† NillaMora †

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY #1

©Dark Horse

The Umbrella Academy boasts authorship by Gerard Way, singer of the band My Chemical Romance. Having no taste for his music – reread that, Maniacs – I picked up this first issue of six with some trepidation, attracted to the sort of Edward-Gorey-meets-Lemony-Snicket art by Gabriel Ba. I can happily report that The Umbrella Academy bears virtually no relation to Way’s work with My Chemical Romance, and will likely appeal to anyone that likes Hellboy, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Harry Potter, or Village of the Damned. Needless to say, the first issue wears its influences on its…

"You get in a van and never go home. You sever all ties. You're going to be homeless anyways, so you sleep on people's floors. Don't worry about food; don't worry about being comfortable because it's not going to happen." Newlywed MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE star GERARD WAY admits the life of the rock star isn't one big party.

Plus MCR to perform at the music channel's November ceremony

The nominations for the forthcoming MTV Europe Music Awards, set to take place in Munich on November 1, have been announced today (September 24), with the likes of Amy Winehouse, My Chemical Romance and Arctic Monkeys all receiving nominations.

Amy Winehouse has been nominated for two awards - the 'Most Addictive Track' award for her single 'Rehab', and the 'Album Of The Year' award for her second album, 'Back To Black'.

My Chemical Romance are also nominated for two gongs. They're up against the likes of Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park for the 'Rock Out' award, and are in the running for the…

Fans of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE  may have been surprised when the band was tapped to open for BON JOVI next month at the christening of New Jersey's Prudential Center. But MCR frontman GERARD WAY is actually a fellow Jersey native and a big fan of JON and the boys. Speaking to the University of Maine's campus newspaper last week, Way said, quote, "I grew up as a Bon Jovi fan. Whenever you're dealing with Bon Jovi or [BRUCE] SPRINGSTEEN, it's just a great honor."

On the other hand, Way wasn't so kind when talking about emo -- a musical movement that My Chemical Romance is often considered a part of. He says, quote, "I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo... Put the records next to each other and listen to them and…

5. JUNGLE GIRL #1
Written by Frank Cho and Doug Murray; art by Adriano Batista, cover by Frank Cho
Dynamite Entertainment
$2.99

Not to be confused with Marvel's Sheena the She-Devil comic that writer/artist Frank Cho did recently we have a totally original creationy by Cho here that only looks exactly like Sheena and is only slightly different in concept. But what really matters is that Frank Cho knows how to deliver what his fans want - expertly drawn boobies. Yes, I know he doesn't draw the interiors of this book but it's got his signature in every crisp cleavage line.

Mysterious jungle islands, dinosaurs and leopard-skin clad buxom girls are a winning combination as Frank Cho knows very well.

So, despite being so out of touch with modern rock that I had no idea who Gerard Way was until I read some promotional stuff in the back of the book, I was deeply impressed by his collaboration with the original artist for my beloved Casanova, Gabriel Ba, in Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day offering. So much so that I eagerly anticipated the ongoing it was serving as a preview for. Now that it’s here, and I’ve actually heard a couple of My Chemical Romance songs, was it worth the wait?I would say so, yes. The book does remind me a lot of Casanova, and not just because of Ba’s stellar visuals and the frentic pace that gives you a satisfying single issue experience while building an interesting ongoing plot on the edges, complete with a cool cliffhanger that gives you an idea where things are going and…

BY DAN KOLLER

Before reading the first issue of The Umbrella Academy, a comic book written by My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way (below), I had planned to compare it to his music.

It turns out that no such comparison is necessary. The Umbrella Academy stands on its own as a delightful comic that should appeal to people with no interest in Way's tunes.

Way, 29, has described himself as a longtime fanboy, and I have no doubt that's the case. Thanks to his script and Gabriel Ba's art, the first issue evokes memories of the X-Men, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and…