Gerard Way, ‘The Umbrella Academy’ Comics Creator & My Chemical Romance Frontman, Launches New Dark Horse Horror Comic

Andreas Wiseman
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, creator of comic The Umbrella Academy, is teaming with Dark Horse Comics to launch horror comic Paranoid Gardens in July.

Way is back working with his co-writer Shaun Simon. Chris Weston, known for his work in comics at Vertigo and DC as well as his work in concept art, storyboards and costume concept art for movies such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is illustrating the series, with artist Motohiro Hayakawa providing cover art for the first issue.

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Dark Horse Comics describes the new comic as “Derek meets Doctor Who in six psychotic episodes.”

The official synopsis reads: “Loo is a nurse at the most bizarre care center around. The staff are not entirely human, and the cases are downright unearthly. Aliens, ghosts, superheroes and more creatures plague its hallways as doctors and patients and the hospital itself seem to be somewhat self-aware. Loo believes that despite a recent failure at her job she’s been given some sort of higher calling in this mysterious place and decides to rise to the challenge. Along the way, she must fight her way through corrupt staff members, powerful theme park cults and her own personal demons and trauma to meet this challenge and discover what secrets the gardens hold.”

Way and Simon are the writing team behind Tales from The Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death and The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem. Colors on the new comic are by Dave Stewart (Hellboy) and letters by Nate Piekos (Stranger Things: The Voyage).

“I’m excited to be back with my incredibly handsome and talented brother-from-another-basement Shaun Simon penning a story that’s really special to us, and honored the masterful Chris Weston joined us to create a visually powerful and emotionally tangible physical object that is this comic,” said Way. “I’m now more complete getting to share something we’ve wanted to for a very long time, and working with this fantastic group of individuals in the process.”

Added Weston: “Most people dream of rubbing shoulders with someone who is cool, talented, mega-successful and who enjoys a wild rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Luckily for Gerard Way the dream came true when he got to work with me on Paranoid Gardens. It must have been quite daunting for him at first, but once he could see past my notoriety and discover I’m just an ordinary joe who shares his love for the ’60s TV show The Prisoner. We were able to form a joyous union.

“Along with his equally radical writing partner, Shaun Simon, we’ve created a wild and psychedelic tale that combines Kafkaesque nightmares with sweet Silver Age reveries,” Weston continued. “Within the pages of Paranoid Gardens you’ll find a curious care-home peopled with aliens, ghosts and caped heroes recovering from psychotic episodes. The very ground it’s built on is febrile and fertile; and lusted after by the minions of Mammon. It’s the perfect remedy for all those stricken with super-hero fatigue and needing a fix of something a bit more mind-bending and unpredictable.”

Paranoid Gardens #1 (of 6) launches in comic shops on July 17.

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