Broken Frontier

The hit t.v. show comes to the medium that inspired it in this collection of webcomics that expands upon the Heroes universe.

Both comics fans and mainstream viewers have thrilled to the story of Heroes, one of the most creative series on network t.v. This was supplemented by a series of short webcomics made available weekly on NBC.com that revealed the stories between the episodes. Now DC and WildStorm have collected the first 34 installments into a handsome little graphic novel. Does it live up to the magic of that first season?

First, it must be said that it helps to be a fan of the material already. While many of the stories can be enjoyed for their individual merits, reading them all together can be somewhat disjointed, as the comics weave in and out of events throughout the series as well as dipping into the past and a possible future. That said, if you are an avid viewer of the show (as I most certainly am), the comics hold a number of treats and surprises.

Primarily written by series writers Aron Eli Coleite and Joe Pokaski, the stories give further development to our budding heroes, often showing unseen motivations or detailing the "secret origins" of characters. The early, one-shot tales are a mix of content, some clever and insightful, others less so. We see our cast of regulars in familiar situations—Mohinder grappling with monsters real and imagined, Claire struggling with her gift, Nathan denying his, Niki and D.L. picking up the pieces of their life, Hiro being the affable geek we all know and love.

Where the book truly shines however is in the later multi-part stories that focus on characters that received less screen time. The origin of Eden is told in the manner of a dark fairy tale, engendering empathy and revulsion at the same time. The fascinating "War Buddies" tells a grim story from the jungles of Vietnam, leaving us guessing until the very end which characters we are following in their formative moments. The breakout star of the graphic novel is Israeli soldier Hana Gitelman, a character who appeared only briefly on the show but serves as the main focus of several of the comics. We witness Hana’s tragic beginnings, her training with the Company, her eventual betrayal for the greater good, even what might be the conclusion of her journey (though, true to the show’s source material, such things are rarely as they seem). Hana’s story is handled beautifully and raises the book above mere tie-in to a true expansion of the series concept.

A variety of artists contribute to the visual side and, as in many anthologies, this results in a mixed bag. Micah Gunnell contributes the bulk of the art and for the most part does a reliable job, though his work and character anatomy comes across as a bit rushed at times (of course, with a weekly webcomic, this is somewhat understandable). Michael Gaydos provides his usual moody touch and Tom Grummett delivers a polished and appealing chapter. Michael Turner is…well, Michael Turner, with all that that entails. I’ve never particularly cared for the thin-lined, semi-emaciated look of his characters but the man has his fanbase. Jason Badower turns in some of the book’s best work with finely crafted classical figures and images with a surrealistic glow. Rounding out the package are the noir-ish paintings of Tim Sale—or is that Isaac Mendez?—setting the stage for each chapter.

Though not every tale is a winner, the Heroes graphic novel is a rewarding experience for fans of the show’s mythos.

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The Heroes webcomic and other supplemental materials can be found at http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/