Good Morning!

I’m on a reading roll, so I’m back yet again with another graphic novel review.

Continuing my read of the Umbrella Academy series, I read the second installment, Dallas, by Gerard Way.

The first graphic novel was fun, though it did have some faults (you can check out that review below). Despite that, something in me wanted to continue the series, so here I am!

It also helped that my library had all the volumes available to borrow and that graphic novels take me WAY less time to read than normal books do.

So, let’s see if the second installment made up for some of the first one’s shortcomings. On to the review!

Series Review Links

The Apocalypse Suite (The Umbrella Academy #1)

Blurb

The team is despondent following the near apocalypse created by one of their own and the death of their beloved mentor Pogo. So it’s a great time for another catastrophic event to rouse the team into action. Trouble is—each member of the team is distracted by some very real problems of their own. The White Violin is bedridden due to an unfortunate blow to the head. Rumor has lost her voice—the source of her power. Spaceboy has eaten himself into a near-catatonic state, while Number Five dives into some shady dealings at the dog track and the Kraken starts looking at his littlest brother as the key to unraveling a mysterious series of massacres…all leading to a blood-drenched face-off with maniacal assassins, and a plot to kill JFK!

GoodReads

Amazon

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The Review

I was hoping this graphic novel would improve upon the first’s shortcomings. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for me.

Following the events of The Apocalypse Suite, The Umbrella Academy has to pick up the pieces of the city (and their home) they weren’t able to fully protect. But when number five is forced into helping assassinate JFK in 1963, the others have little other choice than to intervene. Can they stop the assassination, or are they out of their depth?

My reading of the first graphic novel was a bit biased since I’ve developed a deep appreciation of the Netflix TV show. In all honesty, the show is better. It takes things at a more reasonable pace and gives the characters a depth that isn’t in these novels.

Speaking of the characters, this novel was intensely focused on number five. We do get to know more about five and what exactly was done to him, but sadly the discovery makes him a bit more bland as far as depth goes. It doesn’t seem there’s much further for his character to go. Hopefully that’ll change in the third novel.

Vanya wasn’t really present at all, and while the others did get involved, it didn’t really build their character very much, because everything ultimately revolved around number five.

The plot was fun, but once again, it moved too fast. There wasn’t enough time given to explore the mystery of what was happening before the reader gets whisked away on more crazy missions or plot turns. I’m all for an action-based plot, but there has to be some kind of balance, and this novel was lacking that.

Ultimately, I can’t quite recommend reading this. I’ll continue to watch the show because I love it so much, but I won’t be finishing the graphic novels to make room for better reads.

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this graphic novel review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this graphic novels? Are there similar ones you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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