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ericarobyn 's review for:
The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite #2 (The Umbrella Academy Vol. 1)
by Gabriel Bá, Gerard Way
Wow. This is the first comic that I’ve really disliked. So let’s just dive in...
So right away, I didn't like that we just dove into the story without understanding who each of the characters are and what their specific powers were. We got a few flashbacks to their childhood here and there throughout the collection, which were okay. But again, because we didn't learn much about the characters to begin with, the flashbacks were just meh to me.
Further, these flashbacks still didn’t give me enough information to understand, or even like, any of the characters. The characters themselves were so very bland to me. Partially because we didn’t get any background information, but also because they were all so childish and rude.
I didn't love the way the narration flows either. It was pretty rough throughout, but specifically in the first few pages... It's very choppy and some of it just does not flow at all. For example, "the children were either abandoned or put up for adoption… ... The ones who survived.” Then we’re off on another topic. Granted it eventually leads back to where we were, but it was still rough.
I couldn’t stand that things weren’t explained at all. I need some level of world building here. I also would have appreciated more explanation about the siblings relations. We know that they were all born at the same time from various women that weren’t even pregnant. But are they related? Whether they are or not, they were still raised as siblings…so the weird romantic relationships were super gross to me.
I didn’t care for the artwork or the storyline. Some of the panels were better than others, but most seriously lacked a level of detail that I appreciate in comics. There’s not much else I can really say here, overall it just wasn’t for me.
The ending also seemed incredibly rushed. And ew, how old is that carton of milk with the missing child’s photo on the very last page?! The kid had been missing for 20 years. Gross.
To end on a positive note, the one thing that I did like was how some of the chapter titles flow right from the storyline. Specifically, there is one chapter where a waitress is talking and someone asks her what was said, the next panel was the chapter break which was titled, "Thank you for the coffee.”
I highly doubt that I will pick up Volume 2. Part of me wants to, just to see if it improves…. We’ll see.
So right away, I didn't like that we just dove into the story without understanding who each of the characters are and what their specific powers were. We got a few flashbacks to their childhood here and there throughout the collection, which were okay. But again, because we didn't learn much about the characters to begin with, the flashbacks were just meh to me.
Further, these flashbacks still didn’t give me enough information to understand, or even like, any of the characters. The characters themselves were so very bland to me. Partially because we didn’t get any background information, but also because they were all so childish and rude.
I didn't love the way the narration flows either. It was pretty rough throughout, but specifically in the first few pages... It's very choppy and some of it just does not flow at all. For example, "the children were either abandoned or put up for adoption… ... The ones who survived.” Then we’re off on another topic. Granted it eventually leads back to where we were, but it was still rough.
I couldn’t stand that things weren’t explained at all. I need some level of world building here. I also would have appreciated more explanation about the siblings relations. We know that they were all born at the same time from various women that weren’t even pregnant. But are they related? Whether they are or not, they were still raised as siblings…so the weird romantic relationships were super gross to me.
I didn’t care for the artwork or the storyline. Some of the panels were better than others, but most seriously lacked a level of detail that I appreciate in comics. There’s not much else I can really say here, overall it just wasn’t for me.
The ending also seemed incredibly rushed. And ew, how old is that carton of milk with the missing child’s photo on the very last page?! The kid had been missing for 20 years. Gross.
To end on a positive note, the one thing that I did like was how some of the chapter titles flow right from the storyline. Specifically, there is one chapter where a waitress is talking and someone asks her what was said, the next panel was the chapter break which was titled, "Thank you for the coffee.”
I highly doubt that I will pick up Volume 2. Part of me wants to, just to see if it improves…. We’ll see.