What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Umbrella Academy
Steve Blackman · Series · 2019
If you loved The Umbrella Academy, start with Invincible Compendium Two (Robert Kirkman) — a book on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Umbrella Academy across media.
What hooked you in The Umbrella Academy was the way it centers messy, dysfunctional family dynamics amidst high-stakes, world-ending supernatural chaos.
Books on the same thread
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Lemony Snicket aka Daniel Handler · Book · 1999
Explores: Orphans, Conspiracy, Misfortune.
Like the siblings in The Umbrella Academy, the Baudelaires navigate a world filled with incompetent adults and constant misfortune while trying to survive their own unique, tragic family legacy.
Invincible Compendium Two
Robert Kirkman · Book
Explores: coming-of-age, intergalactic conflict, moral complexity.
If the moral complexity of the Hargreeves siblings kept you watching The Umbrella Academy, you will appreciate this gritty deconstruction of superhero tropes and the heavy cost of power.
Spy x Family, Vol. 1
Tatsuya Endo · Book · 2020
Shares a thread with The Umbrella Academy: found family.
This story mirrors the found family dynamic of The Umbrella Academy, blending high-stakes espionage and secret identities with the chaotic, absurd reality of maintaining a fake domestic life.
Nimona
ND Stevenson · Book
Shares a thread with The Umbrella Academy: found family.
Nimona captures the same spirit of unconventional heroism and moral ambiguity found in The Umbrella Academy, focusing on a shapeshifting outsider who challenges the rigid expectations of her mentor.
Films on the same thread
The Incredibles
Brad Bird · Film · 2004
Explores: Midlife Crisis, Family Dynamics, Secret Identity.
Much like the estranged heroes of The Umbrella Academy, the Parr family must reconcile their individual superhuman burdens with the complicated, often humorous realities of their shared family life.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Daniel Scheinert · Film · 2022
Explores: Existentialism, Intergenerational trauma, Immigrant experience.
This film echoes the existential dread and intergenerational trauma explored in The Umbrella Academy, using a chaotic multiverse setting to emphasize that family relationships are the anchor of existence.
The Avengers
Joss Whedon · Film · 2012
Shares a thread with The Umbrella Academy: Superpowers.
The Umbrella Academy fans will recognize the familiar thrill of a global threat forcing a group of volatile, mismatched individuals to put aside their differences for the greater good.
Thunderbolts*
Jake Schreier · Film · 2025
Shares a thread with The Umbrella Academy: Found family.
These disillusioned castoffs share the same baggage as the Hargreeves siblings, forcing them to confront their past traumas while working together as a reluctant, found family in high-stakes situations.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Adventure Zone
The McElroys · Podcast · 2026
Explores: improvised storytelling, group dynamics, high fantasy satire.
The improvised group dynamics and satirical high fantasy elements provide the same chaotic, character-driven humor that makes the sibling interactions in The Umbrella Academy so engaging to watch.
My Brother, My Brother And Me
The McElroys · Podcast
Explores: sibling relationships, humorous advice, absurdist humor.
If the genuine, absurdist rapport between the Hargreeves siblings was the highlight of The Umbrella Academy, you will enjoy the real-life sibling chemistry and humorous advice offered by these hosts.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Umbrella Academy a show about superheroes?
Yes, The Umbrella Academy follows a dysfunctional family of superheroes. These individuals reunite to investigate the mystery surrounding their father's death while simultaneously working to prevent the threat of the apocalypse from destroying the world.
What is the premise of The Umbrella Academy?
The Umbrella Academy focuses on a group of estranged, super-powered siblings who gather after their father dies. The family must navigate their complex interpersonal dynamics while facing global threats, including the impending apocalypse and various other mysteries.
Who created the television series The Umbrella Academy?
The television series The Umbrella Academy was created by Steve Blackman. The show premiered in 2019 and centers on a dysfunctional family of superheroes attempting to solve the mystery of their father's death and stop the apocalypse.
Does The Umbrella Academy involve the apocalypse?
Yes, the threat of the apocalypse is a central plot element in The Umbrella Academy. The dysfunctional family of superheroes must come together to address this danger alongside the mystery of their father's death and other significant challenges.