The ending of The Umbrella Academy Season 4 came as such a shock to even the most avid fans of the show, leaving many curious if anything like it happened in the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá that the show is based on.
For the most part, the Netflix show's first three seasons relatively followed at least the main plot trajectory of the comics, even if not always the exact story.
Season 1 pulled primarily from the Umbrella Academy comic run The Umbrella Academy: Apocolypse Suite, Season 2 from The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, and Season 3 from The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion, and the upcoming The Umbrella Academy: Sparrow Academy.
[ Full Cast of Umbrella Academy Season 4 - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos) ]
Does Umbrella Academy Season 4 Happen in the Comics?
Unlike the three seasons before it, Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix does not pull from the comics, instead telling an original story.
Fans may be curious, then, about a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) from The Umbrella Academy's official page. The artwork in the post depicts a comic cover showing one of the big twists in Season 4: The Jennifer Incident.
Despite the cover being drawn by original Umbrella Academy artist Gabariel Bá, it is not actually the cover to a real comic. Rather, it is a piece of art inspired by the comics, meant to show what a comic covering the events of Season 4 could look like.
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How Do the Umbrella Academy Comics End?
Since the final season of The Umbrella Academy was not based on a comic, fans may find themselves wondering how the source material ended differently.
The short answer is that it did not. The comics are not yet finished, with the fourth series, The Umbrella Academy: Sparrow Academy, currently in the works.
As the title suggests, it appears that this fourth series will not focus on the same things that The Umbrella Academy Season 4 did, instead being set to explore the facets of Season 3 not pulled from The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion.
Given the extremely negative fan response to the ending of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, Gerard Way and Bá may take the opportunity to end the comics version of the story differently, rather than reinforcing what fans did not like in the show.
That is, though, if the comics even continue do continue, with the development of The Umbrella Academy: Sparrow Academy beginning to resemble that of Hotel Oblivion, which does not bode well for impatient fans.
Around the mid-2010s, Way took an extended hiatus in writing The Umbrella Academy comics. He had originally announced the third series, Hotel Oblivion, with a 2010 release date. By 2013, he had shared that Hotel Oblivion was not releasing for "A really long time ... because [Way is] moving away from comics indefinitely." The book did not release until 2018, coinciding with the upcoming premiere of the Netflix series.
Now, the Netflix series is finished, and it has been years since the last major update about the fourth comic's development, indicating it could be a long time until the comics story continues. However, none of that is confirmed, and for all fans know, it could be on the way far sooner than expected.
All four seasons of The Umbrella Academy are available to stream on Netflix.
Read more about The Umbrella Academy on The Direct:
Why Umbrella Academy Season 4 Is Only 6 Episodes, Explained
What Happened to Sloane In Umbrella Academy Season 4, Explained
Netflix's CEO Wanted Umbrella Academy to Last More Seasons Than It Did (Exclusive)
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
