The Icarus Theatre jump gone wrong. Allison fell. She fell and she fell and she wondered. Is this what Five feels like all the time? It was a fast feeling, like she was sticking her head out of a car window, but all over. Her fingers got tingly, like pins and needles. Allison felt all of that and more as she fell, but only for a second. Then she slammed into a floor, gasping for air. She laid there for a second, before standing, wobbly. She felt the wind rush past her, whipping her hair in all directions. She was on top of a skyscraper, on what seemed like a helicopter pad. That was the first thing she noticed, was that the air was thin and the ground far below. Swallowing hard, she realised her siblings weren't with her. Allison started to panic, felt that helpless bubble of fear well up in her, the same feeling she'd gotten when Vanya'd cut her throat or when she'd seen the moon explode into pieces at the Icarus theater, just moments ago. She turned around and looked up at the top of the skyscraper, where a giant A blazed out over the city.
In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-three extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world. " These seven children form The Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again. * This volume collects the first six-issue series, as well as out-of-print short stories, and an expanded sketchbook section featuring work by Bá, Jean, and Way. * "... flawless... stylish, imaginative... "-NEWSARAMA * Listed as one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA).