You may know Umbrella Academy thanks to its television adaptation by Netflix. Written by Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance) and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, Umbrella Academy is described as a “dysfunctional family of superheroes” — and part of our 15 Dark Horse Must-Read Comic Books.
All began with an inexplicable worldwide event, where forty-three extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who’d previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopts seven of the children and prepares them to save the world from an unspecified threat as the Umbrella Academy.
The members are Spaceboy (Luther Hargreeves), The Kraken (Diego Hargreeves), The Rumor (Allison Hargreeves), The Séance (Klaus Hargreeves), The Boy (Number Five), The Horror (Ben Hargreeves), and The White Violin (Vanya Hargreeves).
Umbrella Academy Comics Order
Umbrella Academy is a comic book series consisting of three limited series, several short stories and a spin-off series. Here is a guide to the many collections of Umbrella Academy, followed by a little (though not precise) comic book timeline.
Umbrella Academy, The Main Series
- The Umbrella Academy – Volume 1: The Apocalypse Suite
Collects The Apocalypse Suite #1–6; “Mon Dieu!”; “…But the Past Ain’t Through with You” - The Umbrella Academy – Volume 2: Dallas
Collects Dallas #1–6; “Anywhere But Here” - The Umbrella Academy – Volume 3: Hotel Oblivion
Collects Hotel Oblivion #1–7
Also collected in Library Edition:
- The Umbrella Academy Library Edition Volume 1: Apocalypse Suite
Collects The Apocalypse Suite #1–6; “Mon Dieu!”; “…But the Past Ain’t Through with You”; an expanded 50-page sketchbook - The Umbrella Academy Library Edition Volume 2: Dallas
Collects Dallas #1–6; “Anywhere But Here”; an expanded 36-page sketchbook - The Umbrella Academy Library Edition Volume 3: Hotel Oblivion
Collects Hotel Oblivion #1–7; and sketchbook
Also collected in Deluxe Edition:
- The Umbrella Academy Volume 1: Apocalypse Suite Deluxe Edition
Hardcover edition with an exclusive lithograph featuring a unique new art piece created by Gabriel Bà exclusively for this edition. - The Umbrella Academy Volume 2: Dallas Deluxe Edition
Hardcover edition with an illustrated slipcase featuring art by Gabriel Bá; also included is a portfolio containing a new unique print from the artist. - The Umbrella Academy Volume 3: Hotel Oblivion Deluxe Edition
Hardcover edition with a portfolio inside the slip-case, with a psychedelic print by Gabriel Ba exclusive to this edition.
- The Umbrella Academy Boxed Set
Collects Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, Umbrella Academy: Dallas, and Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion. Also includes an exclusive Umbrella Academy double-sided poster.
Tales from the Umbrella Academy, the Spin-off Series
Tales from the Umbrella Academy is a spin-off series launched with a one-short series featuring the duo of assassins introduced in the Dallas collection, followed by a Klaus story.
- Hazel and Cha-Cha Save Christmas
One shot not collected yet. - You Look Like Death:Tales from the Umbrella Academy – Volume 1
Collects You Look Like Death #1–6
Also collected in Library Edition:
- Tales from the Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death Library Edition
Collects You Look Like Death #1–6, a brand new eight-page Seance story exclusive to the hardcovers, an expanded sketchbook section, and a foreword by Robert Sheehan, portrayer of Klaus in the hit Netflix series!
Also collected in Deluxe Edition:
- Tales from the Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death (Deluxe Edition)
Collects You Look Like Death #1–6, a brand new eight-page Seance story exclusive to the hardcovers, an expanded sketchbook section, and a foreword by Robert Sheehan, portrayer of Klaus in the hit Netflix series!
The Umbrella Academy Short Stories
Most Umbrella Academy short stories have been collected in the trade paperbacks. Still, here is a listing to all the short stories published and where to find them.
- “Mon Dieu!” (2006)
This short story first appeared in the Dark Horse Comics website. Reprinted in The Apocalypse Suite collection. - “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.” (2007)
First Umbrella Academy released. Reprinted in The Apocalypse Suite collection - “Safe & Sound” (2007)
Published in MySpace Dark Horse Presents Volume 2. - “Anywhere But Here” (2008)
Initially released on Dark Horse’s MySpace and also reprinted in MySpace Dark Horse Presents Volume 2and the Dallas collection. - “Hazel and Cha Cha Save Christmas”
One-shot part of the spin-off series Tales from the Umbrella Academy, not reprinted anywhere yet. - “Letters to Athena” (2021)
Short story exclusive to the Deluxe Edition of Tales from the Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death - “Safe” (2023)
Released in the Dark Horse Free Comic Book Day 2023.
Umbrella Academy, A Simple Comic Timeline
As there are many flashbacks during Apocalypse Suite story, the following timeline is a simplified chronological order for the adventures of the Umbrella Academy, and not a detailed year-by-year timeline.
- “Safe” – Hargreeves and Abhijat embark on an interdimensional journey.
- “Anywhere But Here” – Short Story set during the group’s teenage years (when the siblings are around 16)
- “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.” – Short Story also set during their teenage years, not long after Anywhere But Here.
- You Look Like Death – A Tales from the Umbrella Academy covering the time when Klaus is kicked out of both his house and the Umbrella Academy.
- “Letters to Athena” – Another Tales from the Umbrella Academy featuring Klaus helping a ghost after You Look Like Death.
- Safe & Sound – Short Story featuring the Kraken, formerly from the Umbrella Academy.
- The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite – Following the death of Hargreeves unexpectedly, the siblings are reunited to save the world once again.
- “Mon Dieu!” (2006) – a Two-page story set during the Apocalypse Suite era where The Boy and The Séance are in a lab.
- “Hazel and Cha Cha Save Christmas” – Stand-alone story featuring the two assassins who first appeared in Dallas tracking down a rogue time agent.
- The Umbrella Academy: Dallas – Another catastrophic event rouses the team into action.
- The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion – The Umbrella Academy is scattered but their past is coming back to hunt them.
Want more Umbrella Academy? A young adult novel titled Umbrella Academy: Young Blood, written by Alyssa Sheinmel, has recently been released as a prequel to the Netflix TV series
After Umbrella Academy, you can also check out Gerard Way’s run on Doom Patrol.
Note: An earlier version of this article originally appeared on the site in 2020. With the conclusion of the television adaptation, we are re-posting it.