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The Umbrella Academy (collected editions) #2
The Umbrella Academy Library Edition Volume 2: Dallas
Umbrella Academy
is Netflix's most watched show of 2019 with over 45 million viewers and a second season on the way! Catch up on the best selling comic series with this Deluxe Oversized Hardcover of the complete second series,
Dallas,
with the short story "Anywhere but Here" and an expanded 36-page sketchbook featuring work by Gerard Way, Gabriel B�, designer Tony Ong, and Superman's pal Jim Lee.
The Umbrella Academy is despondent following the near apocalypse created by one of their own and the death of their beloved mentor Pogo.
Trouble is--each of them is distracted by their own problems. The White Violin is bedridden. Rumor has lost her voice--the source of her power. Spaceboy has eaten himself into a near-catatonic state, while Number Five dives into some shady dealings at the dog track, and The Kraken starts looking at his littlest brother as the key to unraveling a mysterious series of massacres . . . all leading to a blood-drenched face-off with maniacal assassins, and a plot to kill JFK!
Now a NETFLIX original series, with a second season coming soon!
Collects The Umbrella Academy: Dallas issues 1-6
The Umbrella Academy is despondent following the near apocalypse created by one of their own and the death of their beloved mentor Pogo.
Trouble is--each of them is distracted by their own problems. The White Violin is bedridden. Rumor has lost her voice--the source of her power. Spaceboy has eaten himself into a near-catatonic state, while Number Five dives into some shady dealings at the dog track, and The Kraken starts looking at his littlest brother as the key to unraveling a mysterious series of massacres . . . all leading to a blood-drenched face-off with maniacal assassins, and a plot to kill JFK!
Now a NETFLIX original series, with a second season coming soon!
Collects The Umbrella Academy: Dallas issues 1-6
216 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2009
638 people are currently reading
11381 people want to read
About the author
Gerard Way
229 books4,559 followersGerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and comic book writer who served as frontman, lead vocalist, and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance from the time of its formation in 2001 until its breakup in 2013. He is the author of the Eisner Award-winning comic book series The Umbrella Academy (now a Netflix original series) and The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. In January 2014, he announced via Twitter that he and artist Gabriel Ba will begin work on Umbrella Academy Volumes 3 & 4 in late 2014/early 2015. His debut solo album Hesitant Alien was released on September 30, 2014. Way lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Lindsey (bassist of Mindless Self Indulgence) and their daughter, Bandit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,032 reviews
June 23, 2022
The Spaceboy, The Seance, The Rumour, No. 5, The White Violin and The Kraken are back, likely forever changed from what happened in The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: The Apocalypse Suite. In ths second volume a more complex, and more tangible plot sees further exploration of No. 5; a very changed Umbrella Academy; and a not too bad time travel escapade. The concept and reality remains strong and the plotting and characterisation have improved.
The art was also better, mainly because all of the characters were humanoid, so there was no need for abstract drawings of the non conventional antagonist, like in volume 1. If I could criticise one thing that really bothers me, it is that the story lines still continue to move too quickly, at the expense of good characterisation and dialogue. 8 out of 12... for Hazel and Cha Cha :)
2020 read
The art was also better, mainly because all of the characters were humanoid, so there was no need for abstract drawings of the non conventional antagonist, like in volume 1. If I could criticise one thing that really bothers me, it is that the story lines still continue to move too quickly, at the expense of good characterisation and dialogue. 8 out of 12... for Hazel and Cha Cha :)
2020 read
July 15, 2022
Another fun volume of Umbrella Academy that’s stronger than the already solid first volume, made even better by the incredible library editions Dark Horse produces for this series. This is the format to read the story in, as seeing the beautiful and dreamy art by Gabriel Bá all blown up is the best way for the story to be experienced. I didn’t buy any of these since I’m borrowing them from my library, but I honestly wouldn’t mind investing in these specific editions once the series wraps in a decade or two.
Way’s script is still a bit too scattershot for my tastes, but I appreciate how he brought most of the seemingly random subplots together in the end and in a satisfying way. I say most because there is one minor subplot that went nowhere in here at all and even though it is apparently expanded on in the next volume, it was still a bit of a weird inclusion in this volume. If you weren’t digging the lack of depth and backstory these characters had in AS, then you probably aren’t going to like it in Dallas either. These characters still work well enough for me, but that is a YMWV kind of thing.
Bá’s art is still the most consistent part of this book, and I assume it always will be since it just seems to get better and better as each individual issue goes on. His lines are lush and flow into each other seamlessly, and the coloring by Dave Stewart brings out the best in them. It was also fascinating to learn that Bá sketches and spaces out every single environment he uses throughout this series. Dude drew out the whole oval office in the White House just for that two-page opening scene so it would stay consistent with the rest of the book. Bá really goes above and beyond on these UA books, and it shows in the final product every single time.
This is an easy recommendation to anyone who liked the show and the first volume. It’s not for everyone and can feel a bit aimless at times, but both volumes have stuck the landing in the end for me personally and I love this insane world Way has built in just 12 issues and 3 short stories. This one was even better than the last, but I can’t give it anything above 4 stars even if I loved it. Also found below is a review for the short story “Anywhere But Here” that is included in the back.
Anywhere But Here ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
This short follows Diego & Vanya when they were in a punk band during their teenage years at the academy. I always love seeing the kids when they were younger, and this is no exception. The ending is a bit sad, but it sets up the relationship that we see between Diego and Vanya in volume 1 perfectly. I do wish it was a little longer though.
Way’s script is still a bit too scattershot for my tastes, but I appreciate how he brought most of the seemingly random subplots together in the end and in a satisfying way. I say most because there is one minor subplot that went nowhere in here at all and even though it is apparently expanded on in the next volume, it was still a bit of a weird inclusion in this volume. If you weren’t digging the lack of depth and backstory these characters had in AS, then you probably aren’t going to like it in Dallas either. These characters still work well enough for me, but that is a YMWV kind of thing.
Bá’s art is still the most consistent part of this book, and I assume it always will be since it just seems to get better and better as each individual issue goes on. His lines are lush and flow into each other seamlessly, and the coloring by Dave Stewart brings out the best in them. It was also fascinating to learn that Bá sketches and spaces out every single environment he uses throughout this series. Dude drew out the whole oval office in the White House just for that two-page opening scene so it would stay consistent with the rest of the book. Bá really goes above and beyond on these UA books, and it shows in the final product every single time.
This is an easy recommendation to anyone who liked the show and the first volume. It’s not for everyone and can feel a bit aimless at times, but both volumes have stuck the landing in the end for me personally and I love this insane world Way has built in just 12 issues and 3 short stories. This one was even better than the last, but I can’t give it anything above 4 stars even if I loved it. Also found below is a review for the short story “Anywhere But Here” that is included in the back.
Anywhere But Here ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
This short follows Diego & Vanya when they were in a punk band during their teenage years at the academy. I always love seeing the kids when they were younger, and this is no exception. The ending is a bit sad, but it sets up the relationship that we see between Diego and Vanya in volume 1 perfectly. I do wish it was a little longer though.
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January 24, 2018
It pains me to continue to rate this series so low, but I just feel like he took SO MANY cliches and tropes and mashed them all together and it really doesn't work, both in terms of making sense plot-wise and in making me care about any of the characters beyond their stereotypical archetype. *sighs* I'm hoping Killjoys will be better when I get to that ...
June 20, 2012
In this, the second Umbrella Academy collection, Spaceman has eaten himself into obesity, Kraken has gotten a bit more obsessive, White Violin is in the hospital and paralzyed since the previous volume, and Number Five, after some shenanigans at the dog track, goes back in time to prevent himself from preventing the Kennedy assassination...
The Umbrella Academy is a fun read, like Tim Burton doing the X-Men. Where else would you see a character travelling back in time to prevent his older self from protecting Kennedy? There are laughs but also thought provoking moments. The Umbrella Academy is a slightly more sophisticated rendition of the X-Men. Picture the X-Men being three times as dysfunctional and wearing domino masks and British schoolboy outfits and there you go.
I recommend The Umbrella Academy: Dallas to fans of the X-Men, X-Files, and things that don't begin with the letter X, such as Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run.
The Umbrella Academy is a fun read, like Tim Burton doing the X-Men. Where else would you see a character travelling back in time to prevent his older self from protecting Kennedy? There are laughs but also thought provoking moments. The Umbrella Academy is a slightly more sophisticated rendition of the X-Men. Picture the X-Men being three times as dysfunctional and wearing domino masks and British schoolboy outfits and there you go.
I recommend The Umbrella Academy: Dallas to fans of the X-Men, X-Files, and things that don't begin with the letter X, such as Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run.
June 19, 2012
heaps and heaps of fun. this second collection of The Umbrella Academy never loses sight of its primary purpose - mining the past of slaughter-happy 'child' super-agent Number 5 - while cramming its narrative with wall-to-wall digressions including various character bits, parallel plots, the pros & cons of time travel, the Vietnam War, guardians of the timestream (including a particularly cold-blooded goldfish), genetically enhanced chimpanzees, a monstrous Lincoln Memorial, two vicious assassins named Hazel & Cha Cha, the afterlife, and the nuclear destruction of the Earth. man this shite is fookin' dense! and yet it really works. this installment is focused on the Kennedy assassination and other bits of americana, and the satire hits just as succesfully as the last volume's lampoon of various British institutions. it all comes together beautifully in the end, and even better, the ride there is completely enjoyable. it is like Gerard Way decided to stuff every single idea his brilliant mind ever had into an already-complex narrative. he really went for it, and the creative genius on display is rather awe-inspiring. this is an at-times savage and bleak adventure but it is so full of sardonic wit and buzzing life that a reader can almost overlook the darkness while enjoying this rollercoaster ride of an experience. but hey, i like the dark, so i enjoyed that too. and that darkness comes wrapped up in such colorful and hallucinogenic packaging, done up with ribbons of genuine sweetness and empathy, that the whole gift box is a delight to open. and the art is flawless, a real pleasure and a perfect embodiment of the ideas on display. if you liked the first volume, READ THIS ONE NOW.
December 14, 2020
Like the first volume, I was delighted to see how close the TV show followed the source material. But unlike the first volume, it's a lot more solid and interesting on its own. :)
This one has more depth to it and it simply rolls with its iconic craziness. The Kenedy assassination was still better in the live-action, but I really loved the sequence here.
And that doesn't begin to say anything about the mindfuquery of the correcting timelines. :)
In a slight way, I liked the pacing of this volume BETTER than the second season of the TV show.
Fewer twists, but it made up for it with some impact. :) I likey.
This one has more depth to it and it simply rolls with its iconic craziness. The Kenedy assassination was still better in the live-action, but I really loved the sequence here.
And that doesn't begin to say anything about the mindfuquery of the correcting timelines. :)
In a slight way, I liked the pacing of this volume BETTER than the second season of the TV show.
Fewer twists, but it made up for it with some impact. :) I likey.
April 18, 2019
First of all, The Umbrella Academy series on Netflix really surprised me. I wasn't expecting it to be anything amazing but I ended up finishing the whole show in a day. It wasn't perfect but I've been looking for a dysfunctional family of adopted superheroes/anti-heroes recently and this is as close as it gets to that. Anyway, this second volume was pretty great and I'm looking forward to the next season of the show.
May 8, 2019
I like how Way weaves all these plot threads that seem to have nothing to do with one another into a cohesive story by the end of the arc. It feels like a Vertigo book with ADD. I do have to wonder when Way is going to let something nice happen to the cast. Just when you think how could this get any worse for this family, Way drives them even deeper to despair. But I guess that's also part of the series' subversive charm because this book is still a lot of bat-shit crazy, over the top fun.
July 18, 2019
I read the 1st volume a while back and I thought it was good, but confusing and not great. I then saw the new show on Netflix recently and it made sense of that 1st story. Some content from this book was also put into the Netflix series. Anyway, all this to say, I thought this volume was much better and it made more sense. It wasn't as disjointed as the first one was, I felt. I'm glad I read this.
The Netflix series is even better than these books. It's a case where the show is better than the book. I do wonder if the 2nd series will deal more with the volume or put new content up.
Something wild blowing my mind, the writer, Gerard Way was the lead vocalist for 'my Chemical Romance'. Like no way. That is some talent to be in 2 mediums. I'm impressed.
The Kennedy assassination is the key of this book. Number 5 was sent to kill him and instead he is protecting him from being hurt. So now, a kid version of Number 5 from the past is sent to defeat his older self and finish the job he was paid to do. Number 5 is a hit man. The rest of the academy is sent to stop the young Number 5 and protect the president.
I have to say, I like the gayer Klaus in the show than in the comics. He's not as flamboyant. It's too bad. Klaus was a crazy ball mess, but plenty fun. I keep trying to review the story and jump to the show. Ok, this is a great graphic novel and it's better and more coherent than the 1st volume. Read this to be ready for the next season of the show. I will now search out volume 3 to read ASAP.
The Netflix series is even better than these books. It's a case where the show is better than the book. I do wonder if the 2nd series will deal more with the volume or put new content up.
Something wild blowing my mind, the writer, Gerard Way was the lead vocalist for 'my Chemical Romance'. Like no way. That is some talent to be in 2 mediums. I'm impressed.
The Kennedy assassination is the key of this book. Number 5 was sent to kill him and instead he is protecting him from being hurt. So now, a kid version of Number 5 from the past is sent to defeat his older self and finish the job he was paid to do. Number 5 is a hit man. The rest of the academy is sent to stop the young Number 5 and protect the president.
I have to say, I like the gayer Klaus in the show than in the comics. He's not as flamboyant. It's too bad. Klaus was a crazy ball mess, but plenty fun. I keep trying to review the story and jump to the show. Ok, this is a great graphic novel and it's better and more coherent than the 1st volume. Read this to be ready for the next season of the show. I will now search out volume 3 to read ASAP.
February 20, 2019
Really wanted to enjoy this series but none of the characters seem more than 2D cut outs. The plot is as nonsensical and messy as always, feeling like a bad acid trip of sorts. This is where I part with this series.
March 19, 2021
That was much better than the first one.
Full review to come :)
Full review to come :)
June 25, 2021
Review for vol. 1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pre-review: I'd seen this book in the library, and now I need to get my hands on it.
Actual review starts here:
Let's assassinate JFK! Let's do time-travel! Let's nuke the entire planet!
There really are a lot of excitement going on in this volume, and the artwork, the character designs are as awesome as always, plus the talking-monkeys really are damn interesting! Let's rock n' roll!
I can't wait to read the next volume!
Pre-review: I'd seen this book in the library, and now I need to get my hands on it.
Actual review starts here:
Let's assassinate JFK! Let's do time-travel! Let's nuke the entire planet!
There really are a lot of excitement going on in this volume, and the artwork, the character designs are as awesome as always, plus the talking-monkeys really are damn interesting! Let's rock n' roll!
I can't wait to read the next volume!
May 21, 2019
Much, much better than the first "Umbrella Academy" story, this is where the admittedly interesting characters created by Way are finally developed!
After the narrowly avoided apocalypse of the aptly titled "Apocalypse Suite" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), the White Violin is amnesiac, Rumor has lost her voice and Spaceboy sunk into a vortex of junk food and TV. But they won't have much of a choice shaking off their funk when their mysterious brother Number Five is being pursued by a couple of masked psychopaths and must save them by going back in time to commit the most notorious assassination in history...
Sure, that sounds like way too much stuff going on at the same time, but I admit that to my surprise, Way actually pulls off this rather ambitious and convoluted story. The pacing works really well, the story hangs together perfectly and the members of the Umbrella Academy finally get enough backstory for their actions to make sense.
I think I still prefer the Netflix series, but I must say, I hope they use this story line in season 2! A fun, violent and often hilarious story of time-travel and emo superheros.
After the narrowly avoided apocalypse of the aptly titled "Apocalypse Suite" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), the White Violin is amnesiac, Rumor has lost her voice and Spaceboy sunk into a vortex of junk food and TV. But they won't have much of a choice shaking off their funk when their mysterious brother Number Five is being pursued by a couple of masked psychopaths and must save them by going back in time to commit the most notorious assassination in history...
Sure, that sounds like way too much stuff going on at the same time, but I admit that to my surprise, Way actually pulls off this rather ambitious and convoluted story. The pacing works really well, the story hangs together perfectly and the members of the Umbrella Academy finally get enough backstory for their actions to make sense.
I think I still prefer the Netflix series, but I must say, I hope they use this story line in season 2! A fun, violent and often hilarious story of time-travel and emo superheros.
July 28, 2020
The next season of Umbrella Academy comes out soon so I caught up with the family in Hoopla. This one centers around the JFK assassination for a very important reason!
I didn't connect well with this one, maybe it's too focused on a character that I don't like much, maybe it's the silly cartoon head characters... but I'm interested in how they deal with it on the show.
And hey, I didn't know Gerard Way was the same guy as the frontman for My Chemical Romance. That's pretty cool.
I didn't connect well with this one, maybe it's too focused on a character that I don't like much, maybe it's the silly cartoon head characters... but I'm interested in how they deal with it on the show.
And hey, I didn't know Gerard Way was the same guy as the frontman for My Chemical Romance. That's pretty cool.
October 1, 2022
Oh yeah! This one was great, definitely better than the first. Really get sucked into the story. Looking forward to finishing the last book!
March 10, 2019
I tend to get interested in the plots for this series but the writing doesn’t do a ton for me. There’s something about the characterizations that just isn’t clicking for me. Which is fine, I can sort of turn my brain off and read for the plot but it keeps me from getting connected the way I do to the characters in the Netflix series.
Anyway, season one of the show appears to be a mix of volumes 1 and 2.
Anyway, season one of the show appears to be a mix of volumes 1 and 2.
February 23, 2019
much better than the first one. \m/
April 27, 2019
Mindfuck! ☔
February 17, 2019
This was soooo much better than the first volume! It's bonkers and has a fair share of bloody scenes, an absurd sense of humour and it's just a better story. Even when Number Five is the main player, I feel like all the characters were developed here and the Séance is by far my favorite.
There were cool ideas before, a few brushes of eccentricity and irreverence in Apocalypse Suite, but the pay off of that first arc is found here, with an established cast of characters and a whacky world.
Plus, Hazel and Cha Cha were so much fun to read, the design alone adds to the punkish/cartoonish art style.
I also really enjoyed the little story at the end with the Kraken and Vanya. The Dallas' arc doesn't really have a place for her, and the Kraken has a minor role too. So, having a few pages giving some backstory to the two characters who actually felt like siblings was a nice touch closing up this volume.
There were cool ideas before, a few brushes of eccentricity and irreverence in Apocalypse Suite, but the pay off of that first arc is found here, with an established cast of characters and a whacky world.
Plus, Hazel and Cha Cha were so much fun to read, the design alone adds to the punkish/cartoonish art style.
I also really enjoyed the little story at the end with the Kraken and Vanya. The Dallas' arc doesn't really have a place for her, and the Kraken has a minor role too. So, having a few pages giving some backstory to the two characters who actually felt like siblings was a nice touch closing up this volume.
April 30, 2019
This was definitely different from the first volume, both good and bad in its own way. The story arc meandered; it didn't actually bother going to Dallas until the last chapter. There was a consistent plot thread, but it was largely buried in the unending misery of every single character, who, while impressive in character design, lack substance. While each individual chapter was moderately interesting, ultimately I was left feeling very blase about the whole affair. The segments about the Perseus corporation went nowhere, so I can only assume there were thoughts of further volumes that never made it to fruition. My take-away is that Gerard Way is not a writer; he shows some good piecemeal ideas, and crafted some interesting small-scale moments, but he lacked skill in laying down the larger story pieces effectively. He may be an artist, but this was not quite his bag.
The artwork carries the series where the writing falls short. Terrific visual design and ultra-violent, not for the faint of heart or the very young reader. That psychotic pair of time-travel agents with the cartoon character heads were certainly memorable, visually and behaviorally.
The good stuff makes for a potentially awesome TV series, and I have deferred watching the Netflix adaptation until I finished reading the books. The character concepts (including the brooding and brokenness), visual design, and the alt-history setting could all make for quality television, with a strong writing team on board.
--------------------------------
Not about the book, but about my library: when the Netflix adaptation trailer was released, I was compelled to re-read this series. I had read at least the first volume almost 10 years ago. I was suprised that my library didn't already carry it, so I requested it. My public library has an easy online system to suggest additions to the collection, and they have approved probably 80% of my requests to date. It works so well, the first time I made a suggestion, within one week it was on order (and they automatically put it on hold for the requester) and in another week it was in my hands. They ordered in the first volume, but the acquisitions manager said that they would wait to see how popular it was before committing to the next volume. Well, after a few weeks of the first volume never even making it back to the shelf and a hold line 3 people deep, I asked again. And again one more time. Then, after the wait time for volume 1 had grown to several months, they finally ordered volume 2 and another copy of volume 1. The lesson is: they should trust that I know what is going to be popular! They declined my suggestion to pre-order The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind which I think is going to be a mistake.
The artwork carries the series where the writing falls short. Terrific visual design and ultra-violent, not for the faint of heart or the very young reader. That psychotic pair of time-travel agents with the cartoon character heads were certainly memorable, visually and behaviorally.
The good stuff makes for a potentially awesome TV series, and I have deferred watching the Netflix adaptation until I finished reading the books. The character concepts (including the brooding and brokenness), visual design, and the alt-history setting could all make for quality television, with a strong writing team on board.
--------------------------------
Not about the book, but about my library: when the Netflix adaptation trailer was released, I was compelled to re-read this series. I had read at least the first volume almost 10 years ago. I was suprised that my library didn't already carry it, so I requested it. My public library has an easy online system to suggest additions to the collection, and they have approved probably 80% of my requests to date. It works so well, the first time I made a suggestion, within one week it was on order (and they automatically put it on hold for the requester) and in another week it was in my hands. They ordered in the first volume, but the acquisitions manager said that they would wait to see how popular it was before committing to the next volume. Well, after a few weeks of the first volume never even making it back to the shelf and a hold line 3 people deep, I asked again. And again one more time. Then, after the wait time for volume 1 had grown to several months, they finally ordered volume 2 and another copy of volume 1. The lesson is: they should trust that I know what is going to be popular! They declined my suggestion to pre-order The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind which I think is going to be a mistake.
April 29, 2021
Tardé mil años en terminarlo y no sé por qué.
Este segundo volumen, tiene un poco más de acción que el primero pero se me hizo bastante largo.
Si ya vieron la serie la primera temporada es una combinación entre y The Apocalypse Suitey Dallas y la segunda temporada también está basada en parte de Dallas.
A mí definitivamente me gusta más la serie.
Sí voy a continuar con el tercer volumen pero no se cuando.
Este segundo volumen, tiene un poco más de acción que el primero pero se me hizo bastante largo.
Si ya vieron la serie la primera temporada es una combinación entre y The Apocalypse Suitey Dallas y la segunda temporada también está basada en parte de Dallas.
A mí definitivamente me gusta más la serie.
Sí voy a continuar con el tercer volumen pero no se cuando.
March 2, 2019
Volume 2 picks up where the previous volume in the Umbrella Academy left off: with the world a little worse for the wear. With several members of the team out of commission, this volume focuses heavily on the time traveling Number Five and a certain presidential assassination with which he may be forced to get entangled.
Dallas is basically everything I hate about time travel stories. There are plots within plots (explained away with hand waving), a confusing thread that verges on difficult to follow and not terribly interesting one at that. It still has the consistently wonderful art of Gabriel Ba but it lost a lot of what made Apocalypse Suite appealing to me.
Even for fans of the first volume, I'm not entirely sure I'd recommend Dallas. The fun quirkiness of Apocalypse Suite is replaced by time travel loops, characters being terrible to each other and even more violence. I didn't hate it but it was a bit of a letdown.
Full series review here
December 19, 2019
“We each play the part written for us. You can’t fight the future.”
To say that I had no idea about what this volume was gonna be about is a huge understatement. Sure, I half thought it would have something of the TV show in there that I would recognize -in which I wasn't wrong - but, overall, I had no idea what the plot could be.
I was very pleasantly surprised in what I ended up finding.
With its signature craziness and goriness, Volume 2 of The Umbrella Academy did more than I could ever dream off... mostly because I don't think I'm that crazy.
“It simply must be done.”
We finally got Hazel and Cha-Cha and how did I enjoy them!
Those surprisingly creepy masks and their own particular brand of weirdness and disregard for human life make them weirdly adorable to me. Their particular relationship is somehow cute and disturbing.
Which are two words that can describe them perfectly at any given time.
We also have more of Five's past and that... that was a completely different can of worms. The only thing I'll say about that is I'm somehow baffled that he is crazy.
“You can stand here and have a pity party… or you can unpack your things and be a ‘part’ of this family, start ‘rebuilding.’”
Of course, we also have the Hargreeves's and their particular brand of craziness and weirdness.
The kind of things they get themselves involved with is so over the top but makes so much sense when put into this world.
Diego and Klaus are two of my favorites and do I have questions about Klaus. I need some answers here people.
I wish we had gotten more of Vanya but it also makes perfect sense that she wasn't all that present. Hopefully, she will be in the next volume.
“Oh, C’mon – a normal life isn’t an option for any of us. I can say I stayed here to help, but let’s be honest – this is the only place… crazy enough for me to do my thing. I’m an animal.”
At the end of the day The Umbrella Academy is such and over the top, crazy, slightly ridiculous, and fun world that is addictive.
The second volume kept the same feeling and ambiance of the first one and, at the end of the day, it delivered what I was expecting of it.
The fact that the ending of the volume was with a song, like in a TV show, was hilarious and I absolutely loved it.
“Because the world, my friend, is big enough. Without you.”
__________________
Oh goody, how many surprises.
I just love Hazel and Cha-Cha. Give me a comic of just them and I will devour it in a second.
RTC.
__________________
I wanted to wait till next season of the show was out before reading this volume mostly because I didn't want to spoil myself about what the next season could be about and yet, here we are.
My main reason for going back to reading this is because I hate the idea of finishing the year without having read all that is available of this series, since I did started it this year. So, that's exactly what I'm gonna do.
I'm not sure of what I want to happen in this volume. I kind of have zero expectations, which is usually good, and I just want to see what I get.
To say that I had no idea about what this volume was gonna be about is a huge understatement. Sure, I half thought it would have something of the TV show in there that I would recognize -in which I wasn't wrong - but, overall, I had no idea what the plot could be.
I was very pleasantly surprised in what I ended up finding.
With its signature craziness and goriness, Volume 2 of The Umbrella Academy did more than I could ever dream off... mostly because I don't think I'm that crazy.
“It simply must be done.”
We finally got Hazel and Cha-Cha and how did I enjoy them!
Those surprisingly creepy masks and their own particular brand of weirdness and disregard for human life make them weirdly adorable to me. Their particular relationship is somehow cute and disturbing.
Which are two words that can describe them perfectly at any given time.
We also have more of Five's past and that... that was a completely different can of worms. The only thing I'll say about that is I'm somehow baffled that he is crazy.
“You can stand here and have a pity party… or you can unpack your things and be a ‘part’ of this family, start ‘rebuilding.’”
Of course, we also have the Hargreeves's and their particular brand of craziness and weirdness.
The kind of things they get themselves involved with is so over the top but makes so much sense when put into this world.
Diego and Klaus are two of my favorites and do I have questions about Klaus. I need some answers here people.
I wish we had gotten more of Vanya but it also makes perfect sense that she wasn't all that present. Hopefully, she will be in the next volume.
“Oh, C’mon – a normal life isn’t an option for any of us. I can say I stayed here to help, but let’s be honest – this is the only place… crazy enough for me to do my thing. I’m an animal.”
At the end of the day The Umbrella Academy is such and over the top, crazy, slightly ridiculous, and fun world that is addictive.
The second volume kept the same feeling and ambiance of the first one and, at the end of the day, it delivered what I was expecting of it.
The fact that the ending of the volume was with a song, like in a TV show, was hilarious and I absolutely loved it.
“Because the world, my friend, is big enough. Without you.”
__________________
Oh goody, how many surprises.
I just love Hazel and Cha-Cha. Give me a comic of just them and I will devour it in a second.
RTC.
__________________
I wanted to wait till next season of the show was out before reading this volume mostly because I didn't want to spoil myself about what the next season could be about and yet, here we are.
My main reason for going back to reading this is because I hate the idea of finishing the year without having read all that is available of this series, since I did started it this year. So, that's exactly what I'm gonna do.
I'm not sure of what I want to happen in this volume. I kind of have zero expectations, which is usually good, and I just want to see what I get.
April 26, 2018
Wow I did not expect that!!
World: What can I say about Bass art?! Without it this book would not work, it's his style that sets the tone and also disarms reader's expectations and then blows they fucking brains out. His designs and frames are fantastic and adding those colors, magnificent. The world building is also amazing, I did not expect to see what we saw this arc. I didn't expect a crazy time travel adventure with this and man the place we went and the world pieces that were created, fantastic.
Story: The story was unexpected. I had expected more family drama and I even more looks at the past but I didn't expect the looping time travel. This was ballsy and executed so well. It's paced wonderfully and the internal logic was really stretched. At the core this is still a family drama book and this is amazing. The characters get a big dose of development and add that with history you have a beautiful brew of awesome. Sure we've had books dealing with Kennedy before but this book is so ingrained into the characters and their choices that it makes it so much more. I can't wait to see where this family goes.
Characters: The entire family is great, each gets their moments. I don't know how to talk about it without spoiling these characters. They are flawed, real and deep with distinct character voices. There are tropes that Way uses but they serve the story so well and when they clash together it's fantastic.
This series is awesome.
Onward to the next book!
World: What can I say about Bass art?! Without it this book would not work, it's his style that sets the tone and also disarms reader's expectations and then blows they fucking brains out. His designs and frames are fantastic and adding those colors, magnificent. The world building is also amazing, I did not expect to see what we saw this arc. I didn't expect a crazy time travel adventure with this and man the place we went and the world pieces that were created, fantastic.
Story: The story was unexpected. I had expected more family drama and I even more looks at the past but I didn't expect the looping time travel. This was ballsy and executed so well. It's paced wonderfully and the internal logic was really stretched. At the core this is still a family drama book and this is amazing. The characters get a big dose of development and add that with history you have a beautiful brew of awesome. Sure we've had books dealing with Kennedy before but this book is so ingrained into the characters and their choices that it makes it so much more. I can't wait to see where this family goes.
Characters: The entire family is great, each gets their moments. I don't know how to talk about it without spoiling these characters. They are flawed, real and deep with distinct character voices. There are tropes that Way uses but they serve the story so well and when they clash together it's fantastic.
This series is awesome.
Onward to the next book!
March 14, 2019
Meh. I'm going to call this series as "not for me". I've read some of the more stellar reviews of this and I just don't get what I'm missing. While this one has a more cohesive storyline, there was still a lot of jumping from one idea to the next. I found myself not really caring about the characters.
One thing that I failed to mention in my previous review is that I was struck by the lack of diversity in this series. The show has a diverse cast and I expected the same from the comic, but instead it was the total opposite. The minority characters are reduced to servant roles with the most prominent being a Sikh (The Monocle's man servant). This second volume included Asian servants and no African-Americans, but talking chimps (besides Pogo, which I thought was the exception in the 1st volume). The females roles are just Vanya and Rumor, both of which don't really feature in this volume. I don't know. Maybe I'm just sensitive to this type of shit, but being that this was written in 2009 I expected better.
With that said, I'll stick with the show. It seems to combine the quirkiness and humor that this series is missing.
One thing that I failed to mention in my previous review is that I was struck by the lack of diversity in this series. The show has a diverse cast and I expected the same from the comic, but instead it was the total opposite. The minority characters are reduced to servant roles with the most prominent being a Sikh (The Monocle's man servant). This second volume included Asian servants and no African-Americans, but talking chimps (besides Pogo, which I thought was the exception in the 1st volume). The females roles are just Vanya and Rumor, both of which don't really feature in this volume. I don't know. Maybe I'm just sensitive to this type of shit, but being that this was written in 2009 I expected better.
With that said, I'll stick with the show. It seems to combine the quirkiness and humor that this series is missing.
September 25, 2021
I enjoyed this second Umbrella Academy book almost as much as the first one. The characters are acting on the own more than as a team in this one, but Way does an excellent job of presenting seemingly disparate and random plot points and then revisiting them and tying things together in a very clever manner. The television version diverges from the book more in this one, and the printed version is a bit more challenging and thought-provoking. It's an excellently written story, and the art fits it quite well, being reminiscent of early Mignola. Great stuff! Ut Malum Pluvia!
December 31, 2019
The Umbrella Academy siblings are back but in very bad shape after the earth’s near annihilation by one of their own and the death of their beloved Pogo. When another threat looms to change the world, No. 5, Kraken aka Diego, Rumor aka Allison, Seance aka Klaus, and Space aka Luthor converge in Dallas in 1963. The pace continues but at time the gore was too much.
February 28, 2019
This story line was quite interesting. There were a few random panels that didn’t make sense to me, but I’m seriously loving this story. Oh and I find Hazel and Cha Cha more enjoyable than I probably should.
I’m not prepared to wait until August for volume 3.
I’m not prepared to wait until August for volume 3.
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