It has been said countless times already, but I’ll say it anyway—what a time to be alive for comic book fans. When comics as obscure as The Umbrella Academy are being adapted into high budget TV series, you know the current climate is producing on a different level. If you are unsure as to what The Umbrella Academy is, I gave a little more background in my trailer talk (you can read it here). Essentially, The Umbrella Academy is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics and penned by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. I read the first volume of the series Apocalypse Suite back in 2011. At the time, I thought it was a fun ride with interesting characters but, as a whole, a little too weird for my particular taste. Since then, my appreciation for the odd in media has changed and, while I may have shied away from the bizarre in my youth, The Umbrella Academy is something I would now dive head-first into.

Thankfully, it was streaming giant Netflix who took the plunge for this adaptation. The Umbrella Academy TV series could have very easily been watered down to nothing but a series of obvious clichés and tropes; tieing together a tired old story about superpowered teen angst in a manor house. Instead, Netflix has maintained the weird and wonderful, while simultaneously expanding on the first volume of the series (adding additional characters, plot lines and some truly impressive character development). The Umbrella Academy is the story of seven children all born on the same day by mothers who had previously shown no signs of pregnancy. The children were all adopted by an eccentric entrepreneur who, upon discovering their superpowers, trained them to fight together as a super team (ala X-Men). Eventually, as the kids grow older and multiple disasters begin to splinter the group, they disband. The series kicks off the day their adopted father passes away, causing them to reunite for the first time in years.

This series is an impressive example of skilful adaptation; Netflix and showrunner Steve Blackman excel in keeping fidelity to the comic while presenting a fresh perspective. Volume One of The Umbrella Academy is quite light (only containing six issues in total). To fit a ten episode bill, more needs to be added to the story, and the show ran the risk of feeling bloated and stale. The main plot has been filled out to make it a bit more complex, but it’s still easy to follow and entertaining throughout. Everything added serves a purpose and only adds more layers to what was quite a straight-forward narrative in the source material. Much of the added content is in service of character development, helping the audience further understand and sympathise with the down-and-out former heroes. Just as each character’s power is unique, they all feel distinct and sympathetic for their own reasons, these aren’t cookie cutter characters you would find in the bargain bin. The acting throughout the series is stellar, however, there are a few markable stand-outs. David Castañeda as knife-wielding Diego brings passion to every scene he takes part in, while Robert Sheehan eats the scenery as the perpetually drugged up, air-headed troublemaker, Klaus. Time and space jumping Number 5 (he wasn’t lucky enough to pick up a real name later in life) is played by Aidan Gallagher, who is basically just a mini Jason Schwartzman. This is the highest compliment I can possibly pay the boy, and he is perfect for the character and incredibly magnetic.

While the show remains true to its weird and wonderful roots, there are certain elements that have been toned down. In particular, the academy’s debut takes place during a simple bank robbery instead of atop the Eiffel tower fighting an over-the-top supervillain. The slightly toned-down world works well to ground the show, and some things that would have looked too ridiculous on screen are left in the pages of the comic. That isn’t to say that the show doesn’t have stylised flair; both in its quirky mise-en-scène and characters. Specifically, assassins Cha-Cha and Hazel feel like they’ve stepped straight out of a Coen Brothers’ film.

In the end, I have thoroughly enjoyed going on a weird, wonderful, fun ride with these characters from start to finish. Do I think everyone should go out and watch The Umbrella Academy? Well…no. The additional character development added into the first half of the season can feel slow at times (especially if you want Avengers-esque action), and the overall weird concept just isn’t for some people. Really, this show just isn’t for everyone—and that’s okay. Netflix has opened the floodgates for niche programming that can satisfy the unique palettes of the few; and I’m just hoping there are enough weirdos out there who, like me, are eagerly awaiting a second season. If you’re akin to the bizarre, and this review has piqued your interest, perhaps give this a go—it may be for you.