Watching Heroes

The latest 2 chapters of the graphic novel are “The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei,” which looks at the relationships Kensei has had over the last several hundred years, and “The Golden Goose,” which delves further into the character Richard Drucker. View them now at NBC.com.

NBC also has several features devoted to the new Heroes novel, Saving Charlie, by Aury Wallington. You can read an interview with Wallington, view a trailer previewing the book or send a Saving Charlie e-card. They will also be posting 4 complete chapters of the book for readers to sample. Chapters 2 and 8 are available now with 9 and 16 coming up over the next couple of weeks. 

Remember Claire’s friend Zach? The actor who played him, Thomas Dekker, will be starring in the new Fox series Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles as John Conner. The series debuts Sunday night, January 13 at 8pm eastern with another episode airing on Monday night at 9pm eastern. Since there will be no new Heroes episodes to watch, you might as well check it out.

Metro Weekly, a gay and lesbian publication in the Washington DC area, has a great interview with George Takei. There isn’t much Heroes discussion, but he talks a lot about Star Trek, his involvement with different causes over the years, and what his life has been like as an “out” gay man. It’s a good read. 

The 2nd issue of Titan’s Official Heroes Magazine is available today. Here’s some of what you will find in this issue:

• The spotlight is on Hiro and this issue includes an interview with Masi Oka where he discusses “all things Heroes and Hiro.”
• Zachary Quinto takes time to chat about his role as Sylar and what it’s like to be bad. He talks about his motivation and how he approaches the character. I’m a huge Zach fan so I’m psyched about this. Should be a good read.
• Claire’s top 10 most disgusting injuries are discussed.
• Jimmy Jean-Louis talks about playing that man of few words, The Haitian. 

Look for your copy wherever magazines are sold, or buy online at the NBC/Universal Store.  Subscriptions are also available.

Hey Heroes fans. I apologize for my absence the last few days. The holiday threw me off a bit. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving. I’ve got a recap coming later tonight. Here’s some news in the meantime.

The Heroes website Activating Evolution has posted some interesting new videos about the Shanti virus. If you haven’t looked at this site, it is worth checking out. It goes into great detail about things related to Dr. Suresh’s research and theories.

Congratulations to Heroes’ Evolutions for winning Best TV Show Site in the TV Guide Online Video Awards.

Heroes’ ratings are up a bit (now that the season is coming to a close - at least for a little while). Monday’s episode earned a 6.7 rating/10 share. That’s up slightly over the 6.6 from the previous week. It put the show in third place behind the CBS comedies and ABC’s Samantha Who?. They won the key demographic of adults 18 to 49, as usual.

Ever wondered what it’s like to visit the set of Heroes? Well the Google Reader team got to do just that. Lucky Bastards! Check out their blog to read all about it.

Check out the latest Beaming Beeman for insight into “Truth and Consequences” as well as great photos of the cast. I love Greg’s photos!

The latest chapter of the Graphic Novel, Revolutionary War, is up now. It tells the story of a man who could not die. Guess whoooo!

And finally, here is a sneak peak of the upcoming final episode, “Powerless.”
 

Maybe the Heroes fan on your list likes to read books (or at least look at the pictures). Today’s gift ideas are perfect for the more literary fan.

The premiere issue of Heroes Magazine is a great gift idea. It includes features on the actors and actresses, the back room special effects crew and sneak peaks into season 2. It is billed as the “ultimate guide to exploring one of the biggest hits of 2007.”  This Premiere Issue releases on November 20 and is sure to become a collector’s item. The single issue retails for $9.99 and is available for pre-order now or you can subscribe. A one year subscription is only $32.95 and includes 4 regular issues plus 2 specials.

Another great idea is the Heroes: Volume One Graphic Novel. This 240 page volume features a cover by comic legend Alex Ross and includes an introduction by Masi Oka. Inside you will find all 34 chapters of the Season One graphic novels featured on NBC.com and Tim Sale’s artwork as seen on the show.  The book retails for $19.79 and is on sale now.

Want to mix a little romance in with your sci-fi? Then try the first Heroes novel, Saving Charlie. The book reveals the untold story of Hiro and Charlie, the waitress he went back in time to save. The novel, written with the full cooperation and consultation of the show’s creators, is penned by Aury Wallington. Wallington, author of the book Pop!, has also written for shows such as Sex and the City and Veronica Mars. The 256 page book comes out in hardcover on December 26 with a suggested retail price tag of $23.95, but is available for pre-order at Amazon.com for only $16.95.

Are you confused by Heroes and all the symbolism it contains? Then check out Saving the World: A Guide to Heroes. Authors Lynnette Porter, David Lavery, and Hillary Robson are experts in the field of television analysis. In this book they explore the history of comic books making their way to the screen, and how Heroes has been affected by the decades of comic book superheroes that precede it; the series’ archetypal characters; the fandom surrounding the show; its link to other current series such as Lost; creator Tim Kring and how he is the driving force behind the show. The book also includes brief episode guides.  It is available now at a cost of $10.17.

Heroes ratings for Monday were down again. They lost another 500,000 viewers from last week bringing in only about 9.8 million and earning a 4.9/11. I suspect this will creep up with the buzz about this week’s show and the promise of the “Four Months Later” episode. It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for, after all. I don’t have to tell you who won the night, do I? I’ll give you a hint - in involves dancing.  

My favorite Hero, Greg Grunberg, did an interview with Buddy TV this week. Greg talked about how the writers strike is affecting production, Parkman’s newly expanded powers, and his relationship with his TV dad, Alan Blumenfeld (Did you know Alan played Greg’s dad on Felicity, too?).

James Kyson Lee, who plays Ando, will be making an appearance at Pacific Media Expo (PMX) this Sunday, Nov. 11. Lee will greet fans with a “rare, intimate two-hour panel and autograph session.” For more information, you can visit PMX’s website: http://www.pacificmediaexpo.com./ (Thanks to Heroes-TV!)

If you want to be spoiled about who may be dying sometime in the next few episodes, Use Your Ability has a very revealing photo posted. (Don’t click if you don’t want to know!)

Greg Beeman reveals some interesting things about Isaac’s paintings and how they create them in his blog this week and has fantastic photos of cast and crew, as always.

The latest chapter of the graphic novel is called “Quarantine.” It tells the story of Howard LeMay of Homeland Security, who I suspect may be the DHS officer who interviewed Peter in Monday’s episode. I can’t find anything to verify that this was Mark Harelik’s character’s name in that eppy though.

I haven’t seen a sneak peek of next week’s episode yet but I suspect it may surface later today. I’ll share it with you as soon as it’s available.

It’s been a busy day in Heroes land, as you can see by all the posts I’ve made today. I finally heard from my contact at TV Guide who shared with me a look at the 4 collectible covers that release on Thursday, November 8. If you’re a subscriber, like me, then you probably got yours in the mail today.

TVGuide.com is making all 4 covers available in a Special Edition Heroes 4-cover set. This Special Edition set will be available ONLY online. You will not be able to find all four covers from one location, based on distribution. Supplies are limited, so act fast!

The covers were created by 4 different comic book artists. Jim Lee did the Hiro, Kensei, Ando cover; Phil Jimenez created Matt, Nathan, Niki and Mohinder; Michael Turner was responsible for Peter, Claire, H.R.G. and Elle; and Heroes artist Tim Sale designed the cover featuring Maya, Sylar, Monica and Micah. Take a look: (more…)

Heroes ratings for Monday night fell to the lowest in the series’ history, earning just a 4.9/11 with about 10.4 million viewers. That’s down about 250,000 viewers from last week. I don’t have to tell you who won the night…it’s the same old mind-boggling story every week, isn’t it? Curse you Dancing with the Stars!  

Kristin at E! Online has some spoilers for us about Elle, Maya, Nathan and Kensei. She also gives us a few hints about who is getting killed and who is doing the killing. I won’t post them here, but if you want to know, check out ‘Watch With Kristin’!

Greg Beeman didn’t post much in his blog this week. He says it’s too crazy at Heroes central. He did, however, post some great photos, as he always does, and he even has some Storyboards posted.

Chapter 57 of the graphic novel is entitled “Team Building” and features H.R.G. and his Russian mentor, Ivan. In it, we see the story of the “liquid man” that Ivan spoke about in Episode 6.

Masi Oka will be serving as ambassador for the One Laptop Per Child non-profit organization. You can read more about their mission at http://www.laptop.org/.

Hayden Panettiere has been in Japan trying to save the Dolphins. Apparently she got into a scary confrontation with some fishermen. Read more about it here.

The premiere issue of Heroes Magazine will be available on November 20. It is billed as “the ultimate guide to exploring one of the biggest shows of 2007!” You can pre-order your copy at NBC/Universal now for $9.99.

And finally, here’s a sneak peek at next week’s episode, “Out of Time” - Looks good!

The folks at NBC have given me a sneak peek of the next chapter of the Graphic Novel to show you. It will release this Thursday. This chapter will be unique in that it will be the first animated chapter. In the past they have done some video narrations, but nothing like this.

I don’t know anything about the plot, but I do know it will feature a new character called “The Traveler” (Let’s hope he’s more successful than that ABC summer series, eh?). Here’s a rough sketch showing what he will look like: (more…)

Our friends at TVGuide.com have contacted us to let us know that new Heroes collectible covers are coming soon. The set of 4 covers will hit newstands on November 8 and will feature the artwork of 4 different comic book artists. The covers will be available seperately or in a bundle pack. You will also be able to order these online.

TVGuide.com has promised to give us an exclusive sneak peek later this week, so check back with us!

TVGuide.com also has a new interview with James Kyson Lee. He talks about the changes in Ando for season 2, what we can expect for his character, Star Trek and George Takei, and his upcoming non-Heroes Projects. In case you haven’t heard, James is Korean and didn’t speak Japanese. He talks a little about that and the feedback he has received.

TV Guide has an exclusive look at the alternate cover for the upcoming Heroes Graphic Novel. This version of the cover was drawn by Jim Lee, editorial director of WildStorm, the DC Comics imprint that is publishing the graphic novel. The book compiles the first 34 chapters, which have been posted on NBC.com since the series debuted last fall. The book also includes an introduction by fan favorite Masi Oka and artwork by Tim Sale.

The other version of the cover was designed by comic book artist Alex Ross. If you missed that one, check out this post from September 6 for a peek. They are very different. Which one do you like best?

The Heroes graphic novel was originally slated for an October 28 release, but now that has been pushed back to November 7. 

*Heroes is nominated for 3 TV Guide 2007 Online Video Awards. The Online Video Awards honor the best professional online content. Heroes is recognized in 3 categories: Web Extras (for Heroes Character Profiles), TV Drama Webisodes (for the Yamagto Fellowship’s “Takezo Kensei: Sword Saint”), and TV Show Site (for Heroes Evolutions). Winners will be chosen by fans. You can vote at TV Guide’s Online Video Awards site. Awards will be handed out on December 1.

*TV Guide has an interview with Zachary Quinto (Sylar) in the issue that is on newstands now. He talks Sylar, Spock and about how his life has changed in the last year. You can also catch the interview at TVGuide.com.

*George Comics pays homage (sort of) to Heroes in today’s comic strip. Check it out!

*Greg Beeman’s weekly blog is posted. He discusses “The Kindness of Strangers” and how they managed to pull off the Hollywood sign scene. He has great pictures up as usual, too.

*Chapter 55 of the graphic novel is up at NBC.com. It features Takezo Kensei and a little cat (or I think that’s what it is) named Hiro in an adventure called “The Trial of the Black Bear.”

*Speaking of graphic novels…do you want to know what happened to Claire’s Nissan Rogue? Check out this link for an exclusive downloadable edition of the graphic novel to find out. (Thanks to Heroes-TV.com for the heads up on this one.)

*Buddy TV has interviewed Kristen Bell (Elle) and Heroes creator Tim Kring. Some of the topics they discussed include Kristen’s character, the structure of season 2 and the possibility of seeing more of the Group of 12, and Bell’s offer to be on LOST.

*Heroes ratings improved a little over last week, bringing in a 6.8/10. Dancing with the Stars continues its domination of Monday night and the CBS comedies are still going strong. Heroes is still capturing the coveted 18-49 demo though.

*Chapter 54 of the graphic novel is up at NBC.com. This time it features Peter Petrelli and is called “Petrified Lightning.” This edition picks up where we left off with Peter and Caitlyn in “Kindred.”

*Greg Beeman has another picture-filled blog up. Oh and he talks about “Kindred” in there as well. He also talks about Milo and his directing aspirations and gives him a plug for “It’s a Mall World,” which he directed for American Eagle Outfitters.

*New cast member Shalim Ortiz (Alejandro) is interviewed in Entertainment Weekly. In it, he talks about being a “Wonder Twin,” what it’s like to be on Heroes, and introduces us to the actor.

*FADPOV, which is a Sci-Fi site written by women, has a great interview with Dana Davis, who will be playing Monica in the New Orleans storyline. Dana discusses her character, working with Nichelle Nichols and the rest of the cast and how she was a Heroes fan before being cast.

*Entertainment Weekly also spoke with the youngest Hero, Adair Tishler who plays Molly. She talks about working so closely with Sendhill and Greg, how her brother will break her arm if she quits Heroes (read and find out!) and, of course, about Molly.

*Monday’s ratings are in. Dancing With the Stars continues to dominate the night (which completely baffles me). In the 9pm slot, CBS’ comedies, Two and a Half Men and Rules of Engagement averaged the highest viewers with 13 million (4.4/10) and 10.7 million (3.8/9) respectively. Heroes averaged nearly 10.8 million (5.0/11) total viewers in the hour, and won the coveted 18-49 demographic, as usual. But Heroes has lost almost a quarter of its audience since the season premiere. Will they pick back up once the stories get beefier? It remains to be seen.

*Speaking of ratings, Nielsen has reversed its decision to allow networks to combine the ratings of an original broadcast and a rebroadcast after the outcry caused by the use of the new rule by Heroes in premiere week.

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, Ratings, Nielsen Ratings, Dana Davis, Adair Tishler, Shalim Ortiz, Greg Beeman, Graphic Novel

Yeah, I know, that title is waaaayyyy too goofy, but give me a break. It’s early! Anyway, here’s all that “news you can use.”

*TV Guide has an interview with Dania Ramirez up right now. Dania talks a little bit about Maya’s powers, the possibility of an on-screen romance, and battling Halle Berry in X-Men 3.

*GameLoft has released an official Heroes mobile phone game. The eleven level game allows you to play as Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura, Niki/Jessica Sanders and Officer Matt Parkman. You can see screen shots and get more info HERE.

*George Takei (Kaito) has had an asteroid named after him. The asteroid, formerly knows as 1994 GT9, is situated between Mars and Jupiter. It has been renamed 7307 Takei by the International Astronomical Union’s Committee on Small Body Nomenclature.

*Ratings for Heroes second episode dropped off a little from last week’s premiere. ABC’s Dancing with the Stars won the 9 p.m. timeslot with a 13.8/20, CBS was second with Two and a Half Men, 8.4/12, and Rules of Engagement, 6.6/10. Heroes came in third (but was the night’s top show in the key 18-49 demographic). K-Ville brought a 3.7/5 over at FOX.

*The latest chapter of the Graphic Novel is up and it features The Haitian. We get to see what transpired between he and Mohinder and what happened between the time he left Mohinder and showed up with Bennet. The title is The Crossroads.

*Greg Beeman has a new blog up for episode 2. As usual, he has some awesome behind-the-scenes photos up as well.

*If you have missed either of this season’s episodes and need to catch up, full episodes are available online at NBC.com. You can also watch last season’s finale in case you missed it. Also, even if you’ve already seen the episodes, go back and watch with commentary.

*And finally, here is a 3 minute sneak peak of the upcoming 3rd episode, “Kindred.”

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, Dania Ramirez, Mobile Game, George Takei, Asteroid, Graphic Novel, The Crossroads, Full Episodes Online, Sneak Peek, Kindred

*Heroes season premiere earned a 6.5 rating /15 share in the 18-49 demographic, up 10 percent from last year’s premiere. Viewership dropped off dramatically for Journeyman (down to a 3.7), allowing ABC and Dancing with the Stars to win the night, though.

*In an interview with TVGuide.com, Cristine Rose, who plays Angela Petrelli, discussed being “marked for death,” Angela’s role in upcoming events, her relationship with Nathan and the older generation of Heroes. Check it out to get the scoop.

*Also at TVGuide.com, you can view exclusive photos from the TV Guide Magazine cover shoot featuring Kristen Bell, Hayden Panettiere and Ali Larter.

*Two new graphic novels are up at NBC.com. Chapter 51 gives us some insight into new characters Maya and Alejandro and Chapter 52 is about Claire’s new flying friend, West.

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, Ratings, TVGuide.com, Cristine Rose

TV Guide offered a first look at the cover for the 240 page Heroes graphic novel, which comes out in October. The book compiles the first 34 chapters, which have been posted on NBC.com since the series debuted last fall. The book also includes an introduction by fan favorite Masi Oka and artwork by Tim Sale. The cover, shown here, was designed by comic book artist Alex Ross.

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, Graphic Novel, Tim Sale, Masi Oka, Alex Ross