I’ve listened to and appreciated The Black Parade and I happen to be of the opinion that Gerard Way is a talented writer. That said…
I find The Umbrella Academy to be severely overrated. There are plenty of wonderful little ideas and flourishes throughout this work, but it definitely feels rushed and thematically insubstantial. Frankly, I don’t think Way put enough thought into it nor do I think it contains much in the way of “purpose”. And it certainly borrows too much from the works of Grant Morrison (no wonder he loves it so much), Mike Mignola and others.
The art? No complaints in that department. Ba does a wonderful job with these characters and concepts.
Although disappointed, I’m hopeful about Way’s next project. The guy can write, that much is clear. Now, he just needs to develop his voice.
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I think the problem is him being a talented musician. He is an amazing song writer in my opinion. I do agree that this isn’t to his standerds. But, music is so much different from a comic book. And his songs have messages. But, this book doesn’t. Overall, I liked it though. I think the artwork was amazing and i couldn’t do that for the life of me. It kept me entertained the whole time I read. I’m a big fan of his writing.
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I think the problem is him being a talented musician.