Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death #6 Review

by Nick Devonald on February 23, 2021

Writers: Gerard Way & Shaun Simon
Art: I.N.J. Culbard
Colours: I.N.J. Culbard
Letters: Nate Piekos of Blambot

The final issue of the Umbrella Academy tale, You Look Like Death, neatly wraps up all of the storylines from this arc. At times it was difficult to figure out how all of these disparate threads would come together, but with a little help from Klaus he managed to get just endings for everybody, as well as starting a new chapter in his own story. It’s not until you finish the story and take a moment to reflect back that you realise just how much this storyarc has contained. Gods, monsters, Heaven & Hell, purgatory, vampires, chimps, vampire chimps, Hollywood, each issue has been crammed full of an insane number and combination of supernatural beings and scenarios. It could only be possible in an Umbrella Academy series.

Following arguably one of the more interesting members of the Umbrella Academy, delving deep into Klaus’ damaged psyche, has made for an excellent story. Readers can only hope that this is the first in a number of series, each focusing on a different member of the Academy, so that readers can get their fix. The ending is particularly effective as well, not for the story it tells but for the parallels between the different stories that work on multiple levels. And the final line, a metaphor with condiments, is both clever, funny and poignant.

I.N.J. Culbard has had his work cut out for him over the course of the series. All of the various aforementioned supernatural beings and locations for starters, along with Klaus’ psychic powers and ability to talk to the dead, each would be challenging enough in their own right, throwing them into the insane blender that makes up the world of the Umbrella Academy is a challenge in its own right. Yet he makes it look easy and natural, combining these different worlds in a way it doesn’t feel bizarre or insane, even while it clearly is.

An epic ending to an exciting chapter in The Umbrella Academy, sure to tide fans over until the next installment of The Umbrella Academy, whether that’s the TV series or the comic. Excellent writing, bonkers concept, brilliant art, and a focus on Klaus. What’s not to love about it?

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside