IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN “HEROES” BY NOW…

This was originally going to be an entry about Halloween, but since it’s only October 3rd, I’ll give it a few weeks. Trust me I’m itching to write about it.

Warning, the following entry, and comments following it contains spoilers to the series “Heroes.”

Anyway, if you’re not watching “Heroes” by now, then I’ve given up all hope on humanity. Yes, the show was given good ratings, but I am doing everything in my power to promote what is one of the first shows in years to make me count the days, and sit in front of my television, full attention, wide-eyed and with pure agony wondering what will happen next.

“Heroes” is by far one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. This is what “Smallville” should have been. Had “Smallville” been handled like “Heroes,” I can only imagine how incredible it would be by now. But alas, purely original lore has now surpassed the likes of “Smallville,” and the “X-Men” films.

Did I enjoy the “X-Men” films? Yes, definitely, but mostly parts one and two.

But “Heroes” is a whole different type of animal.

It’s basically “Unbreakable: The Series” which features different characters who all play a role in something spectacular, and something ultimately apocalyptic. Slowly, we’re being introduced to more characters, and slowly we’ll start to see who veers into superhero territory, who becomes the enemies, and who will just decide to live as an average person.

A friend pointed out how this is basically a take off from “Rising Stars,” and I’ve never read it, but it’s basically the same plot, and same basic concept, even including a black sun.

“Heroes” is episodic, ambitious, wonderfully written, and better than any comic book movie I’ve seen in years. Hell, shows like “”Mutant X” tried this formula and failed miserably, but NBC’s newest series gets it right. Sure, some of you may have written off comic book media by now, and some just plain look down on it, but I’ve always been a comic book geek.

I collected comics, made my own when I was an aspiring comic book artist, and I love the forming of, and never ending fight of good and evil, and “Heroes” brings that down into a reality where “X-Men” and “Spider-Man” are just comic books, and suddenly real people are becoming super-powered beings.

A male nurse, a stripper, a politician, a beat cop, and a simple accountant, all of whom are people that are slowly discovering that they possess truly incredible abilities, and have no idea what to do with them.

But one guarantee is: One or two of these people will cause the end of the world. Or something very similar to it. And I’m loving it.

Currently, I’m pushing towards four characters for favorites. Peter, who is trying to discover if he can fly or not, and how to hone the skill. Claire, whose own dad may or may not be a villain, and knows of her abilities to heal, Matt a cop who has the sudden ability to read thoughts, and Hiro, a Japanese accountant who can break the space-time continuum.

Hiro is probably the most engaging character here. Because he just found himself in a s**t load of trouble discovering the future and its possible fate, and he has witnessed firsthand, things to come.

It’s funny, one of the heroes is named Hiro, and months ago, I reviewed a movie named “Hiro” about a bug collector who becomes a hero. Life is so quirky, but I digress. The one who seems to play the most importance at the moment is Hiro.

And Masi Oka is fantastic.

But things only get better. Hiro has now seen the future, and it is not pretty. Hiro’s vision is very reminiscent of the DC Zero Hour comic. But we know now that Nathan becomes some sort of important elected official, and this somehow spawns the end of the world.

Best of all, we have a serial killer named Cyler who is offing random people (or are they super-humans?) all over the country, and his methods are rather frightening in which he freezes his victims and cuts off their scalps. Is the freezing a part of his powers, or is there more than one person committing these acts?

Did Mohinder’s father create him, or just know him personally?

We’ll have to wait and see in the coming weeks, and I’ll be there watching and waiting to see what happens next. Who is Cyler? How powerful is he? Who can stop him? Will these people form a team? I hope not on the last question. This show is too damn good to be turned into an “X-Men” clone.

Love it or hate it, I intend to be there every single week, I hope we’re able to get something incredible, and I hope NBC leaves it on long enough to answer many questions. Team this with “Dexter,” and “Eureka,” and this is one of the first times in years I’ve watched something on television that wasn’t a movie.

“Heroes” is what “Smallville” should be, and it’s sad to say that as a Superman freak. I love this show.

And when it’s released on DVD, I’m going to re-watch it over and over. As great as this show may be, I imagine it will be better played in a long uninterrupted sequence.

Seriously, if you haven’t seen “Heroes” by now, what the f**k are you waiting for?