Hazel & Cha Cha Save Christmas (Tales From The Umbrella Academy)- What’s “the Deal” With Santa?

This is a fun and interesting Christmas tale with the typical gritty zaniness one expects from the Umbrella Academy.

While Hazel and Cha Cha deal with new rules and guidelines placed upon them by their boss, a highschooler named Pete learns of a secret deal with Santa only known by parents. As Cha Cha educates Hazel on the existence of ghosts, Pete investigates “the deal with Santa” after being told that those who believe are the ones who are correct on the matter of Santa’s existence. This issue is an interesting action mystery that does well bringing the myth of Santa Clause into the Umbrella Academy universe.

The art is noteworthy not only for being the first time (to my knowledge) that an Umbrella Academy story has not been illustrated by Gabriel Bá but also for being done in a more gritty and realistic crime noir style. Tommy Lee Edwards takes the UA universe away from it’s more stylized look and gives this story a style a bit more fitting of the titular hired guns while not being such a departure that it’s hard to imagine these events in the UA universe.

This was a a great holiday bonus for long time fans of the Umbrella Academy while still being an accessible Christmas treat for anyone curious but unfamiliar with the series.