Heavy Metal #310 has the $13.99 cover price, but comes in with just 128 pages. I got it in mid-October 2021 from mycomicshop.com again, this time the Cover A by Santa Fung, photo of my copy:
The image almost completely obscures the logo, and for some reason is for a story "Dogma Resistance" which appeared in issue #299, almost a year ago. Of course, there is no further reference to this story in this issue.
The two big shots again succeed in pissing me off in their editorials. First Mr Medney says some crap about MAD Magazine being DC's attempt to dethrone Heavy Metal. This is just stupid. MAD Magazine existed long before Heavy Metal, and besides the internet, I know because I was reading them in the 60s. Likewise Mr Erwin, who seems to have some predisposition to making up HM taglines ("The Best Illustrated Magazine"? When did it ever say that?) also refers to MAD, making vaporous claims about MAD's demise and about his loyalty to HM readers. I don't believe that for a moment. These two are gleefully eroding what little respect I had for them, and my optimism about the mag's existence. Oh well, I'll keep trying to enjoy it the best I can, while I still can.
"Segments - Neo Sparta" by Richard Malka, Juan Giménez, JAME, Carol Burrell, and with Fabrice Sapolsky noted as Editor. - 7 - Another 45 pages in two parts, this is turning out to be a massive saga. And unfortunately for us, this one notes "The End", along with "Original title Segments Tome 3 - Néo-Sparte" with a 2014 copyright. As some characters are about to be annihilated, there is clearly more story to be had, but not for us. Too bad. While I still suffered from confusion and problems following it, this has been a still-enjoyable classicly HM story.
"Swamp God - Chapter 6" by Ron Marz, Armitano, Werner Sanchez, ALW Studios' Troy Peteri - 6.5 - And with Tim Seeley still getting an Editor credit. With a flashback to a Civil War battle, with unflinching gore, and some slight effort to find some humanity among the currently allied enemies, this one is succeeding in gaining some of my interest. I hope it keeps getting better.
"Savage Circus" Chapter Eight" by Brendan Columbus, Al Barrionuevo, Candice Han, Dave Sharpe, Joseph Illidge - 3 - Did this one get better too? Nope.
"How Marvel Took On Heavy Metal & Lost" An interview with Jim Shooter by Joshua Sky - 6 - A lengthy and informative interview with Mr Shooter. I bet this would be more valuable to someone who actually cares about mainstream comics history, and purported insider knowledge, than to someone like me, who hardly cares about stuff that's not really about Heavy Metal Magazine. Still, even though the opening has a weird photo of Mr Shooter looking weirdly down an (apparently) early German semi-auto pistol (I would use my right eye to sight when holding it in my right hand), there was enough info close enough to actual Heavy Metal history, to get through to my old brain.
"Outer Demons" by Camille Willaford - 6 - Another installment of "Outer Demons" in HM, last seen in issue #307. I enjoyed it, despite the mess.
"Black Beacon - Chapter 4" by Ryan K Lindsay, Sebastian Piriz, JAME - 6.5 - with Joseph Illidge getting an "Edited By" credit. My attention to this is starting to slip away. The art is pretty and inventive, and the writing is evocative, but it's not coming together for me, it's more coming apart, like leaves falling from a tree. The characters are dwelling on themselves, and I get less insight as it goes on. I'm sorry to lose the interest I had, how long will it go?
"Moon Lake - Phase 2 - Mish Mosh" by Stephen Christy, Dan Fogler, Warren Allman, Dan Dougherty, Wesley Wong - 6 - Justin Mohlman gets an Edited By credit, and that's how it's spelled, which makes me wonder even more about the typo in the masthead, which has been there since #304. Curious. This story is about a woman who lives and dies, alone and forgotten in her hoarder's house. Her only happiness comes in death, when she animates her house as it's to be demolished, with the destruction she wreaks. A simple story with serviceable art.
"Starward: Chapter Five" by Steve Orlando, Ivan Shavrin, Saida Temofonte - 6 - With Joseph Illidge credited as Editor. So we're in the "protagonist finding the disparate sisters in her battle against Kaos" part of the story formula, but it's being done with such verve I'm starting to be impressed. There's some dispensing with details to move the story along, but it's gaining momentum.
"Swamp God - Chapter 7" by Ron Marz, Armitano, Werner Sanchez, ALW Studios' Troy Peteri - 6.5 - And with Tim Seeley still getting an Editor credit. With a bonus "Continued from Page 36", this second installment in this issue has more gore and violence, as the now-allied enemies fight off the Swamp God again, taking more losses but vowing to destroy it. Bets on how many of them are left by the end?
