Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy trailer explodes with indie comic goodness

*** Presses Play on My Chemical Romance's 2006 album, The Black Parade ***

While much of the world is busy being fascinated by Marvel and DC's pantheon of superheroes, several indie comics properties have quietly been making their way to the forefront, courtesy of the small screen. Just last week, SYFY officially launched the first episode of Rick Remender and Wes Craig's DEADLY CLASS to rave reviews, signaling to networks that viewers are ready to embrace new and unique worlds within the comics medium.

Based on the the delightfully violent and way weird comic book series written by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way with illustrations by Gabriel Bá, THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY is planning to make its Netflix debut on February 15, 2019. The show is produced by Universal Cable Productions for Netflix, with Steve Blackman serving as executive producer and showrunner. Jeff F. King, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, Gerard Way, and Gabriel Bá also executive produce.

Here's the official setup for THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY:

On the same day in 1989, forty-three infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven are adopted by a billionaire who creates The Umbrella Academy and prepares his "children" to save the world. Now, the six surviving members reunite upon the news of their father's passing and must work together to solve a mystery surrounding his death. But the estranged family begins to come apart due to their divergent personalities and abilities, not to mention the imminent threat of a global apocalypse.

Starring as the dysfunctional family of The Umbrella Academy and then some are Ellen Page, Mary J. Blige, Cameron Britton, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Colm Feore, Adam Godley, John Magaro, Ashley Madekwe, and Kate Walsh.

The debut season of THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY will consist of 10 one-hour episodes. In other words, Netflix has given the team behind Umbrella plenty of time to get real weird with this fan-favorite property. In my opinion, the show will pair nicely with shows like DEADLY CLASS, DC Universe's upcoming live-action adaptation of DOOM PATROL, the second season of HAPPY!, as well as Amazon's THE BOYS, which is expected to launch later this year. And hey, even if those shows don't appeal to you, it's comforting to know that the breadth of comic book entertainment continues to flourish, no? After all, they say that variety is the spice of life, and we're never not hungry for more entertainment, are we?

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY will premiere on Netflix come February 15th.