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Babymetal Heavy Metal Idol Group Gets Their Own Graphic Novel
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The Japanese heavy metal idol trio Babymetal is making their foray into graphic novels with the upcoming release Apocrypha: The Legend of Babymetal by publisher Z2 Comics. GMB Chomichuk (Insane Jane, Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection Vol 1) is drawing the comic in collaboration with the group's producer Kobametal and Hollywood production company Amuse Group USA.
The graphic novel is slated for release stateside in October for US$24.99. Babymetal describes the story:
Discover the myth of the worldwide music sensation BABYMETAL. Tasked with defeating the forces of darkness and division, the metal spirits must travel through a variety of eras of time, assuming different forms and identities. What we are seeing is not the BABYMETAL of the present. It's the original story based on BABYMETAL you've never heard before. The long-hidden metal spirit's apocrypha of the METAL RESISTANCE will emerge.
Babymetal popularized the "kawaii metal" genre that also includes groups like Deadlift Lolita, Ladybaby, and Doll$Boxx. The trio of performers, Su-Metal, YuiMetal, and MoaMetal, appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to promote their album Metal Resistance. The album went on to rank on the U.S. Billboard's Top 200 at #39 in its first week, the first time a Japanese artist broke into the chart's Top 40 in 53 years.
Babymetal also debuted a new video on April 1, two years after the release of the Metal Resistance announcing "Episode VII -The Revelation-"
The U.S. leg of Babymetal's World Tour 2018 is underway with shows planned next month in Kansas, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio before making their way into Europe.
Source: ICv2 (Nicole Bunge)
