Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, san diego comic con | Tagged: heavy metal, Heavy Metal Magazine, Massive Publishing, sdcc, Whatnot

WhatNot/Massive Cancels Heavy Metal, Will Not Publish Volume Two

Bleeding Cool has learned that Massive Publishing /Whatnot will no longer be publishing Heavy Metal Magazine volume 2. It's dead.

In October 2022, Bleeding Cool reported that relatively new comic book publisher Whatnot Publishing, now more widely known as Massive Publishing, was to take over the publication of the legendary long-running sci-fi-fantasy comic book anthology Heavy Metal Magazine from Heavy Metal Entertainment. And would be starting over with a Volume #1 issue 1 at the beginning of 2023. This would happen after Heavy Metal Entertainment published a final issue #320, of the first volume. The publication of both was repeatedly delayed, #320 came out in April, eight months late, and last weekend at the London Film & Comic Con, I learned that Massive was not going to publish the new Heavy Metal Magazine volume 2 at all. Whatever deal that had been signed between the two was now dead.

Initially, delays were to give new Heavy Metal CEO Marshall Lees time to address the changes the company faced. But I now understand that the publication of Heavy Metal Magazine #320 back in April 2023 was as part of an arrangement with Massive Publishing. In that, Massive paid for the printing of Heavy Metal #320 and supplied all outstanding retail orders to comic shops across North America and the UK, as well as providing Heavy Metal Entertainment with enough stock to fulfil newsstand and outstanding subscription orders.

Massive also printed an exclusive variant for issue 320, marking the end of volume one before its "rebirth" with volume two, a homage to the iconic cover of The Death Of Superman. I mean, that's sass.

A signed edition of the "Death of Heavy Metal Vol.1" exclusive will be available on the show floor of SDCC at booth #1529 (the original Heavy Metal location) as well as a limited to 1000 copy release on Massive Publishing's website for Heavy Metal fans unable to make it to the event. Also being revealed as an SDCC drop is a limited high-end poster featuring what would have been the cover art of the debut issue of volume two, by the mystery artist who has been revealed to be co-creator of The Walking Dead, Tony Moore, as a reimagining of the original Heavy Metal vol 1 issue 1.

And that will be it. No more. This will mark the end of Massive's partnership with Heavy Metal, and Massive will be cancelling all their Heavy Metal-related solicitations through Diamond.

Michael Calero, CEO/Co-Publisher of Massive Publishing, told us, "As you know, we've had to push back the launch solicitations of volume two, several times now. We, however, cannot continue to kick the ball down the road, it is clear that, given the circumstances, we will not be able to deliver on the vision we had for the relaunch of this iconic magazine. We are proud we were able to make sure volume one came to a proper close and that we could contribute something to the legacy of such a historic brand that everyone here at Massive loves."

Kevin Roditeli, President / Co-Publisher, of Massive Publishing, told us, "It was our dream to bring a new direction to Heavy Metal that both new fans and old would enjoy. To be able to relaunch the magazine that helped inspire our team to make comics was an exciting prospect, but business partnerships are all about timing."

Here are the solicitations for what would have been and would have included work by Kim Jung Gi, Peach Momoko, Ben Templesmith, Tehani Farr, Jim Mahfood and Tony Moore.

Marshall Lees and Heavy Metal Entertainment did not respond to enquiries made by Bleeding Cool throughout the week. We still understand that a number people are yet to be paid by Heavy Metal for work completed.

Here are the cancelled Heavy Metal/Whatnot/Massive solicitations from 2023.

HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #1 CVR A KIM JUNG GI (MR)
WHATNOT – HEAVY METAL
DEC221739
DEC221740 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #1 CVR B PEACH MOMOKO (MR) – 9.99
DEC221741 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #1 CVR C CRASHDOWN (MR) – 9.99
DEC221742 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #1 CVR D TAARNA VAR (MR) – 9.99
DEC221743 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #1 CVR E HEAVY METAL 1 HOMAGE (MR) – 9.99
DEC221744 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #1 CVR F 10 COPY INCV KIM JUNG GI B&W (MR) – 9.99
(W) VARIOUS (A) VARIOUS (CA) Kim Jung Gi
To commemorate the passing of our friend, Kim Jung Gi, this special cover honors his final contribution to Heavy Metal. The master artist who inspired millions with his sprawling, elaborate live drawings and the incredible brushwork that appeared everywhere from museum exhibitions and galleries to comic art published by Marvel, DC, and more, gave joyously to the creative community to the very last and we are endlessly grateful for the opportunity to include his work in our new beginning.

• Cover art by the fan-favorite artist who brought you Marvel's Demon Days: Mariko returns to her roots at Heavy Metal with this incredible design in her signature style.
• Cover art by Crashdown series artist, Ben Templesmith, who established himself among comic fans with the gritty style he brought to the Image Comics series Fell and IDW's 30 Days of Night
• Heavy Metal's Queen of Concept Art, Tehani Farr delivers her vision of Heavy Metal's iconic sword-wielding First Lady, Taarna.

The legendary sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazine commemorates the start of its 46th year with a brand new #1 issue, featuring original stories and serials and designed as a jumping on-point for new readers.

Author(s): Joe Trohman and Brian Posehn, Matthew Medney, Didier and Lyse Tarquin, Chris Anderson, Joe Harris
Artist(s): Scott Koblish, German Ponce, Federico Pietrobon, Didier and Lyse Tarquin, Santa Fung, Chris Anderson
In Shops: Feb 22, 2023
SRP: 9.99

HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #2 CVR A HIGHTECH LOWLIFE (MR)

WHATNOT – HEAVY METAL
JAN231986
JAN231987 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #2 CVR B MAHFOOD VAR (MR) – 9.99
JAN231988 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #2 CVR C NYCHOS (MR) – 9.99
JAN231989 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #2 CVR D GARBAGE PAIL KIDS HOMAGE (MR) – 9.99
(W) VARIOUS (A) VARIOUS (CA) Hightech Lowlife
Cover Art by John Horton (Hightech Lowlife) known for his unique blend of art & technology, his work ranges from large scale glitch art murals to sci-fi illustrations.
HEAVY METAL continues a new era of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy!
WIREMONKEYS, the future, cyberpunk, body horror mystery of two female mercenaries going back and forth between the worlds of the living and the dead, is the brainchild of writer/artist DAN SCHAFFER!
A DARKER GOD is the bloody teen horror series going to the depth of fear and into a
netherworld of dark truths and bloody carnage! Get ready to be possessed in this grisly
tale from HOMERO RIOS, ANDRES ESPARZA, OSCAR CARRENO, and JAME!
Plus more stories from some of the most daring voices in comics worldwide!
Author(s): Gloria Ciapponi, Daniele Afferni, Homero Rios, Dan Schaffer, Joshua Sky, Chris Anderson, Diego Guerra, K.I. Zachopoulos
Artist(s): Luca Conca, Daniele Afferni, Andres Esparza, Oscar Carreno, Dan Schaffer, Gideon Kendall, Chris Anderson, Diego Guerra, Vassilis Gogtzilas
Letterer: Thomas Mauer, JAME
In Shops: Mar 29, 2023
SRP: 9.99

HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #3 CVR A RICCARDI (MR)

WHATNOT – HEAVY METAL
FEB231856
FEB231857 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #3 CVR B HILDEBRANDT VAR (MR) – 9.99
FEB231858 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #3 CVR C STERN (MR) – 9.99
FEB231859 – HEAVY METAL VOL 2 #3 CVR D MURUGIAH (MR) – 9.99
(W) VARIOUS (A) VARIOUS (CA) Vincenzo Riccardi
Italian comic book artist, Vincenzo Riccardi, has worked for publishers worldwide, including Boom! Studios, IDW, Image, Zenescope, Aftershock, as well as Marvel's Sideshow Collectibles, and now with this debut contribution, Heavy Metal Magazine.
The legendary sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazine commemorated the start of its 46th
year with a brand new #1 issue, featuring original stories and serials and designed as a
jumping on-point for new readers. Issue #3 continues to take us to dark and mysterious places, as only HEAVY METAL can.
This month's stories include the continuation of SCREAM by Luca Conca and Gloria Caiponni, CHINESE STORY by Daniele Afferni, A DARKER GOD by Homero Rios, Andres Esparza, Oscar Carreno, and JAME, WIREMONKEYS by Dan Schaffer and SOMETHING SEEMS OFF by Chris Anderson, and the debut of GEO-GRAPHICS by writer Marko Stojanovic and artist Well-Bee.
Author(s): Gloria Ciapponi, Daniele Afferni, Homero Rios, Dan Schaffer, Marko Stojanovic, and Chris Anderson
Artist(s): Luca Conca, Daniele Afferni, Andres Esparza, Oscar Carreno, Dan Schaffer, Well-Bee, and Chris Anderson
In Shops: May 03, 2023
SRP: 9.99

RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR A DATOLLI (MR)

WHATNOT – HEAVY METAL
FEB231845
FEB231846 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR B MACK (MR) – 4.99
FEB231847 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR C WILLIS (MR) – 4.99
FEB231848 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR D PAREL (MR) – 4.99
FEB231849 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR E TRUNNEC (MR) – 4.99
FEB231850 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR F BLANK SKETCH VAR (MR) – 5.99
FEB231851 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR G 10 COPY INCV GALA VAR (MR) – 4.99
FEB231852 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR H 25 COPY INCV WILLIS B/W VAR (MR) – 4.99
FEB231853 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR I 50 COPY INCV MACK (MR) – 4.99
FEB231854 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR J DATOLLI VIRGIN VAR (MR) – 9.99
FEB231855 – RAMGOD #1 (OF 7) CVR K WILLIS BLUE VAR LTD 500 (MR) – 19.99
(W) Morgan Rosenblum, Owen Rosenblum (A) Canaan White, Ren Spiller, Ismail Nihad (CA) Carlos Dattoli
Cover by Carlos Datolli best known for his work on Power Rangers from BOOM! Studios.
THE FUTURE'S MOST DANGEROUS SPORT JUST GOT A NEW PLAYER.
RAMG D follows Clint Bowler, a former troubled star athlete turned NCPD Beat Cop, as he tries to balance his dueling responsibilities as a cop and as a father.  But his teenage son, Malcolm, wants nothing to do with him. That is until Clint is recruited by Malcolm's favorite team in the world's most dangerous sport, RAMG D, after a video of him chasing a perpetrator goes viral.
With a second shot at his dreams, and a chance to find common ground with his son, Clint's future is looking bright.  But looks can be deceiving in New City, and for Clint's new teammates, they have a nefarious side hustle that will force Clint to sacrifice his newfound stardom or his morality. Either way, it's a dangerous game.
RAMG D feels like Point Break meets Fast & Furious, but in a CyberPunk setting that introduces a brand new super high-octane global sport. In Shops: Apr 26, 2023 SRP: 4.99

RAMGOD #2 (OF 7) CVR A DATOLLI (MR)

WHATNOT – HEAVY METAL
MAR232022
MAR232023 – RAMGOD #2 (OF 7) CVR B WILLIS (MR) – 4.99
MAR232024 – RAMGOD #2 (OF 7) CVR C G21MM (MR) – 4.99
MAR232025 – RAMGOD #2 (OF 7) CVR D LOCATI (MR) – 4.99
MAR232026 – RAMGOD #2 (OF 7) CVR E WILLIS B&W (MR) – 4.99
MAR232027 – RAMGOD #2 (OF 7) CVR F FONG (MR) – 4.99
(W) Morgan Rosenblum, Owen Rosenblum (A) Canaan White, Ren Spiller, Ismail Nihad (CA) Carlos Dattoli
Cover by Carlos Datolli best known for his work on Power Rangers from BOOM! Studios.

THE FUTURE'S MOST DANGEROUS SPORT JUST GOT A NEW PLAYER. NCPD Beat Cop, Clint Bowler has his son Malcolm for the weekend — the one time per month he's allotted by the courts. While at a local diner, their quality time is interrupted when a nearby crime in progress is reported. Though off duty, Clint chooses to pursue the perpetrator. The chase is captured on video and goes viral. Meanwhile, RAMGOD, the world's hottest sport, has just announced that all teams must add a fifth player.  The Barracudas, fresh off a loss in the finals, must now figure out who to add to their tight knit group, given their nefarious "side hustle." RAMGOD feels like Point Break meets Fast & Furious, but in a CyberPunk setting that introduces a brand new super high-octane global sport.
In Shops: May 31, 2023
SRP: 4.99

RAMGOD #3 (OF 7) CVR A DATOLLI (MR)

WHATNOT – HEAVY METAL
APR231972
APR231973 – RAMGOD #3 (OF 7) CVR B BANDINI (MR) – 4.99
APR231974 – RAMGOD #3 (OF 7) CVR C WILLIS (MR) – 4.99
APR231975 – RAMGOD #3 (OF 7) CVR D ANDRASOFSZKY (MR) – 4.99
APR231976 – RAMGOD #3 (OF 7) CVR E CUCAO (MR) – 4.99
APR231977 – RAMGOD #3 (OF 7) CVR F 10 COPY INCV BW WILLIS (MR) – 4.99
(W) Morgan Rosenblum, Owen Rosenblum (A) Canaan White, Ren Spiller, Ismail Nihad (CA) Carlos Dattoli
Cover by Carlos Datolli best known for his work on Power Rangers from BOOM! Studios.
THE FUTURE'S MOST DANGEROUS SPORT JUST GOT A NEW PLAYER.
With all eight RAMGOD teams being mandated by the league to add an additional player to their rosters, the Barracudas hold an open tryout to fill the new spot. Having seen the now viral video of the gutsy NCPD Beat Cop pursuing a perpetrator, they extend an invite to Clint. With other pro athletes also invited to compete, the competition is stiff.  Out of his element, and unfamiliar with the new sport, Clint must rely on his instincts and athleticism if he's going to make the cut. But when it comes to RAMGOD, even in tryouts, safety is never guaranteed. RAMGOD feels like Point Break meets Fast & Furious, but in a CyberPunk setting that introduces a brand new super high-octane global sport. In Shops: Sep 27, 2023 SRP: 4.99

STARWARD TP VOL 01 (RES)

HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT
JAN231577
(W) Steve Orlando (A) Ivan Shavrin
Starting college at the end of the summer is stressful enough for Stephanie Cohen, since she's giving up her love of classics to please her parents in Pre-Med. But classics crashes into her life when she realizes she's the reincarnation of a stellar warrior tasked with guarding the cosmic door to chaos! Is Stephanie strong enough to follow her heart, accept her secret history, and look starward in time to save humanity… when she realizes chaos has already won?
In Shops: Mar 08, 2023
SRP: 14.99

THE RED TP

HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT
JAN231578
(W) Matthew Medney, Morgan Rosenblum (A / CA) Jon Lam
In the distant future, a nuclear war has changed the course of history forever. A single government entity now presides over what's left of the world, and prohibits certain content that is deemed emotionally dangerous, or "red", in an attempt to maintain order and keep society working. A collection of gifted musicians, who possess the rare ability to create red content, discover they are the key to overthrowing the totalitarian government that has taken their emotional freedoms. Jonny Jones and his group of misfit rebel artists are discovered for operating an illegal Speakeasy, and become Nova City's most wanted. They are forced to turn to a mysterious benefactor known only as "the Collector," who just so happened to be at the right place at the right time. While Jonny and his crew have their suspicions, they're best chance at freedom appears to be with this mysterious man.
In Shops: Mar 22, 2023
SRP: 24.99

LUCY GN (RES)

HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT
JUN231894
(W) Patrick Norbert (A) Tanino Liberatore
In this comic book with a romantic breath, remarkable for its scientific veracity, we follow the timid footsteps of our ancestor in his awakening to consciousness. A journey made of dangers and discoveries, rocked by the starry night where all the mystery of the world is hidden.
In Shops: Aug 16, 2023
SRP: 19.99

SWAMP GOD HC (MR)

HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT
JUN231895
(W) Ron Marz (A / CA) Armitano
At the end of the American Civil War, a ragtag squad of Confederate soldiers calls upon the ultimate evil to save the South. Now, the remains of their unit must team with Union soldiers to survive the horrors of the Swamp God.
In Shops: Aug 23, 2023
SRP: 26.99

BLACK BEACON TP (RES)

HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT
MAR231569
(W) Ryan Lindsay (A) Sebastian Piriz
There's an intergalactic space station out there bigger than our solar system where  wants everyone to come along and meet up. The beacon made it sound like a utopia, but what Niko finds upon her arrival is a lawless expanse where everyone is out for themselves and she's so late she doesn't even have a seat at the table. A story of survival, truth, and experience lies in front of Niko if she can figure out who to trust and what to do before the secret of her journey catches up with her.
In Shops: May 17, 2023
SRP: 19.99

DARK WING TP (RES)

HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT
MAR231570
(W) Matthew Medney (A) German Ponce
Millennia ago, a doomed civilization did the impossible: saving their planet from an encroaching black hole by converting it into a giant spacecraft. Now, the Dark Wing-piloted by Captain Benedict Gunn-shepherds the planet and its entire race of Quails through space, searching for a new sun. A product of intense research and wild imagination, Dark Wing is operatic in every sense of the word: vast, intellectual, and spanning generations. It offers a prescient glimpse at the engineering, culture, and emotionality of an interstellar society, much like the one we're becoming.
In Shops: May 31, 2023
SRP: 26.99

• DARK WING HC (RES)

SAVAGE CIRCUS TP VOL 01 (RES)

HEAVY METAL ENTERTAINMENT
MAR231572
(W) Brendan Columbus (A) Al Barrionuevo
A gang of criminals descend into the town of Basin Bay on Christmas Eve. They pull off the perfect heist and are high tailing it out of there when they collide with a runaway train! The train cars scatter, blocking the only way in or out of town. What is worse? The train was a circus car, but not just any circus, it was the Savage Circus, a collection of Earth's deadliest man-killers. Now Deputy Brady Harrison must navigate through a city of deranged animals, psychotic criminals and the crazed ringleader Lewis Savage to save his town!
In Shops: May 10, 2023
SRP: 19.99

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