I was prepared not to like it.
After all, the writer is Gerard Way, of My Chemical Romance fame. The artist is Gabriel Ba, a fellow I'd never heard of. How good could it be?
I was wrong.
The Umbrella Academy is a brilliant book - gorgeous, funny and satisfyingly strange. There's no shortage of mad geniuses, space-monkey-heroes, dangerous sibling rivalry, tentacled horrors or clockwork robotic mother-figures.
Kudos to Gerard Way for writing a great romp and a standing ovation to Gabriel Ba for the best, most angular pencilling since Mike Mignola hit the scene. A spanking to me for being judgemental, short-sighted and almost missing this once-in-a-lifetime gem.
For more delirious, Umbrella Academy awesomeness, check out the very unofficial fan blog.