Les Humanoïdes associés relaunched their review with a republication of stories from the 1970s and 1980s. But Métal Hurlant also questions the current world in new comics. This issue five is dedicated to virtual universes. Will the virtual be able to bring you real reading emotions?
Discover in Métal Hurlant a page of history 
We often consider comics through albums bought in bookstores or supermarkets but this format is only one moment in its history. The return of the magazine Métal Hurlant , in a new format, is an example of this. Indeed, the history of Franco-Belgian comics has been marked by magazines since its origins. The oldest have known Pilote. If Spirou continues its journey, it lacked a more adult and radical review. It is this lack that Métal Hurlant founded by Jean-Pierre Dionnet, Philippe Druillet and Moebius has filled.
Today, it reappears in a much thicker format taking up the fashion of mooks. The new formula alternates an even issue of archives compiling significant or ignored moments of the first review and an issue of unpublished around a common theme.This is the case of this number five who plunges us into the metaverse.
Discover a new vision of comics
This new issue of Métal Hurlant does not only bring together French authors but the reader can enjoy recognized artists and young shoots from around the world. The first impression is one of creative proliferation. The graphic proposals are very different We go from the very Franco-Belgian realistic style of Ponzio to a refined black and white form of Quievreux. The reader has fun with the dialogues in a new story and then immerses himself in a totally silent work. We can feel the frustration of leaving a universe that disappears too quickly. Most artists offer worlds totally different from their usual works. However, we can enjoy a reunion with the Lapinot of Trondheim.
This issue of Métal Hurlant gathers largely comics but not only. Throughout the pages, the reader finds digital illustrations by Otto Maddox and even the multimedia artist Jean-Michel Ponzio, who also worked in cinema. We can then salute the editorial work. The short presentations of the authors at the beginning of each short story allow for further research.
Discover a new vision of the Metaverse 
However, the multiple perspectives make it possible to have a common vision. The future presented in Métal Hurlant is often dark. Matthew Sheean, writer and cartoonist, denounces the trolls who enjoy the violence they pour on the network.In the editorial of Métal Hurlant, editor Jerry Frissen adopts a disillusioned tone. The virtual is no longer dreaming because it apes the real and forgets the dream. However, the metaverse makes it possible to talk about identity. Are we different when we go to another world? For Mark Waid, changing one's body in the virtual world means changing one's mind. On the contrary, those who retain their bodies exhibit narcissism. Several articles bring a more scientific vision such as the development of AI. A text reverses logic based on physics. What if reality was a digital lie?
Métal Hurlant clarifies the geopolitics of the future. Several comics combine the exploration of the metaverse and that of the universe. It must be said that the Earth is difficult to bear because of pollution. Mafias dominate states and conquer inhospitable territories. More intimate, this universe becomes a place of experimentation in love but without hope… A short story talks about the slavery of virtual creatures. If we are hungry, we can enjoy the food in the future but it does not make you want: the fish has disappeared but there is still cloning for the rich. The future is indeed very unequal.
This metaverse is a land of contrasts. While some pages offer dreamlike moments, other passages are more political. Astronauts attack Apple monoliths.This diversity is also visual. One new one is in painting with very dark colors while the next is bright.
The Humanos also propose to pursue mythical sagas with the Meta-barons and the Incal in Kill Doghead.
