Rutger Hauer And James Marsters Starred In This Barely Seen Sci-Fi Comic Book Adaptation

• Television
• Science Fiction Shows

Have you heard of the French comics anthology "Métal Hurlant?" This seminal sci-fi and horror anthology would later come to be known as the "Heavy Metal" magazine, which was republished in English for the first time in 1977. Even as a licensed translation of the French comics at the time, "Heavy Metal" stood out due to its explicit/graphic content, along with its willingness to feature out-of-the-box genre stories. A few decades later, a Franco-Belgian sci-fi series titled "Métal Hurlant Chronicles" was released in 2012, sporting a rotating cast of characters in standalone episodes based on the comics. When the series finally debuted on SyFy two years later to appeal to American audiences, it was completely overlooked, even during its pilot (which is when viewership numbers are usually the highest).

It's difficult to gauge the critical consensus for "Métal Hurlant Chronicles," as the SyFy series wasn't reviewed enough to have a Rotten Tomatoes aggregate. The only critical analyses tied to it are retrospectives, which mostly highlight the series' shoddy writing and inconsistent performances. But completely sidelining "Métal Hurlant Chronicles" would mean underestimating the shining legacy of its comics counterpart. The original "Métal Hurlant" highlighted science fiction tales with mature themes and complex worlds, setting the stage for imaginary realms that pushed the limits of the genre. In later publications of "Heavy Metal," a graphic novel adaptation of Ridley Scott's "Alien" was featured front and center, which essentially altered how sci-fi comics were perceived in mainstream circles.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at the "Métal Hurlant Chronicles" series and the kind of anthology stories it championed over the course of its short two-season run.

Métal Hurlant Chronicles fails to make good use of its talented cast

Spoilers for "Métal Hurlant Chronicles" ahead.

When a sci-fi anthology series casts a genre veteran like Joe Flanigan (who played Major/Lt Colonel John Sheppard in "Stargate Atlantis"), it's natural to have high expectations. The Flanigan episode — season 1's "Master of Destiny" — is thankfully a standout, featuring a zany tale with time-bending turtles (!) at the end of the galaxy. The offbeat (but fun) nature of the story makes sense once you realize that it's based on an eponymous short written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Adi Granov. 

While the Flanigan episode successfully indulges in the outlandish aspects of sci-fi, not every entry in "Métal Hurlant Chronicles" is enjoyable, or even good, to begin with. Let's take season 1, episode 6 (titled "Pledge of Anya") as an example, starring Rutger Hauer as Kern, a high priest guiding his followers in a mission to kill a dangerous human destined to cause widespread chaos. After participating in a ritual to choose a warrior, Kern sends Joshua (Grégory Basso) to prevent the impending catastrophe, but the latter fails to kill the threat, as it turns out to be a baby. This failure comes at a great cost, as we learn that this child will grow up to become a monstrous dictator. The heavy-handed nature of this underwhelming twist, coupled with lackluster execution, makes "Pledge of Anya" a rough watch.

These storytelling issues plague the series as a whole, with the episodes ranging from mildly interesting to unintentionally hilarious (despite boasting a talented cast, including James Marsters and Scott Adkins). It's a shame that "Métal Hurlant Chronicles" wasn't able to do justice to its impressive source material. Perhaps it's better to seek out the original "Heavy Metal" stories instead.