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Advance Review: “The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion” #1

By | September 11th, 2018
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“The Umbrella Academy” is finally making its return. For those who patiently waited for it or even gave up hope on ever reading a new issue in the series have cause for celebration. It is back and just as good as it has ever been. I made this review spoiler free because this issue should not be ruined for anyone.

Cover by Gabriel Bá
Written by Gerard Way
Illustrated by Gabriel Bá
Colored by Nick Filardi
Lettered by Nate Piekos for Blombat

While readers have been waiting almost a decade for the next chapter, only a few months have passed in the story. Sir Reginald Hargreeves’s death, the nearly successful apocalypse and the events of ‘Dallas’ are still fresh in the minds of the heroes and the Academy has splintered once again — Number Five is now a hired gun, The Kraken is on the heels of Spaceboy, who is doing some light adventuring and vigilante work in Japan, The Séance is missing, and The Rumor is trying to figure out what to do with her fractured home life and Vanya’s rehabilitation.

The first issue of ‘Hotel Oblivion’ is a triumphant return to the series with original co-creators Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá bringing us into another nightmarish, sci-fi adventure. With the amount of time that has passed since the last arc, we could almost expect, and forgive, a few missteps when creators return to works they have not focused on in some time, but in this instance we would be wrong in our assumptions. Without missing a single beat, Way and Bá have reintroduced the world of the Umbrella Academy with all the strength and fervor that was present with the original two story arcs. It is clear that they never let this book slip far away from their thoughts. Perfectly executing the always difficult balancing act of dealing with questions left unanswered, crafting new threats and mysteries to entwine our deeply flawed heroes, and continuing to keep other answers to himself, Way is at the top of his game. Nearly equal attention is given to all returning and new characters and if someone are focused on less than others, their moment is still just as important to the story. He has a knack for intriguing us until the absolute correct moment of giving us the big reveal. A reveal that, unsurprisingly, is not present in this issue. And if you are left scratching your head upon finishing the final page, you will not be alone. With the dinner menu theme at the start of this issue, it is clear that we have only gotten the appetizer course.

So far, we are getting the perfect dose of closure and set up, but don’t expect Way’s writing to wait for you. He has given us plenty of time to catch up and his goal is to jump right in and keep moving. If you are new to “The Umbrella Academy” I would suggest that you do not jump on here. You will be lost, and you would be depriving yourself of starting from the beginning, and it is a great from the start! Even long-time fans should brush up on the previous books if it’s been a while. Gerard Way’s influences come from many a novel, comic book, t.v. show and film and while these influences are clearly felt throughout this series, they are just that and are never used as crutches for creativity or quality. He continues to create one of the most original books on the shelves that is a standout in the increasingly padded indie-comic crowd. An original book that has been missed.

Gabriel Bá’s artwork is beautiful energy splashed across the pages. His signature fast and loose style has a sketchbook quality to it, even more so in the action sequences, but it adds to the power of each frame. His work pairs perfectly with the fast paced story telling. Every page moves like quick film edits, jumping from frame to frame. Where some artists may use an entire splash page to illustrate a single scene, Bá places his additional frames like jump cuts to make an intimately detailed cinematic experience for the reader.

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The rough, angular character designs emphasize the characterizations. We get a lot of action for a premiere issue. Leaning into a neo-noir blend of “James Bond” and Blade Runner, there are speeding cars, guns a-blazing and bulbous advertisement robots in dark, rain-soaked alleyways. Nick Filardi’s colors take the series in a slightly different direction; working with a palette that suits the action and moods on display, and what little we learn about the Hotel Oblivion. His layer work is gorgeous. Allowing for colors that never touch to play and dance off one another to give depth and substance to every line they fill. His digital work is as good as any hand-painted panel. He continues with a similar style to Dave Stewart, but gives each page his own electric flair. His work is gorgeous and is equal to the precedent set by Stewart.

Fans of classic comics like “Hellboy,” First Class-era “X-Men,” “Doom Patrol” (which Way himself rebooted under DC’s Young Animals imprint in 2016), and newer books like “Black Hammer” will want to add this series to their collection. The blend of action, horror, sci-fi, and magic is the perfect recipe for this angst-filled superhero yarn.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – ‘Hotel Oblivion” #1 is an intricately crafted, welcome return to not only this universe, but for genre books of this nature.

“The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion” #1 will be released October 3rd by Dark Horse Comics wherever comic books are sold.


Christopher Egan

Chris lives in New Jersey with his wife, daughter, two cats, and ever-growing comic book and film collection. He is an occasional guest on various podcasts, writes movie reviews on his own time, and enjoys trying new foods. He can be found on Instagram. if you want to see pictures of all that and more!

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