That time of the year again: The top ten comic books of 2018!

Image by Dark Horse Comics

10. Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion No. 1-3

After a wait of over 9 years, one of the most delightfully weird superhero series is back! Ex-rocker Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Ba team once more to produce another bizarre adventure through space and time. Starring a wayward cast of former child superheroes trained by a cruel alien, the series is best experienced than summarized.

The academy has been split up, but that’s traditional for them. Spaceboy and Kraken are exploring alternate dimensions with Japanese superheroes, while the Seance is strung out on drugs. The Rumor tries repairing her relationship with her ex-husband, while Number 5 tries his hand at corporate espionage. Yet, what does this have to do with an insane southern tycoon?

In three issues alone, it features a biker gang, seances, cosmic exploration, corporate espionage, giant chickens, and a male lead with a gorilla’s body. The hotel on the edge of oblivion — a prison for super villains — is among the most rational ideas in this story. This is definitely an acquired taste, but the comic book genre is better with Umbrella Academy than without it. Besides, what else does Dark Horse have these days, besides Hellboy, Aliens, and Avatar? It is unlike any comic out there, so long as the reader prefers imagination to a concise narrative sometimes.