Gerard Way is officially back in the saddle withThe Umbrella Academy: Plan B.The brand-new Umbrella Academy series, co-written and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, focuses on a group of heroes introducedin the Netflix series,The Sparrows. The description for the series reads:
“After the mass release of The City’s greatest foes and the chaos that followed in Hotel Oblivion, the Umbrella Academy faces their most fearsome challenge to date–their other brothers and sisters. Known only as The Sparrows, they share a different connection to Sir Reginald Hargreeves and Mom. No one knows how to hurt each other more than family, and this powerful, ruthless brood will spare no brutality in favor of their sole objective—control and the obedient glare that comes with it.”
The series brings some exciting prospects for readers and collectors. Dark Horse has stated that the first issue will feature six variant covers illustrated by Fabio Moon, Jill Thompson, David Aja, Mike del Mundo, Duncan Fegredo, and Claire Roe. These variant covers offer unique styles and feels, with design inspirations ranging from in-flight safety brochures toNirvana’sIn Uteroalbum cover.
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The new series marks a major return for The Umbrella Academy comics, which had seen delays following the Netflix show’s success.When Variety askedabout what aspects of the Netflix series would appear in the comic, Bá explained:
“Just as it happened with every season of the show, they took elements from our original story and worked it out into telling it their way. They used ideas we haven’t done yet, but differently than we originally intended for the comics."
It’s clear that the show allowed Bá’ and Way to flesh out these characters, andthis series plans to expand on that with a more nuanced take.Netflix had their fun with these characters,but now readers will get to see how they were originally intended to be.
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Adding A New Layer To The Academy’s Complex Problems
WARNING: Spoilers for The Umbrella Academy vol 1-3 ahead
Narratively, this is an exciting time for the introduction of the Sparrows. The series began with Apocalypse Suite in 2007. After stopping both the apocalypse and the assassination of JFK, they discover a prisonthat houses some dark secrets about the family historynamed Hotel Oblivion. The discovery of said secrets caused a major rift within the Hargreeves siblings.
Hotel Oblivion is also where we got our first tease of the Sparrows, and now readers are finally getting the long-awaited payoff. With the Academy already facing its own internal conflicts, the Sparrows add a fresh layer of complexity to their situation. Now, the stakes are higher than ever as they are forced to confront their own family.
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Behind the scenes, the creative duo of Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá has been working on Plan B for some time. While the Netflix series generated a surge of interest,it also led to delays in the comic’s release. Despite these challenges,Way and Bá’s passion for the project never wavered,and they are now ready to share the next chapter with their devoted fans.The Umbrella Academy: Plan B,will be released June 11 and is available for preorder for $4.99
The Umbrella Academy
Cast
The Umbrella Academy is based on the comic book of the same name created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The Hargreeves — collectively known as The Umbrella Academy — were born with superpowers, and their adoptive father utilized their abilities. However, as they grew older, the siblings grew apart as they dealt with their trauma. They are brought back together after their father dies and Five returns from the future with grave news: The world will end, and The Umbrella Academy has to stop it before it happens.
