Umbrella Academy - Series vs Comics

I recently finished the second season of the Umbrella Academy on Netflix and loved it! I honestly adore off-beat superhero series and I do appreciate the aesthetic of the show. The song selection is an absolute hit each episode for one thing. Also, since the comics were written around 2007 - there is a mid 2000's vibe to the series. It’s hard to explain, but there’s something nostalgic and comforting about the show’s overall feel that I think most people who grew up around the same time as me would appreciate. I mean, the show is created by the leading man of My Chemical Romance - one of the many “emo” bands that defined me as a teenager. The series is basically an encore of “Black Parade” while old X-Men DVD’s loop in the background.

I also like that the show allows itself to be cheesy. It doesn’t shy away from how corny superheroes can be. In fact, it embraces it at times from talking monkey pseudo dads to Luther isolating himself on the moon.

And at the end of the day it’s a series about a family - a dysfunctional family, but a family all the same. This makes the series feel grounded among all the time travel and talking fish. It’s about siblings simultaneously grieving their father while also coming to terms with their own childhood trauma.

Recently I found the comics and read through them to see what the differences were. There’s only 3 volumes out as of now so it is a quick read. You can honestly read through the whole series in a day (which I did). While it isn’t complete, it does catch up to the end of season 2 more or less.

The rest of this post is going to go into spoiler territory so if you plan on finishing the show or diving into the comics, you might want to stop here.

Things I prefer in the show:

1. Klaus’ story arch. His character is just as enjoyable in the comics, but the show does provide him with more story. In the series he has his relationship with Ben, his romantic past with Dave, oh and starts a cult.

2. The diversity. In the comics everyone is straight and white, which was a surprise to me because I always assumed their comic versions looked close to their TV counterparts. It also makes me laugh that Diego has the same name, but is a blonde white guy in the comics. He’s basically a gritty version of Aquaman before there was a gritty version of Aquaman.

3. The pacing. Most of the revelations in the show are given to the readers within the first issue. Having their father revealed to be a fish alien near the end of season 2 is told to us when we first meet him.

4. Lila! She doesn’t exist in the comics, but she was one of my favorite parts of season 2. Her mother, the Handler, also doesn’t exist in the comics, which also surprised me a bit.

5. Ben. He appears once in the comics to talk to Klaus (in a haunting, skeleton-like body), but other than that he’s a mere photo in the background at times. He’s honestly my 2nd favorite of the 7 (after Klaus) so I was a little sad I didn’t get to see more of him.

6. That Vanya and Diego DON’T have a romantic past. Seriously, I struggle watching Luther and Allison flirt. I’ve never liked plot points about 2 siblings/cousins liking each other because “they aren’t biologically related”. I’m looking at you Royal Tenenbaums.

7.) The Swedes. They also have no existence in the comic.

8.) Hazel and Cha Cha. Their appearance is rather brief in the comics (although they do have a one-issue spin-off). They're more sympathetic in the show and I did found myself adoring Hazel's character. I was so disappointing he wasn't in much of season 2.

Things I prefer in the comic:

1. Vanya’s arch. I don’t dislike Vanya, but I’m more invested in her story when she’s using her powers. At the end of season 1 when she’s walking to her orchestra performance in a suit and her eyes are glowing is peak Vanya to me. In the comics Vanya is very different mainly because her story arch isn’t used in the TV series. In the comics she goes under a Frankenstein-esque transformation and is turned into the “White Violin”. When she confronts her siblings at the final showdown, she’s shot in the head and becomes paralyzed. The rest of her story shows her recovering until her mother brings her to the Sparrow Academy who take her in because they can see her worth while her siblings can’t. Despite having less screen time in the comics, I found myself more invested in this version of Vanya than I did in the show. I would like to see them incorporate this story somehow, but I feel like the writers are moving her in a more original direction.

2. Luther and Number Five being twins. I think this would be a fun detail to bring in from the comics especially given that the two got to bond a bit in season 2 when tracking down the adult version of Number Five.

3. Diego’s powers. In the comics his codename is the “Kraken” because he can hold his breath underwater for an insane amount of time. In the series he always felt like the “Batman” of the group - useful, but no actual superpowers. Since the characters more closely resemble the X-Men, it’d be nice to see him with a bit more power.

4. The mom. Grace is different, but in the best way! She’s a walking mannequin who casually shows up to her husband’s funeral halfway through and immediately calls him out for being a terrible father and spouse. Then she finds the Sparrow Academy (which she might have founded? We don’t know yet). I just love her sass in the comics and how she rebels against her role as a “doll”.

5.) Hazel and Cha Cha. I know they're on here twice, but honestly they seem so separate. The comic and show versions might as well be different characters. I did love how off the rails they were in the comics and I wish their time wasn't cut short.

Of course these are just my opinions and honestly enjoyed both versions. I would say if you’re a fan of the show, the comics are worth reading. I know I’ll definitely be picking up the new group of issues once they come out!