The first time I watched The Umbrella Academy pilot, I didn’t get it at all.
As I watched Five take down a bunch of criminals in a diner set to a They Might Be Giants song, I wasn’t sure what to make of this new Netflix series that my friend had promised me would change my life.
It wasn’t until I finally decided to give The Umbrella Academy another try that I became completely hooked on the show.
(Courtesy of Netflix)
The first two seasons of this Netflix series are honestly some of the best seasons of superhero TV I have ever seen.
Compared to the sanitized superheroes that we see on the big screen like Superman, the main characters of The Umbrella Academy, despite being flawed and messy, were easily likable.
Upon rewatching the series recently, I realized it’s been a long time since I last felt a connection to a superhero or comic-book-related series as I did with The Umbrella Academy.
And in my opinion, that means it’s time to bring indie comic adaptations back to the smallscreen.
Where Are All the Heroes?
At this point, superhero fatigue has started seeping into TV.
(Cate Cameron/The CW)
In the early 2000s and 2010s, it felt like there was an abundance of widely beloved superhero shows to choose from across broadcast and streaming alike.
Take The CW, for example. While that channel may be basically defunct now, it raised an entire generation of people on series like The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
These shows may not have been the strongest in terms of quality, but they were popular enough to have a lasting impact.
Nowadays, DC’s TV reach seems much more limited.
Even with a promising entry from Peacemaker, not many people seem extremely invested in what DC shows have to say. That may sadly even extend to the new Lanterns series.
(Netflix)
Marvel also had a good run with Daredevil and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But in recent years, the MCU shows, including an admittedly critically-acclaimed Daredevil: Born Again, haven’t made as much of a splash, with many even getting canceled after only one season.
Other than the mega superhero franchises of Marvel and DC, one of the most popular superhero franchises on TV has been The Boys.
While the original comics aren’t great, I like that the show still found a way to adapt the unique ideas.
But even The Boys’ gritty world has lost its shine, with spinoff after spinoff as it quickly becomes the money-printing machine it once mocked.
What’s missing from all these franchises is originality. And that’s exactly what series like The Umbrella Academy offer.
Indie Comics Offer Originality
(CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX)
The biggest selling point of The Umbrella Academy for me is the creativity of the story it tells and how it frames it.
The characters are unique, and the story dives into cerebral aspects like time travel and speaking to the dead without ever losing sight of what makes them human.
I’m not saying that big comic book franchises can’t accomplish the same. One of my favorite superhero shows is DC’s Doom Patrol, which has a similar strangeness as The Umbrella Academy.
However, I do believe that indie comics prioritize telling fascinating stories with new characters, which can often be harder to find in bigger franchises that tend to bank on their biggest characters and most recognizable faces.
With the success of The Umbrella Academy (and, I begrudgingly admit, The Boys), it’s evident that indie comics are a rich source for storytelling potential that TV can tap into and expand on in compelling ways.
(Michael Stack)
Even outside live action, animated television has also been a place where indie comic adaptations have thrived.
The most popular example is Invincible, which is still going strong and has proven it can draw both comic fans and non-fans into the story.
I also think the comic book format of multi-issue arcs similarly aligns with the episodic nature of TV, proving that TV is still a viable medium for adaptations.
It’s just a shame that indie comic adaptations don’t really get a chance to thrive in a world where sequels, reboots, and spinoffs are prioritized and considered more profitable.
Another great comic adapted in recent years is Paper Girls, but even that got only one season before Prime Video axed it.
(Netflix)
While I rewatched the scene of Five fighting criminals in the diner again, I found myself smiling instead of frowning in confusion.
The Umbrella Academy character introductions made me appreciate how great an adaptation the series is of the original comics.
And I can only hope that one day, there’ll be another show that takes up the mantle and revives the indie comic crossover into television.
What are your thoughts on comic book TV show adaptations? Do you have any favorites that you would recommend?
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In an era of superhero fatigue, it’s more important than ever for TV shows to keep adapting indie comics like The Umbrella Academy.
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