Netflix is now operating in a post-Marvel world with the cancellations of
Jessica Jones and
The Punisher, which in addition to
Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and
Daredevil, (and
The Defenders), officially brings their partnership to an end.
While Marvel has announced the Hulu deal for
The Offenders shows
Howard the Duck, M.O.D.O.K., Hit-Monkey, and
Tigra and Dazzler Show, Netflix has taken the liberty of showing fans that they are still holding strong after the breakup with the release of
The Umbrella Academy. It's definitely not a coincidence that this show was released the same weekend that Marvel cancelled the final two shows, but it was a good move for the streaming giant because the series is receiving rave reviews.
The Umbrella Academy is based on the Dark Horse comic run of the same name illustrated by Gabriel Ba and written by Gerard Way, who is best known for being the singer and frontman of the popular band
My Chemical Romance. Now, thanks to Newsweek, we have details on a recent interview in which Way opens up about several topics. First, he discusses how he witnessed 9/11, and how that influences apocalypse themes in his work.
One of the biggest reasons I started My Chemical Romance was because I was one of the people to witness 9/11 in New York City. That felt like the end of the world. It felt like the apocalypse. I was surrounded by hundreds of people on a dock on the Hudson River, and we watched the buildings go down, and there was this wave of human anguish that I’ve never felt before. Since then, I’ve continued to think about what we would do at the end of the world if we knew we only had a little time left. Someone actually pointed out to me that the music video for "Black Parade" also looked a bit like the aftermath of 9/11, and it came out just a day or two after the anniversary.
Many people who have reviewed
The Umbrella Academy have raved about how it is unlike normal super hero television shows. So, did Way plan that for his comics as well?
The myth, yeah. I wanted to throw people in the deep end, to skip past the setup and origin stories—you’re just in it. What is it to actually be a superhero? What is it to be part of this family, to be gifted or to be ordinary? I think it’s for people who are bored of superheroes or have no interest in them.
Way has been working on writing the third and fourth volumes of
The Umbrella Academy - which will be needed for Netflix before too long, most likely - so the question is, how involved is he in Netflix's show? It seems like he was too stressed and overworked to contribute much to the Netflix adaptation, actually.
Yeah, it’s a big change. I was overloaded from years of on-camera interviews and being on stage and music videos. I kind of got tired of myself. There was just too much me happening, you know? So I withdrew a good deal. I also realized I had a lot to learn, I had a lot of listening to do.
The comic creator goes on to get a bit introspective about how well he knows himself and how it affects his writing.
I know myself pretty well, and I’m just extremely grateful for the life I have. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t wake up and I’m not thankful to the universe. I feel like in some ways I have figured it out. When I write Umbrella Academy now, there’s a bit more wisdom that comes with it, but there’s also the humility of knowing what I don’t know. I think admitting to yourself that you don’t have it all figured out is a good first step to figuring it out.
What do you think of Way's comments? Are you a fan of the Netflix adaptation? Check out the trailer below!
The Umbrella Academy revolves around a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes who reunite to solve the mystery of their father's death, and the oncoming threat of the apocalypse.
The Umbrella Academy is available to stream now on Netflix.