The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy has many things going for it that should appeal to a modern day comic book fan. It's a superhero book. Published by Dark Horse Comics. Written by a rock star. Et cetera. But its real appeal -- the reason it's come out of nowhere to become a critical success -- is that the comic is surprisingly good.

Maybe it's the off-kilter take on the genre, what with a superhero team composed of dysfunctional adopted siblings banding together in time to save the world. Maybe it's the way artist Gabriel Ba's artwork just suits the story to a tee. Maybe it's the way that the characters come across as having a deep and well-developed backstory, despite being a new title.

And, yeah, maybe the fact that it's written by Gerard Way, the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, has something to do with it too.

Whatever it is, The Umbrella Academy is a breath of fresh air, and a fun title to boot. The first story arc, Apocalypse Suite, has already been collected in paperback. The second, Dallas is currently underway and already looks to be quite the charmer as well. Anyone who's ever wondered what The Incredibles would have been like had it been edgier and darker would do well to see what The Umbrella Academy has in store.