Let’s Get Weird! 13 Page Preview of Heavy Metal 288, the Weird Issue

Are you ready to get WEIRD, Heavy Metal nation? Our latest issue, THE WEIRD ISSUE, is hitting Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and comics shops this week (Wednesday to be precise), and available for order now in the new and improved Heavy Metal online store. There’s weirdness, and yet — it’s a familiar weirdness in many ways. Take Cover A of this issue, “Death Dealer” by the late Frank Frazetta—good ol’ Frank, we’re happy to have him on our cover for the second time this year:

COVER A: ”DEATH DEALER” by FRANK FRAZETTA

Cover B is by Natalie Shau:

COVER B: “FOREST BABY” by NATALIE SHAU

And cover C is by Shark Toof:

COVER C: “NATURE OF HEAVY METAL” by SHARK TOOF

In the shop:
Heavy Metal 288 cvr A: Frank Frazetta • Heavy Metal 288 cvr B: Natalie Shau • Heavy Metal 288 cvr C: Shark Toof

Grant Morrison kicks off the issue with his customary weirdness, after paying somber tribute to one of his heroes, the late Len Wein. Richard Corben, the man behind the first story in our very first issue, is back in Heavy Metal with “Murky World!” a murky tale of sad sack wanderer Tugat.

“MURKY WORLD!” by RICHARD CORBEN

The great Enki Bilal, another longtime Heavy Metal contributor, returns with another installment of “The Color of Air,” and the daring duo of Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley tell a tale inspired by Five Finger Death Punch’s song “The Bleeding.”

“THE BLEEDING” layouts by KEVIN EASTMAN, pencils & inks by SIMON BISLEY, colors by RYAN BROWN

But let’s get really weird, shall we? Because when it comes to weird, it doesn’t get much weirder than “Mouth Baby” by James Harvey. See, a woman gets pregnant in her mouth. Her neck swells up and she delivers the baby. Out of her mouth. And to be honest, that’s not even the weirdness—it’s a little surprising, sure. But wait’ll you see the baby.

“MOUTH BABY” by JAMES HARVEY

Grant Morrison and Dominic Regan contribute “The House of Heart’s Desire,” a tale that begins with the purchase of a door—a rather ordinary looking door. But our hero is on a quest: He has the Door Without a House, and so goes searching for the House Without a Door. Be careful what you quest for. John Bivens’ “Where Vices Lead” is a knock-down, drag-out battle of diabolical entities that just goes to show you: Play hooky from work and there’s gonna be Hell to pay. “New Madonna” finds Grant Morrison doing the bizarre baby thing too, with art by Menton—really, is there anything weirder than a baby that’s not quite right? How about a baby that’s not at all right? A baby with (it says here) “a rigid ovipositor that doubles as a sting”? Yeah, that’s not the bundle of joy anyone was hoping for. We’ve also got “Shaman Himiko,” a quick and cutting story of sin and judgment by the very talented Peach Momoko.

“THE HOUSE OF HEART’S DESIRE” written by GRANT MORRISON, art by DOMINIC REGAN

“WHERE VICES LEAD” by JOHN BIVENS, with art assistants ALEX CONKINS, IRIS MONAHAN, HANNAH JERRIE, & VIRGIL FRANKLIN

“NEW MADONNA” written by GRANT MORRISON, art by MENTON, lettering by ADAM WOLLETT

“SHAMAN HIMIKO” by PEACH MOMOKO

Also in this issue, cover artist Natalie Shau gets the Gallery feature and interview, while Frank Frazetta, Jr. holds forth on the origin and future of his father’s famous Death Dealer. Editor Rantz Hoseley also speaks with Nikki Sixx about the graphic novelization of The Heroin Diaries. And “Hellraiser: The Test,” by Ben Meares, Christian Francis and Mark Torres, sees the return of Clive Barker’s Hell Priest—who is perhaps better known as “Pinhead.”

In the shop:
Heavy Metal 288 cvr A: Frank Frazetta • Heavy Metal 288 cvr B: Natalie Shau • Heavy Metal 288 cvr C: Shark Toof

“SATYRESS” by NATALIE SHAU, from her gallery feature and interview

“PREVIEW: THE HEROIN DIARIES GRAPHIC NOVEL” an interview with NIKKI SIXX by RANTZ HOSELEY

“HELLRAISER – THE TEST,” written by BEN MEARES & CHRISTIAN FRANCIS, illustrated by MARK TORRES

And there it ends, your journey of weirdness through the pages of Heavy Metal 288, escorted by titans of the weird—Corben, Bisley, Frazetta, Barker—and new weirdos galore. All bearing the stamp of approval of the weird king, Editor in Chief Grant Morrison, who has never done an ordinary thing in his life. Soak it up, savor it, enjoy your stay in this weird realm—just do not get comfortable. For it is as the witches, the weird sisters, always said (or probably would have said): He who feels too at home in weirdness risks becoming too weird to ever go home again.

Oh, no.

Oh good god. The weirdness!

It is… too late…!