The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite

The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite is the first comic book limited series of The Umbrella Academy, created and written by musician Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá. The series ran for six issues from September 2007 to February 2008. James Jean provided cover art for this series only. A trade paperback was released on June 18, 2008.

Plot

Issue #1: "The Day The Eiffel Tower Went Berserk"

The first issue, "The Day the Eiffel Tower Went Berserk", was released on September 19, 2007. The inside front cover features notes made by Sir Reginald Hargreeves on his seven adopted children, numbered by usefulness.

Plot

The Umbrella Academy, is a group of 7 superpowered children born to women that had shown no signs of pregnancy, adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a space alien who poses as a wealthy inventor who raises them as superheroes. At 10 years old, the umbrella academy; Luther (#1), Diego (#2), Allison (#3), Klaus (#4), Ben (#6) and Vanya (#7), stop an attack on Paris resulting in the Eiffel tower taking off into space, 20 years later, the umbrella academy splits up, and they all fail to stay in touch with each other after the disappearance of #5, who remained unnamed, and the death of #6. #1, the former leader of the team, now being a transplanted human head into the body of a Martian Gorilla receives a phone call, finding out about the death of Sir Reginald Hargreeves, and returns to the academy, to find his brother #5, who went missing 20 years before, still physically aged 10.

Issue #2: "We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals"

The second issue, "We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals", was released on October 17, 2007.

Plot

The next day, #1 reunites with his sister, #3, who's got the power to alter reality with her lies, and reveals that has recently divorced, has a daughter, and for whom #1 had a crush on as a child, they then reunite with #4, who's got the ability to communicate with the dead, and then with #2, the rebel member of the team, who's got a superhuman accuracy and ability with combat using knives. After Sir Reginald Hargreaves's funeral, they talk to #5, who reveals he figured out how to travel to the future when they were 10, he found that the apocalypse had happened and spent the next 60 years trying to return to warn the rest. He states that the end of the world began 3 days after Sir Reginald Hargreaves's death. In the city, #7, the estranged member of the family, who never showed any ability other than skills to play violin, goes to the Icarus Theater and is offered to join the Orchestra Verdament, a group of musicians who claim they can destroy the world by playing the "Apocalypse Suite;" #7 however, refuses to do so.

Issue #3: "Dr. Terminal's Answer"

The third issue, "Dr. Terminal's Answer", was released on November 21, 2007.

Plot

The Umbrella Academy fights the terminatus, a group of destructive robots programed by the academy's former nemesis, Dr. Terminal, #7 intervenes in the fight only to be saved by #2 who reveals to hold a grudge against her for leaving the academy years ago. A resentful #7 returns to the Icarus Theater and joins the Orchestra Verdament.

Issue #4: "Baby, I'll Be Your Frankenstein"

The fourth issue, "Baby, I'll Be Your Frankenstein", was released on December 19, 2007.

Plot

1. 7 is revealed to be in fact the most powerful of all her siblings and the conductor of the Orchestra experiments with her to unleash her power. #5 and Dr. Pogo go to a café where #5 is ambushed by a mysterious group of masked men carrying laser guns, #5 easily kills them afterwards. #7 dubbs herself "The White Violin" and proclaims the end of the Umbrella Academy and then the world.

Issue #5: "Thank You For The Coffee"

The fifth issue, "Thank You For The Coffee" was released on January 21, 2008.

Plot

Inspector Lupo investigates the crime scene where #5 killed the mysterious masked men, while #1 and #3 proclaim their love for each other and share a kiss. #5 finds Sir Reginald Hargreaves's monocle, which allows someone to see everything about someone and he faints. The white violin attacks the umbrella academy and Dr. Pogo dies in the process

Issue #6: "Finale" Or "Brothers And Sisters, I Am An Atomic Bomb"

The sixth issue, "Finale" Or "Brothers And Sisters, I Am An Atomic Bomb" was released on February 20, 2008.

Plot

1. 1, #3, #4 and #5 prepare to stop the Apocalypse Suite, while #2 tries to kill #7, but fails due to past emotions, #3 suffers a slashed throat and #1 takes her to a nearby hospital, while #2, #3 and #5 continue to fight the Orchestra Verdament, ending with #5 shooting #7 in the head, although she survives, #3 uses telekinesis to stop meteors falling to the earth and stop the end of the world. In the epilogue, it is told that #7 remains paralyzed, #3 will not be able to talk again, thus, unable to use her powers, #1, #2, #4 and #5 then return to the academy to find it destroyed.

Collected editions

The series has been collected as a trade paperback:

The Umbrella Academy: The Apocalypse Suite (by Gerard Way & Gabriel Bá, includes all six issues from The Apocalypse Suite, extracts from sketchbooks featuring early versions of characters, the short internet preview and the story from Free Comic Book Day 2007, limited edition hardcover, ISBN 1-59582-163-5, softcover, ISBN 1-59307-978-8)

Awards and nominations

At the 2008 Eisner Awards, The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite won for Best Limited Series.^[1]

The Deluxe Edition of The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite is nominated for Best Graphic Album — Reprint at the 2009 Eisner Awards.^[2]

Sequel

A sequel, The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, was published between November 2008 and April 2009 and collected into a trade paperback on September 30, 2009.

References

External links

• The Umbrella Academy on Myspace
• Pages 11-13 of the first issue, Entertainment Weekly
• Pages 1-5 of the second issue, Comic Book Resources
• The Umbrella Academy.net (in Spanish)