Netflix is on fire when it comes to creating the next binge worthy super hit show and “The Umbrella Academy,” based on Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s Dark Horse comic book series, is yet another victory for the streaming service. Despite its source material not being a household name and its offbeat story elements, the series is an exciting and refreshing take on the superhero genre.
After reclusive billionaire Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) dies, his six adopted children, whom he raised as superheroes, reunite to honor their late father, while also being pulled into a mystery surrounding Hargreeves’s death along with a potential apocalypse looming.
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As with any new show, the pilot, “We Only See Each Other At Weddings and Funerals,” throws a lot of new names and faces at you. In this case, we get a rapid fire introduction of multiple “super” characters, all of whom have their own issues. Fortunately, each of the characters are uniquely interesting and all are well acted, with all but Ellen Page being relatively unknown actors.
There’s the massive Luther (Tom Hopper), who is clearly the leading man of the group; Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), who’s connection with Luther is one of the more engaging dynamics of the show; the drugged up Klaus (Robert Sheehan), who is unpredictably entertaining and watchable as he melts down; the darker Diego (David Casteneda) and finally Page’s Vanya, the lone normal person of the group, in an interesting reversal.
Props must be given to the show for not shying away from the odder elements of the comic’s narrative: There’s a talking monkey, who is treated like any other character, not to mention the setting that combines old fashioned tech with fresh elements like a Fitz and the Tantrums song set to an action sequence. All of this makes for a fun and unpredictable environment for a series to be set it.
“The Umbrella Academy” may be one of the more obscure comic books to make it to television, but it’s also one that deserves attention. A fun cast and a style all its own makes for a compelling watch to chalk up to Netflix’s long lineup of hits.
“The Umbrella Academy” is now streaming on Netflix.