On February 15th, Netflix released The Umbrella Academy. Originally  created as a comic book series, the comics have been adapted to fit the big screens and have captivated the attention on thousands. With one season already out on Netflix, critics and fans everywhere are demanding for more.

The Netflix show is centered around the unusual lives of six ‘gifted’ children who are adopted by a rich man who wishes to train them. These six children each possess a unique ability, an ability that strengthens as the children grow older and learn to control their powers. When their adoptive father passes, the now adult mutants become aware of an impending apocalypse that is caused by one of their siblings, and together they must find a way to prevent the disaster from occurring. With a complex story line, the show has a lot of promise.

The comic series was written by the former lead singer of the 2001 rock band “My Chemical Romance”, Gerard Way. Somewhat like his old songs and music videos, Way’s old eccentric flare from the 2000’s is apparent throughout The Umbrella Academy. When asked by the New York Times about his work, Way responded by saying “not a lot of people knew my history of having written a comic at 15, going to the School of Visual Arts for cartooning and illustration, studying comics for many years, then interning at DC Comics”. As an accomplished musician, many people didn’t expect his comic books to do well; “A lot of people just expected some sort of vanity project”, Way added. The plot of the show seems to follow Way’s fascination with misfits and outliers.

The show does remarkably well to keep the spirits light despite a dark theme of destruction and chaos. The family of adopted children also incorporates a close sense of family and support. Unlike other superhero shows that might appear to be similar, The Umbrella Academy is full of comedy and does a fantastic job of making the viewers feel personally connected to the odd misfits of the show. Overall, The Umbrella Academy is a surprisingly original series that resembles X-Men but features more of the relationships between the siblings rather than focusing on action.

With another season rumored to be coming in the next few months, The Umbrella Academy has already created a large following that is eager to see where the series will go. Overall, the show does well in keeping its audience hooked and has a cohesive feel that makes the show feel more like a wild ride rather than a television show. We have high expectations for its future, and look forward to seeing how this unique family develops.