Hazel & Cha Cha Save Christmas: Tales From The Umbrella Academy

Hazel and Cha Cha- those scene-stealing psychotic hitmen employeed by the Temps Aeternalis, are the stars of this 2019 Christmas special. The two are assigned to take out a rogue time criminal who has mingled among the citizens of the City sometime in the mid-80s. At the same time, a young man is coming to terms with becoming an adult when he accidentally is let in on the true secret of Santa Claus: the jolly old fat man is really real!

Umbrella Academy creator Gerard Way pens this holiday tale. It's really not what I thought it was going to be. I've held onto this issue since is debuted 2 years ago and someone told me an overview of a plot in which Hazel and Cha Cha has to save (or maybe kill) the Baby Jesus from a rogue hitman. Is there another Umbrella Academy holiday book that I don't know about? I'm not sure. But this isn't what I was informed about previously. 

I've mixed feelings about this issue. The story seems to be all over the place. Maybe some of it is that it's probably been 10 years at least since I last read the first couple of Umbrella Academy series. But with a couple of characters looking just like each other. And the last page seemingly a little ambiguous. And the addition of a couple of random panels that just look random. Well, I think the Tommy Lee Edwards artwork maybe be a part of the blame.

The overall story is very good. But like I said, the artwork is inconsistent and the narrative is chaotic. It makes for a difficult read. I did love how some of the book ended. And I might love how it ended altogether. But like I said, I'm not sure if how I think the book ended is really how it ended.

I like Gerard Way. Great musician. Fairly decent storyteller. And an overall nice guy. I met him once being his personal security at a local comic con. But I don't think this holiday special was flawless. Sometimes Way's writing style gets a little too Grant Morrison-like for his own good and it doesn't always work. There's only one Grant Morrison and even a legend like him gets in a little too much over his head.

Really wondering why somebody told me this story involved the Baby Jesus though...

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Doom Patrol #1

   Last November, I had the privilege to work security for some of the special events at NC Comicon. It was really cool to be in on the inside edge of comics. One such activity were the two-day Q&As with My Chemical Romance lead-singer Gerard Way.

   At the time, Way had had success with the Dark Horse series The Umbrella Academy, along with limited-issue sequel and a handful of short stories. But it had been a few years since the singer had delved back into the comic book world. But on the night of his first Q&A, Gerard Way announced that he had teamed with the good folks at DC and a new Doom Patrol series was forthcoming.
    For those of you not in the know, the Doom Patrol is often considered the forefather to the X-Men. A team of what the world would consider 'freaks' were recruited by the brilliant and mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder, who was confined to a wheelchair because of a previous injury. In the 90s, the team were revamped by Grant Morrison, who incorporated elements of surrealism, Dada, and dissected story structure. This new Doom Patrol was considered a massive hit and along with Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, the founding titles of DC's Vertigo imprint.
    It was Morrison's incarnation of the Doom Patrol that had a direct impact on Gerard Way's Doom Patrol. I learned in one of the afterwords of this issue that Way was an intern at DC in the 90s and worked under Grant Morrison. Way and Morrison became fast friends and the celebrated DC writer ;ater starred in a couple of My Chemical Romance's Killjoys videos as the super villain Korse. Obviously from reading this issue, Morrison's vision of the Doom Patrol is alive in well in this new series.
     So what is Doom Patrol #1 all about? Honestly, I'm not 100% sure but I'm not giving up on it either. Here's what I can figure out thus far:

1.     The hero of the series is a young ambulance driver named Casey Brinke.
2.      Her partner is a single father who has a theory that universes are hiding all over the place. For example, there might be another plane of existence hiding in the folds of his food truck gyro.
3.      Members of the Doom Patrol seem to be bleeding over into Casey's life. Are they from this universe or another plane of the DC multiverse remains to be seen.

    Doom Patrol #1 is the first issue and title of the newest DC Comics imprint Young Animal. Over the few months, Gerard Way and friends will release several more titles featuring some lesser known but equally bizarre characters in the DC Universe such as spelunker extraordinaire Cave Carlson and a female version of Shade: the Changing Man.

    The Young Animal books are touted as 'comics for dangerous humans.' These books are geared for adults and the cover has a rating of 'Mature.' Other than a few swears, the first issue was pretty tame. But if the super-secret sticker peel cover is any indication- things are going to get explosively cosmic! So, parents of little ones- use discretion, please!

     I enjoyed this read. Like I said, I didn't understand much of it. Gerard Way obviously has a plan for his Young Animal books. But it's impossible to establish a new universe in 32-pages (unless you're Stan Lee or Jack Kirby.) It's generally a rule of mine to give a new TV-series at least 3 episodes- because the Pilot normally sucks!  

    With that in mind, I am more than willing to give this series a couple of more issues to get established. What I read might've confused me a little, and I think that's part of Gerard Way's plan. But man this book sure didn't suck!

   Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

EXCLUSIVE: Gerard Way Dishes On His Writing Process, Umbrella Academy 3

  
  At a special VIP panel at NC Comicon, former My Chemical Romance frontman, Gerard 
Way dished on his writing process on forthcoming projects. "I've had to change the whole 
way in which I write," Way said in regards to being married and a new dad. The multimedia 
artist must focus his talents during the day in order to leave opportunities for family time in 
the evening. Getting older also has cut into his writing. "I used to be able to write and draw 
all night...now I can't stay up (late) talking about Star Wars until 9:30(PM). "

   But don't let his diminishing energies fool you. Way told guests that the long-awaited third 
series of The Umbrella Academy is underway. 'I'm writing issue #3 right now' the rocker told
a packed Carolina Theatre in Durham NC. Regular series artist Gabriel Ba just finished 
preliminary layouts and "should be drawing the first issue any day now."

   Though Way didn't elaborate on when the next series would drop, the artist did seem to 
think fans might see the first issue sometime in 2016.

    Fans might not just be seeing the students of the Umbrella Academy in print next year. 
Way told attendees that he has pitched a pilot for TV. Though Way doesn't seem to mind 
what direction the adaptation takes, ('I don't care much about the adaptation. The books
are on (store) shelves and they speak for themselves,") he does have a vision for how the 
series would open. "I see Rumor coming out of a limo, surrounded by photographers, 
looking very much like Jackie O. She so wants to disappear." Gerard probably feels so
strongly about this starting scene as he told a room full of about 700 fans, that Rumor was
 the character he most relates to.

    Speaking of Rumor, expect a lot of her in series 3. Way explained that the first two
 issues will focus on Anya and Rumor. But by issue #3 " the story is all about Rumor."

    So when Umbrella Academy 3 drops, what's next for Gerard Way? The star hinted at a 
novel, just don't expect an autobiography. "I think you have to be old to write a memoir... 
But I would love to write a children's book." 

Gerard(L) at the NC Comicon panel this morning.
He will be appearing and signing through Sunday.