In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, ""To save the world."" These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again. - This volume collects the first six-issue series, as well as out-of-print short stories and an expanded sketchbook section featuring work by Gabriel Ba, James Jean, and Gerard Way. - ""Flawless...stylish, imaginative.""--Newsarama - Listed as one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA). - Amazon.com's #1 Graphic Novel of 2008! - A New York Times bestseller!