‘Heavy Metal’ Announces Full Line-Up For Brand-New Issue #1

Hot on the heels of their hugely successful Kickstarter campaign – heralding the triumphant return of Heavy Metal magazine to newsstands and comic book shops around the world – the editorial team of Frank Forte, Dave Kelly and Chris Thompson are proud to unveil more of their line-up for the highly-anticipated relaunch of the legendary publication with a brand-new issue #1!

Joining their previously announced selection of classic European titles and creators is Sergio Gerasi’s gorgeous revitalization of Guido Crepax’s seminal character, Valentina. This new vision of the femme fatale, which is fully authorized by the Crepax estate, was first published by Feltrinelli Editions in late 2024 and will be making its English language debut within the pages of Heavy Metal #1 this April.

On the original comics front, the previously announced Michael Conrad (Hello Darkness, In Bloom) will be teaming up with Greek comics legend, Ilias Kyriazis (Collapser, What We Wished For), and letterer Simon Bowland, for an all-new series entitled Millstone. This dark and twisted fantasy tale fully embraces Heavy Metal’s bold, unrestricted style, and is sure to excite readers with its potent storytelling and immersive worldbuilding.

“I’m very excited about this,” says series artist, Ilias Kyriazis.

“This is what I want comics to be – insane!”

These new titles complement the previously announced line-up, starting with one of the magazine’s original legends, Enki Bilal, who returns for the English language adaptation of his acclaimed BUG series. He’s joined on the European front by previously unseen installments of Burton & Cyb by Antonio Segura and Jose Ortiz, as well as Vicente Segrelles’ The Mercenary. And, in the spirit of introducing American audiences to the freshest European talent, issue #1 will present the English-language debut of Janevsky’s cult sci-fi heroine, Sixella, in an original story, The Last Roots.

This special collector’s edition release of Heavy Metal #1 also comes with a variety of cover options, including the standard Greg Hildebrandt and Frank Frazetta covers – as well as a handy Blank Sketch edition to commission your favorite artist – plus three brand new covers created exclusively for the direct market. These covers shine a spotlight on some of the interior stories, including Taarna by Tula Lotay, Grimaldi by Keron Grant, and Sixella by hot French newcomer Janevsky!

For those who love the 1981 cult classic animated film, Heavy Metal will showcase some of their most famous faces in a series of new stories. There will be special one-shot tales of Cold Dead War by Craig Wilson, Grimaldi by Keron Grant, and Legends of Taarna by Joseph Michael Linsner – as well as the debut of Taarna’s ongoing adventures, which will continue in each issue. Written by Leah Moore and John Reppion, with art by rising star Anna Morozova, colors by Ellie Wright, and letters by Tom Napolitano, this will be the definitive take on Taarna, which sets and establishes her character beyond the film and going forward. Forget what came before, here is your chance to get in on the ground floor.

Bridging the gap between European and American audiences is DC Comics superstar, Fernando Dagnino Guerra, who brings a new series of interconnected, yet stand-alone, cyberpunk shorts to the magazine – starting with Lester, That Old Feeling. Dagnino’s sci-fi splendor has most recently been seen within the pages of Blade Runner for Titan Comics, and these new stories represent a major leap forward in his futuristic storytelling abilities. Alongside these European classics and recognizable Heavy Metal characters, issue #1 will also feature the return of classic strips such as The Bus by Paul Kirchner and June 2050 by John Workman – plus a brand-new horror short, Transcendestiny, by acclaimed masters of horror, David Quinn and Tim Vigil (Faust); a tale of the Kecksburg UFO by Jim Rugg (Cartoonist Kayfabe) and a new story by Jonathan Wayshak.

All of that is in addition to a host of great editorial features, interviews and coverage, plus a couple of surprises yet to be revealed, so make sure you lock down your copy now. Heavy Metal #1 will arrive in stores April 30 at a retail price of $14.99, just ahead of the annual celebration of Free Comic Book Day, and can be pre-ordered through your local comic shop. Come and join us on our quest to make Heavy Metal heavy again!