DC Comics have announced the return of the Metal Men in a new twelve-issue maxi-series, simply called “Metal Men.” The series’ creative team will consist of writer and DC publisher Dan DiDio (“Wednesday Comics”), and artists Shane Davis (“Batman”) and Michelle Delecki (“The New Gods Special”). Philip Tan (“The Hellblazer”) will be providing a variant cover for the first issue.
“Metal Men” will see the titular characters find a warehouse filled with their older versions of themselves that seem to have been discarded and left broken by their creator. Meanwhile, the liquid Nth metal has appeared at the science site at Challenger Mountain. The discovery of their discarded robot selves leaves the Metal Men caught between their creator, Doc Magnus, and the being that brought them to life, the Nth Metal Man. Through this situation, DiDio aims to explore the “essence of what makes the Metal Men human.”
In a press release for the series, DiDio stated that the most exciting part of writing the new series is having the “chance to stay true to all existing stories, while building out [the Metal Men’s] mythology in exciting new directions.” Davis described the plan for the series is to deliver a “quality, entertaining story riffing off modern sci-fi narratives in a way that can only be done at DC,” and hopes that readers will find the “unexpected humanity in these robots.”
The Metal Men were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru, and debuted in DC’s “Showcase” #37 back in April 1962.
“Metal Men” #1 is scheduled for release on October 16.
The full press release is as follows:
Nth METAL JOINS THE METAL MEN THIS FALL IN NEW DC COMIC
THE DARK MULTIVERSE MYSTERY OF CHALLENGER MOUNTAIN CONTINUES
DC Publisher Dan DiDio and New York Times Bestseller Shane Davis Kick Off Year-Long METAL MEN Maxi-Series, Expanding DARK KNIGHTS: METAL
'Metal Men' #1 variant cover by Philip TanBURBANK, CA (July 15, 2019) – The Metal Men are back! And back and back and back again, as DC takes a deep look into Doctor Will Magnus’ robotics lab as he experiments with what it means to be sentient in a modern world. Beginning this October, DC Publisher Dan DiDio (WEDNESDAY COMICS) and artists Shane Davis (BATMAN, SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE) and Michelle Delecki transform DC’s Metal Men in a new twelve-issue maxi-series drawn from events first seen in bestselling hardcover DARK KNIGHTS: METAL.
“I’m a longtime fan of the Metal Men and had a chance to write them briefly in the anthology, Wednesday Comics,several years ago,” shares DiDio. “With this new series, we explore the essence of what makes the Metal Men human, by having them caught between Doc Magnus, the man who created them, and, the newly introduced, The Nth Metal Man, the being that gave them life. What I’m enjoying most about this book is the chance to stay true to all existing stories, while building out their mythology in exciting new directions.”
With nods to early DC Showcase stories, where the Metal Men first appeared, and DC’s long history of science fiction storytelling, the Metal Men discover a warehouse of old robots, older versions of themselves, that are junked and apparently left in disrepair by their creator rather than being rebuilt after their heroic battles. Meanwhile, a mysterious liquid Nth metal has appeared in the science site at Challenger Mountain…the same Challenger Mountain that came through from the Dark Multiverse and landed in Gotham at the end of DARK KNIGHTS: METAL and was the focal point of the DC New Age of Heroes miniseries NEW CHALLENGERS.
“I introduced Superman to a new generation in Superman: Earth One and heard from fans that they truly cared about our perspectives on Clark Kent and Superman,” adds Davis. “Dan and I have a goal on this new Metal Men series to give everyone a quality, entertaining story riffing off modern sci-fi narratives in a way that can only be done at DC. Hopefully fans will like our take on artificial life and find the unexpected humanity in these robots.”
METAL MEN #1, written by Dan DiDio with art by Shane Davis and Michelle Delecki and edited by Jessica Chen, debuts in comic book stores and online retailers on Wednesday, October 16 with a cover by Davis and a variant cover by Philip Tan. For more news and updates on the World’s Greatest Super Heroes, visit www.dccomics.com, the DC YouTube channel or follow @DCComics on social media.
