Heroes, Volume One

By Liem Vu
December 04, 2007

They saved the cheerleader and they saved the world. However, our beloved multicultural cast of Heroes couldn't prevent the Writers Guild of America from striking. As the new episodes wrap for the holidays, the dreaded drought of television will become all the more apparent in the New Year.

With the hiatus, Heroes fans can rest assured that their cravings will be satisfied through the recently released graphic novel based on the hit show.

Appropriately titled Volume One, the 232 page hardcover collects 34 Chapters of the online comic that were released on a weekly basis on NBC.com to coincide with the show during its first season. Filling in the gaps from the television series, the stories range from character origins to making up for seemingly questionable plot holes.

The comics are anything but a simple marketing ploy. The Heroes producers assembled a team of highly known comic artists, including Michael Turner, and writers from the TV show in order to craft the perfect companion piece that actually enhances the viewing experience of the television show.

Interspersed between each chapter are full versions of Isaac Mendez's prophetic paintings done up in a mock comic cover for 9th Wonders, the faux comic in the Heroes Universe. Comic afficiados will be quick to notice the artwork as being Tim Sale's, the artist behind famous DC graphic novels such as Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, and Catwoman: When in Rome.

As if that isn't enough for an incentive, prospective buyers get a choice of choosing two different book jackets. One drawn by Alex Ross or one by Jim Lee. Although Jim Lee is an amazing artist, the edge goes to Alex Ross whose photo realistic cover captures and personifies the true essence of the show.

Out of all 34 chapters, only Chapter 12 can be considered lackluster. Titled "Super-Heroics," the story takes place in Peter's dream while he is sleeping in the hospital. Heroes has been memorable and relatable simply because of its universal cast, plots, and realism. However, in this chapter, we see Peter Petrelli decked out in a cape and superhero tights. Perhaps the concept of alluding to comic books was promising on paper, but in execution, it becomes unrealistic and atypical of our protagonist.

The most interesting plot line is that of Hana Gitelman, also known as "Wireless," the femme fatale with the abilities to communicate through the Internet. Fans of the first season will be pleased to read about her origins and adventures, considering Ms. Gitelman was only in one or two episodes before she completely disappeared from the show. However, with these chapters, not only does her characterization help flesh out her character, but her final fate is revealed in the last few pages, which will resonate with all readers.

Although the comics have already been released online in .pdf files on NBC's website, being able to skip through annoying adverts and actually hold the collection in your hands is definitely rewarding. However, the Heroes, Volume One graphic novel is not for everyone. Although the plots are self-explanatory, most of the stories fit into the series' first season.

Final verdict? For casual fans, test the stories out online. For hardcore fans, be a hero and give your patronage to your local comic shops with this collection.

Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm
Writers: Aron Eli Coleite, Chuck Kim, Joe Pokaski, Oliver Grigsby, Pierluigi Cothran, Andrew Chambliss, Harrison Wilcox, Jesse Alexander, Christopher Zatta, Mark Warshaw and Others
Artists: Phil Jimenez, Michael Turner, Koi Turnbull, Marcus To, Peter Steigerwald, David Moran, Micah Gunnell, Travis Kotzebue, Jordan Kotzebue, Jason Badower, Staz Johnson, Steve Lejeune, Adam Archer, Mark Roslan and Others