hand, severing the robot’s arms, effectively destroying it. The Rumor seeing The Assistant on the lighting rig lies and tells her that the rig was assembled in a “rush job”. The rig collapses, seemingly killing The Assistant. The Monocle (Sir Reginald Hargreeves) appears in the studio to everyone’s surprise and asks how The Rumor’s body could have been found if she is still alive. Spaceboy explains that The Rumor lied about going to the library after she was found out of the house after midnight. She was actually sneaking out to see her boyfriend. Spaceboy explains that her lie had manifested into another Rumor, which was killed by the Murder Magician. The Monocle commends Spaceboy on his work and states his amazement that he led the Murder Magician to a copy instead of the actual Rumor. The Kraken, enraged, asks The Monocle why he would have told the Murder Magician where to find The Rumor. The Monocle responds by saying, “to teach her a lesson”. The story concludes with The Monocle exiting the studio as he says, “class dismissed”. An editorial note at the end of the story informs the reader that the next installment of the Umbrella Academy some characters “may or may not be living and/or dead”.

[edit] “Safe & Sound”

“Safe & Sound” is an eight-page story published in the first issue of the second volume of Dark Horse Presents in July 2007. The second volume of Dark Horse Presents (an anthology comic book, which was the first comic ever published by Dark Horse) appears monthly exclusively online on the social networking website MySpace for free. The title comes from a Song Gerard Way Worked on with Japanese rock singer Kyosuke Himuro for the Movie Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children. The comic book also features stories for the series Sugarshock! written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Fábio Moon (Gabriel Bá’s twin brother) and Samurai: Heaven and Earth written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Luke Ross.^[9]

[edit] Plot

This plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (September 2007)

The story begins with The Kraken on top of a moving car occupied by criminals. The credits on the page say “Safe & Sound / featuring The Kraken / Formerly of the Umbrella Academy”. The cars occupants, a driver, a man in the passenger seat with a Tommy Gun, a Gypsy fortuneteller in the back seat, and a little girl in the back seat are all aware that The Kraken in on top of the vehicle. After The Kraken stabs the top of the car, the fortuneteller, who is holding a green crystal ball, orders the man in the front to shoot The Kraken, who manages to escape injury. When the girl in the back says that she wants to go home, the fortuneteller tells her she can as soon as her father pays the ransom. The Kraken punches the man with the gun through the window, prompting the fortuneteller to order the driver to slam the brakes. The Kraken and the man with the gun are ejected from the car, the latter going through the windshield. The Kraken flies through a window of an unoccupied clothing store. The other occupants in the car exit the vehicle and the fortuneteller produces a cartomancy card that portrays death. The driver than indiscriminately shoots at the clothing store with the Tommy Gun. The Kraken emerges on top of the car (behind the fortuneteller) and demands the release of the girl. She pulls out another cartomancy card with devil. The driver shoots at The Kraken, who jumps towards him and punches him. The knocked-out man falls to the ground. The fortuneteller, still defiant, tells The Kraken not to produce his blade, or else she will drop the green crystal ball, which she claims holds the life of the girl she is holding hostage. She claims that if it drops the girl will die. The Kraken throws his knife at the fortuneteller’s shoulder and she drops the crystal ball, which shatters on the ground. The fortuneteller is in shock to see that the girl is still alive and is surprised by a punch delivered by The Kraken. The next scene shows the fortuneteller being arrested who is hysterically saying that the girl should have died. Inspector Lupo (a character similar to Commissioner Gordon of Batman) thanks The Kraken for saving the mayor’s daughter. The Kraken reaches into the back seat of the fortuneteller’s car and produces a crystal ball, identical the one that was destroyed. He hands in to the Inspector and tells him that it is, “Something important. Take care of it.”

[edit] “Anywhere But Here”

Darkhorse released the eight-page short story on their MySpace, and it is also included in the Dallas collections.

[edit] Plot

(The story takes place 13 years ago, during the group's teenage years) The Monocle is giving a long and boring speech to Diego and Vanya (The Kraken and The White Violin) who are in a punk rock band called Prime 8's, in which Vanya plays the guitar, The Kraken plays the bass guitar and an ape called "Body" plays the drums. Finally The Monocle gives Vanya a plane ticket set to go to Paris, where she is supposed to study music and improve her talents in the violin. Then in Diego's room, he convinces Vanya to go and play at a gig that night, and then with the money they would earn, they could run away from the Umbrella Academy to be in the band. Diego says "You don't belong here (The Academy) so neither do I, I'm not cut for this Hero business". They agree to meet at the gig that night. In the city a bar is filled with people screaming to hear the Prime 8's but Diego hasn't shown up yet and the owner of the bar demands to see the band playing at that moment, so Body decides to finish the band and say goodbye to Vanya. Vanya, very disappointed, is walking down the street and suddenly hears a television from a Shop where TV-News are shown about a Gang arrested by The Umbrella Academy and they did it with the help of The Kraken. "This is where you belong" says Vanya. So Vanya gets in a Taxi, the Driver asks "Are you going somewhere important?" Vanya answers "Yeah, anywhere but here."

[edit] Collected editions

The series has been collected as a trade paperback:

The Umbrella Academy: The Apocalypse Suite (by Gerard Way & Gabriel Bá, includes all six issues from The Apocalypse Suite, extracts from sketchbooks featuring early versions of characters, the short internet preview ("Mon Dieu!") and the story ("…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.") from Free Comic Book Day 2007, limited edition hardcover, ISBN 1595821635, softcover, ISBN 1593079788)

This edition was included on Wizard's "100 Best trade paperbacks and graphic novels published during the Wizard era", ranking it at number 94.^[10]

The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, the trade paperback of Volume 2 of the series (192 pages), has a publication date of September 30, 2009, and includes the story "Anywhere but Here" and nine pages of sketches.^[6] A hardback limited-edition version with 232 pages has a publication date of October 21, 2009.

[edit] Film

Dark Horse have a first look deal with Universal Pictures,^[11] who have optioned The Umbrella Academy.^[12]

There is a listing for the film at Internet Movie Database, with a tentative release date of 2012.^[13]

Alfonso Cuarón has been linked to the project.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Umbrella Academy at MySpace
• Pages 11-13 of the first issue, Entertainment Weekly
• Pages 1-5 of the second issue, Comic Book Resources
• THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY russian fan site

[edit] Interviews

• Gerard Way: Flexing His Writing Muscles with Umbrella Academy, Comics Bulletin, August 27, 2007
• Gabriel Bá: Shaping Umbrella Academy's Landscape, Comics Bulletin - Gemma Milroy, September 11, 2007
• Gerard Way: Broadening Comics' Audience with Umbrella Academy, Comics Bulletin - Gemma Milroy, November 26, 2007
• The Umbrella Academy: Superhero kids in a class of their own, Sequential Tart, October 1, 2007
• UMBRELLA ACADEMICS: Way & Allie Talk Umbrella Academy #3, Comic Book Resources, November 19, 2007
• Comic Geek Speak: Episode 327 - Gerard Way Interview, Comic Geek Speak, November 16, 2007
• APOCALYPSE SUITE: Way talks Umbrella Academy, Comic Book Resources, April 22, 2008
• An interview about The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, Newarama, September 22, 2008

[edit] Reviews

• Sunday Slugfest - The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite #1 (of 6) Review and #3, Comics Bulletin
• The Umbrella Academy Dallas Spanish Review @ kopodo

[edit] Short stories

• “Mon Dieu!” (Internet preview)
• “Safe & Sound”
• "Anywhere But Here"