Comic Book Guy: We Could Be Heroes
All good things must come to an end, preferably sooner if they haven’t been good for a while, as May saw American network NBC cancel their once huge Heroes. The first season, dubbed “the thinking man’s X-Men” (mainly to avoid the words rip-off), deserved all the critical acclaim it received. The scripting was of the highest calibre and the blend of character arcs and power showdowns were spot on. Unfortunately, Season 2 suffered on account of the writers’ strike and Seasons 3 and 4 suffered on account of being, well, rubbish.
It’s only perhaps the excellent first season that has any satisfaction in repeat viewing; there’s no shame in pretending the subsequent seasons did not exist. However, the multi-powered Heroes didn’t just exist on the small screen as the show’s creators were savvy enough to embrace another emerging format, Motion comics. For the uninitiated, these are online comics that pan and scan across the panels, sometimes including voiced dialogue and a musical score. They can range from the simple scanned image to an almost complete animation. Though Heroes kept theirs at a simpler format than, say, Marvel have progressed to, it gave fans the back story and insight they were craving for.
A number of these online comics were published by Titan Books and DC Comics into two graphic novels with Volume One containing the first 34 instalments and Volume Two issues 35 through to 80. The decline of the show’s audience meant the withdrawal of print publications became just good business. So although the online comics continued to run along with the show, the graphic novels only tie in with Seasons 1 and 2. As a book of short stories, Heroes Volume One actually works very well. Obviously it will never work as a stand alone edition, but as a companion to the first season it is almost essential.
The comic skilfully introduces new characters (such as Hana Gietelman and her ability to control wireless signals) as well as expanding plot lines involving major characters like Nathan Petrelli. However, the artwork is inconsistent and ranges from competent to excellent (thanks to creator Time Sale’s 9th Wonder Covers). It’s all held together by vibrant palettes and good colour production.
To remember Heroes at their finest hour, you must “Save the Cheerleader, save the world!” But only in Season 1, Book 1.