The original version of this article described the imprint as being digital-first. We regret the error.
Heavy Metal publisher David Erwin added the imprint’s name was not a coincidence. “When a virus pulls us apart, nothing brings us closer together than great stories,” he said. “And that’s what we’re trying there. We’re trying to bring people together through great stories, find the silver lining of the pandemic through genre, and that’s the message. So even though the name is kind of more on the dark side, the ethos is on the light side, and that sort of juxtaposition has always been Heavy Metal.”
Syfy Wire revealed five of the initial eight titles:
– “The Red,” created by writer Morgan Rosenblum (“Treadwater”), Heavy Metal CEO Matt Medney, visual artist Voodoo Bownz, artist Jon Lam (“Gotham Academy”), and more.
– “Hymn of the Teada” by Medney, Rosenblum, Bownz, Tom Pinchuk and more.
– “Nomobots” by Argentinean writer Diego Agrimbau (“L’Humain”) and artist Juan Manuel Tumburus (“Planet of the Apes”).
– “Garbage Factory Anthology” by writer Jakofire and artist/colorist Danny Kim.
– “Dotty’s Inferno” by Bob Fingerman (“Minimum Wage”). He elaborated the comic is about “Hell’s Inhumane Resource” department, and follows Dotty, a processor at the New Arrivals Unit in Hell.
One of the unannounced titles will be penned by “Green Lantern” veteran Ron Marz, who told Syfy Wire, “There’s even more of a need to connect, to reach out and tell stories to each other. Anything that makes that easier is a huge boon. Virus is going to outlast this pandemic.”
Virus’s comics will enter stores from April 29, with new titles releasing each Wednesday afterwards.
