The Umbrella Academy season 3 might reveal a key missing detail from the comics with the introduction of the Sparrows. In the Netflix series’ season 2 finale, the team obtains a briefcase that takes them back to 2019, but to their surprise, they arrive in an alternate 2019 where Reginald is still alive. And he appears to have created a group of superpowered children called the Sparrow Academy instead of the Umbrella Academy. Within this team, there is also a still-alive Ben and a floating green cube. The Sparrow Academy was originally introduced in volume 3 of the comic series of the same name, and while there are significant changes with Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, season 3 of the show may continue where the comics left off.
Starting off with six issues in 2007, Gerard Way’s critically acclaimed The Umbrella Academy continues to leave an impression on the comic world. In the third volume of The Umbrella Academy, titled Hotel Oblivion, a Sparrow is introduced. The young woman wears a red domino mask and jacket, which looks like Hargreeve’s old uniform but instead of an umbrella logo on her collar, there’s a sparrow. In the final pages of The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion issue 6, there is a glimpse of the rest of the Sparrow Academy members, including a tall woman who shoots black beams out of her face, a black-haired woman who can levitate, someone who can turn into crows, and a disfigured character who can physically inflict pain. Similar to the end of season 2 of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy series, there is also a floating green cube.
The continuation of the Umbrella Academy in the Sparrow timeline may mean that they can use the original codenames from the comic to differentiate the two groups of children. In Way’s comic, like in the Netflix show, the children are ordered based on the usefulness of their powers, and the numbers serve as the children’s titles. However, the comic also gives the children codenames. In numerical order, Luther’s nickname is Spaceboy, Diego’s is The Kraken, Allison’s is The Rumor, Klaus’s is The Seance, Ben’s is The Horror, and Vanya/Viktor’s is The White Violin. Five doesn’t have a codename, but this is because of his absence for most of their childhood. The nicknames instantly reveal their powers, but some of their nicknames make more sense in the comic. For example, Diego can hold his breath for an unlimited time. However, in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, Diego’s powers only consist of knife throwing. Meanwhile, Two’s codename, Kraken, refers to his ability to hold his breath underwater, like the mythological sea monster of the same name.
It is unclear why Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy doesn’t use the codenames from the comic. One theory is that the codenames feel silly outside of the comic book medium. Gerard Way’s comic certainly has a wacky tone, while the Netflix adaptation is a character-driven drama as much as it is an absurd science fiction black comedy. Another theory is that the codenames give too much away about the characters’ powers. For example, Klaus’s ability to communicate with the dead isn’t revealed until the end of The Umbrella Academy season 1, episode 1, “We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals.” However, the codename of The Seance would immediately give away Klaus’s power and explain why he is hopped up on drugs. Part of the charm of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy show is the unpeeling of the mystery, and the codenames would have hindered the experience.
The official trailer for The Umbrella Academy season 3 depicts the Sparrow Academy in action. There seem to be some changes to the Sparrow Academy from the comic, yet Gerard Way also never explains much about that team in the comic. Way did announce in 2020 that the fourth volume of The Umbrella Academy comic would be titled The Sparrow Academy, but it has yet to be published. There is hope that The Umbrella Academy season 3 can pick up where the comic left off. Whether or not the Netflix show will wind up utilizing the codenames is unknown, but all will be revealed with The Umbrella Academy season 3 is released on June 22, 2022.
