Monday, February 19, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Heroeswatch: Creature of Light, Creature of Darkness
Still on vacation, but I was watching Heroes and had to tell this to someone: the bit with the guy killing the grass radiating around him in a concentric circle? Totally ripped off from Carnivale, no? (Look around the 7:00 mark on that clip.) Granted, it doesn't seem like the grim-looking dude in question is planning on healing anyone, Ben Hawkins-style, but still. The effect was much cooler when they did it with a cornfield, I think. (Just like Heroes, Carnivale was one of those shows I liked much better for the story than the writing--but I watched every episode anyway.)
Now granted, I'm much more familiar with TV sci-fi/fantasy than with comix, so for all I know, Heroes steals much more blatantly from comic books all the time. [Update: Though if they've victimized Stan Lee, he must forgive them, judging by the cameo.] Hell, maybe Carnivale did, too. Any of our Heroes / comic geeks care to weigh in? Did Clea have anything to do with this?
[Update #2: Almost forgot it was Someone! Will! Die! night. I'll leave the Comments open as a remembrance book for Simone.]
3 Comments to “Heroeswatch: Creature of Light, Creature of Darkness”
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About Tuned In
James Poniewozik writes TIME magazine's Tuned In column, about pop culture and society. Tuned In, the blog version, is about the stuff we used to call "TV," whether it's in your living room, on your computer or -- once the networks figure out the technology and line up the advertisers -- in your dreams themselves. Read more
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Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 3:19 pm
James,
I don't know about Carnivale but that grave scene was pure comic book imagery. So was the sock drawer of introduction but this is a show about 'superheroes' and the wacky camera angles they get themselves into.
What struck me as VERY comic bookish was the meeting of the anti-HRG Heroes in the cemetary, right down to the spooky! dramatic! lighting. I could just see Jeph Loeb painting that whole scene out in a duo-tone of blue and purple.
As for Simone, I'm kind of glad she died. She had Gwen Stacey (Spiderman's first girlfriend/lost love) written all over her. I do like how the writers used her to drive a wedge between Hunky Painter Guy and the Exploding Nurse. The writers have done (IMO your Emminence) a good job of building Peter up as the Cyclops-goody-two-shoes-uber-boy-scout of the Heroes and now he'll have to deal with the fact that he's not only responsible for possibly leveling Manhatten but getting his proto-girlfriend killed.
Enjoy your vacation!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Heroes does draw tremendously on comic books. Much of it is fairly subtle, so it's something that a non-comic reader/afficiando would really catch, but it is there.
(I actually disturbed my roommate because I was actually screaming at the television during the scene were future-Hiro meets current-Peter on the train. I was screaming something along the lines of 'DAYS OF FUTURE PAST! DAYS OF FUTURE PAST!')
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 11:01 am
Its too bad the painter didn't paint Simone's death in order to avoid it occuring. Her death was a contrived tragedy. Peter couldn't do anything to prevent her from being shot? He seems like a goody two shoes but his temper and forced plot devicing is kinda annoying.