Entertainment
From an acclaimed HBO drama to another superhero show starring Robert Sheehan.
Netflix's The Umbrella Academy has a special sort of weird that makes it difficult to compare to anything. Where else could you find a talking chimpanzee, a man with an ape body, and epic dance breaks all rolled into one tale of a dysfunctional superhero family? Still, there are a number of shows like Umbrella Academy to add to your watchlist after you marathon your way through the newly released second season.
The series is based on the comics of the same name created by My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way. And certainly, shows based on comics aren't new to the television lineup. There has been lighter fare, like the CW's short-lived Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene, but also plenty of projects in line with Umbrella Academy's darker tone. Netflix has yet to announce whether or not Umbrella Academy will return for Season 3, though it's a safe bet: it's reportedly one of the streaming service's most popular shows, and Way is planning to write eight graphic novels the series can pull from (he's released three so far).
In the meantime, here are 15 shows to help you get your Umbrella Academy fix, from the critically lauded Watchmen to the action-packed Black Lightning.
1
The Magicians
Syfy's The Magicians is kind of like Harry Potter, but if all the wizards were in college instead of high school. Based on a book trilogy by Lev Grossman, the show follows Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), who enrolls at Brakebills University to be trained as a magician only to discover the magical world from his favorite childhood books is actually quite real...and dangerous.
Where to stream: Netflix
2
Wynonna Earp
Much like The Umbrella Academy, Wynonna Earp is based on a comic book — this one by Beau Smith. The Syfy series stars Melanie Scrofano as the titular heroine as she fights demons with her magical gun, Peacemaker. Think of it like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but if it were a western.
Where to stream: Netflix
3
The OA
Seven years after Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling), who is blind, goes missing, she returns having regained her sight. Things only get weirder from there in this short-lived but much beloved series.
Where to stream: Netflix
4
Orphan Black
This BBC America series stars Tatiana Maslany as several different clones hell-bent on figuring out where they came from.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
5
The 100
If the apocalypse in The Umbrella Academy actually happened, you'd get The 100. After a nuclear disaster, only the people who were in space survive. Nearly a century later, all 100 prisoners aboard the combined space stations are sent to Earth as lab rats to see if their planet is still habitable.
Where to stream: Netflix
6
Black Lightning
The CW's Black Lightning follows high school principal Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams), who's forced to come out of retirement as his super-powered alter ego, Black Lightning, amid skyrocketing crime rates.
Where to stream: Netflix
7
The Boys
The Boys follows a team of Justice League-like superheroes called the Seven. Though revered public figures, they're also complete assholes who literally get away with murder. So a ragtag crew of less...polished vigilantes band together to keep the "heroes" in check.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
8
Altered Carbon
This gritty, cyberpunk series depicts a futuristic world in which you can upload your consciousness into different bodies, or "sleeves." If you're rich enough, you can essentially live forever...but that kind of power comes with consequences. Season 1 starred Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, Suicide Squad), while Marvel's Anthony Mackie led Season 2.
Where to stream: Netflix
9
Sense8
The Wachowski siblings (The Matrix) teamed up with J. Michael Straczynski (World War Z) to create this globe-spanning Netflix show in which eight people around the world discover that they're psychically linked.
Where to stream: Netflix
10
Marvel's Runaways
Hulu's answer to the superhero genre is based on the eponymous comics, in which a group of teenagers discovers that their parents are actually supervillains (one of whom is played by Buffy actor James Marsters).
Where to stream: Hulu
11
Doom Patrol
Starring Diane Guerrero (OITNB and Jane the Virgin), Matt Bomer (White Collar), and Brendan Fraser (The Mummy), Doom Patrol follows a scrappy crew of superheroes who got their powers in unconventional — and often inhumane — ways. Now they're one big happy family headed up by a scientist played by Timothy Dalton.
Where to stream: HBO Max
12
Heroes
With a cast including Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia, Heroes follows the intertwining lives of ordinary people who suddenly discover they have superpowers.
Where to stream: Peacock or Amazon Prime
13
Misfits
This British series features Robert Sheehan (Klaus Hargreeves in Umbrella Academy) as Nathan Young — one of five teenagers who get caught in an electrical storm while doing community service and wind up with superpowers. Sounds vaguely familiar.
Where to stream: Hulu
14
Watchmen
Based on Alan Moore's graphic novels, this critically acclaimed limited series from Lost's Damon Lindelof is set in an alternative universe where so-called "superheroes" are now outlawed, with biting commentary on police brutality and racism in America.
15
Neo Yokio
Created by Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, Neo Yokio centers around Kaz Kaan (Jaden Smith), a socialite and noted Toblerone enthusiast. He's also a demon hunter, but that's less important.
Where to stream: Netflix
