The first look into Gerard Way’s ‘Umbrella Academy’ spinoff is finally here

Back in February, we learned that The Umbrella Academy misfit Klaus is getting his own prequel comic book series.

Called You Look Like Death: Tales From The Umbrella Academy, the comic’s official trailer has been unveiled along with the first issue’s new release date.

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The first issue of You Look Like Death was set to be released in June. However, the release was delayed likely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Gerard Way has revealed that the first issue of You Look Like Death is arriving on Sept. 16. The My Chemical Romance frontman took to social media to share the news.

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You Look Like Death is all about Klaus’ back story. The new comic takes place 10 years prior to Apopcalyspe Suite and centers around Klaus, or The Séance, who is perhaps the most troubled member in the Hargreeves family. The new release depicts his life as he suffers from his drug habit and deals with his supernatural ability to speak to the dead.

For Way, he shares that Klaus was the first Hargreeves sibling he knew he wanted to explore further.

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“Of all of the siblings, Klaus was always the first one I wanted to explore, because I had a lot of ideas about what happened to him in the ten years before Apocalypse Suite,” Way, says. “It felt like a big story in itself. Since then, I’ve filled in the gaps on what the other siblings were up to in that ten-year span and I’d like to explore those stories as well. Klaus was always the first, though.”

You Look Like Death‘s first issue will center around Klaus’ sudden move to Hollywood. After he’s kicked out of the Umbrella Academy mansion by his father, the 18-year-old decides to head to sunny California. From there, he faces a vampiric drug lord while continuing his drug habit.

Way further shares that Hollywood was the perfect setting for Klaus to grow and develop as a character.

“Los Angeles is a place where you can very easily lose sight of who you are, and that is what is happening to Klaus in this series,” Way says. “We see him develop stronger habits and explore more extreme things than he had before. Los Angeles is also a place with a strong dark side, as well as this undercurrent of the occult. It is also a place where somewhat nefarious people transplanted here can more easily thrive and spread out roots, so there’s a good chance Klaus runs the risk of getting chewed up and spit out.”

For the new project, Way joined forces again with some familiar collaborators. His Fabulous Killjoys co-writer Shaun Simon helped write You Look Like Death. As well, his The Umbrella Academy co-creator Gabriel Bá is drawing the covers for each issue. I.N.J. Culbard assisted with illustrations while Nate Piekos oversaw the comic’s lettering.

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You Look Like Death helps fill in the gaps of what happened in the decade leading up to the Hargreeves siblings coming together after the death of Sir Reginald. As Way shares, however, it might be a while before all of the other stories are told.

“There are other ideas for sure as far as Umbrella Academy siblings getting their own series, all of them very different from each other — and there are other writers and creators I want to work with on those — but I wanted to bring the focus back to the main Umbrella Academy story arc,” Way says.

You Look Like Death: Tales From The Umbrella Academy #1 goes on sale Wednesday, Sep. 16. For more information on the comic, head here.

Over the weekend, Way took part in a Comic-Con panel where he revealed some new secrets about The Umbrella Academy‘s origin. As well, on Wednesday, Netflix released the opening scene for The Umbrella Academy season 2. The new season premieres Friday, July 31.

The official trailer for You Look Like Death: Tales From The Umbrella Academy is available to watch below.

Are you ready to read the new The Umbrella Academy spinoff comic? Let us know in the comments below.