Experience all the suspense, action, and shocking twists of the phenomenal series, Heroes, and follow the lives of seemingly unconnected, ordinary people around the globe who discover they have extraordinary abilities. Join their epic journeys with all 77 gripping episodes from the complete series, plus hours of revealing bonus features, including the never-before-aired series premiere, an alternate ending to the Season 2 finale, behind-the-scenes access with the show’s writers, stars, and artists, and much more! Heroes Reborn synopsis: Experience the epic 13-episode event series, Heroes Reborn, from Tim Kring, the creator of the global phenomenon, Heroes. Kring creates a wildly imaginative and thrilling new volume in the Heroes universe featuring a host of new characters with startling powers. After a massive terrorist attack in Odessa, Texas, evolved humans are blamed for the tragic event, forcing them into hiding or on the run from those seeking retribution. The conflict between humans and evolved humans dubbed “Evos” escalates into all-out civil warfare. Timely, thought-provoking, and startlingly inventive, Heroes Reborn recaptures the magic of the original series and lays the foundation for the next volume in the Heroes mythology.
For thoughts on Heroes: The Complete Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Heroes: The Complete Collection arrives on Blu-Ray with a passable 1080p transfer in its original 1.78:1. In contrast to other recent complete series Blu-Ray releases from Universal, the contents of this collection were released long ago on the format and have been repackaged into one shelf-friendly package. The first two seasons were released back in 2008 with the older VC-1 codecs, while seasons 3-4 followed the next two years before finishing up with Heroes: Reborn in 2016, the three of which were given the preferred AVC codec. Unfortunately, these are the same discs as were released before, and given the age and execution, we would have loved to have seen a remaster or even a 4K UHD upgrade. That being said, the release still looks good overall if you are looking to make your way through the series.
This release brings all five seasons together for the first time with 90 episodes on 21 discs. The level of detail visible in the frame in HD is not quite to the level we like to see, although this could be partially due to how the show was filmed and the time it was rendered for broadcast. There are some discrete details in the clothing and global production design, but the overall picture feels a bit soft. The color palette offers complex hues that pop off the screen. Black levels struggle slightly with depth yet still give way to some detail in shadows. The highlights of the show do not struggle with blooming in this presentation. Skin tones appear natural across the entire ensemble. Due to the weakness of the encode, there are some compression artifacts detectable throughout, but things do improve in the later seasons and especially with Reborn. This Blu-Ray presentation is serviceable, but we would love to see better for the show someday.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray set fares better with the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that deftly brings these episodes to life throughout the journey. Dialogue never struggles with clarity as it avoids being overwhelmed by the atmospheric score or major sound effects. While not as action-packed as a blockbuster comic book feature, there are notable moments of conflict that stir up sound from all corners of the room. Not every sound is as crisply delineated as we would like, but it is not a major hindrance. There is a good amount of power to the track when the low end needs to be engaged. Ambient sounds are also placed carefully in the rear channels. The music plays an important part in setting the tone, and it flows through with a nice fidelity. The audio could be finessed to be a bit more nimble, but it does what it needs to. There are optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles provided.
Special Features
Season One
- Picture-In-Picture Cast & Crew Commentaries
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- Godsend: Jack Coleman, Leonard Roberts, and Sendhil Ramamurthy
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- The Fix: Greg Grunberg, Hayden Panettiere, and Natalie Chaidez (episode writer and co-executive producer)
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- Distractions: Milo Ventimiglia, Zachary Quinto, Greg Grunberg, Jeannot Szwarc (episode director), Jack Coleman, and Michael Green (episode writer and co-executive producer)
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- Run!: Greg Grunberg, Kevin Chamberlin, Adam Armus, and Kay Foster (episode writers and supervising producers)
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- Unexpected: Greg Beeman (episode director and co-executive producer), Zachary Quinto, Sendhil Ramamurthy, and Jeph Loeb (episode writer and co-executive producer)
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- Company Man: Jack Coleman, Allan Arkush (episode director and executive producer), and Bryan Fuller (co-executive producer and episode writer)
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- Parasite: Allan Arkush (executive producer), Jimmy Jean-Louis, and Christopher Zatta (episode writer)
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- .07%: Chuck Kim (episode writer), Andrew Chambliss (asst. to Tim Kring), and Tim Keppler (asst. to Dennis Hammer)
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- Five Years Gone: Greg Grunberg, Sendhil Ramamurthy, and Jack Coleman
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- The Hard Part: James Kyson Lee, Noah Gray-Cabey, and Ian Quinn (stunt coordinator)
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- Landslide: Masi Oka, George Takei, and Matthew Armstrong
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- How To Stop an Exploding Man: Tim Kring (creator/executive producer and episode writer), Dennis Hammer (executive producer), and Allan Arkush (executive producer and episode director)
- Unaired Premiere Episode: A 76-minute unaired version of the pilot is provided with optional audio commentary from Show Creator Tim King.
- Artwork Presentation: An option to watch the episodes with a focus on jumping to the artwork.
- Hero Connections: An option to watch the episodes with additional text information provided on the screen.
- Deleted Scenes: There are 50 minutes of unused material provided.
- Making Of: A ten-minute look at the creation of the show is provided featuring interviews with the cast and creative team.
- Special Effects: A nine-minute piece on how the team created the special effects in the show.
- The Stunts: A ten-minute featurette that looks at the impressive stunt work.
- Profile of Artist Tim Sale: A nearly 12-minute spotlight on the artist who provides an important piece of the show.
- The Score: A nine-minute exploration of creating the show’s memorable soundscape.
Season Two
- Picture-In-Picture Cast & Crew Commentaries
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- Four Months Later: Tim Kring, Jeph Loeb, and Jack Coleman
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- Lizards: Allan Arkush, Greg Grunberg, and Michael Green
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- Kindred: Paul Edwards, JJ Philbin, and Zachary Quinto
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- The Kindness of Strangers: Tim Kring, Dana Davis, and Adrian Pasdar
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- Fight or Flight: Greg Grunberg and Greg Beeman
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- The Line: Adam Armus, Kay Foster, and Jack Coleman
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- Out of Time: Daniel Attias and Masi Oka
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- Four Months Ago…: Milo Ventimiglia and Greg Beeman
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- Cautionary Tales: Greg Yaitanes, Kristen Bell, and Ashley Crow
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- Truth & Consequences: Adam Kane and Stephen Tobolowsky
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- Powerless: Allan Arkush, Lisa Coleman, and Wendy Melvoin
- Deleted Scenes: There are 30 minutes of unused material provided.
- Heroes Season 2 – A New Beginning: A 15-minute featurette is provided which takes a look at how the show picks up and expands after the events of the debut season.
- Hero Connections – Network: An interactive look at the different character connections.
- Takezo Kensei – Sword Saint: A 24-minute featurette that takes a look at a legendary figure.
- Genetics of a Scene: A 23-minute piece is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the creation of some of the toughest moments of the season.
- Tim Sale Gallery of Screen Art: A two–minute montage of Isaac’s paintings.
- Generations Alternated Ending: An 18-minute alternate ending to the season is provided.
- Inside the Alternate Ending of Generations: An 11-minute look at how the writer’s strike impacted the trajectory of the season.
- Untold Stories: A 12-minute exploration of some of the untold stories that were not fleshed out due to the writer’s strike.
- NBC.com Featurettes: A four-minute collection of moments of the action from the season from an alternate point of view.
Season Three
- Picture-In-Picture Cast & Crew Commentaries
- The Second Coming: Director/producer Allan Arkush, creator Tim Kring, actor Adrian Pasdar
- The Butterfly Effect: Director Greg Beeman, actors James Kyson Lee and Brea Grant
- One of Us, One of Them: Actors Cristine Rose and Milo Ventimiglia
- I Am Become Death: Actors Jamie Hector and Greg Grunberg
- Angels and Monsters: Director Anthony Hemingway and writers/producers Adam Armus and Kay Foster
- Dying of the Light: Actor Sendhil Ramamurthy and writers Chuck Kim and Christopher Zatta
- Eris Quod Sum: Director of Photography Charlie Lieberman and editor Scott Boyd
- Villains: Arkush and actor Jack Coleman
- It’s Coming: Actor Blake Shields, Lieberman, and editor Don Aron
- The Eclipse, Part 1: Director Greg Beeman and Ramamurthy
- The Eclipse, Part 2: Rose and Grunberg
- Our Father: Grant and actor Masi Oka
- Dual: Actor Zachary Quinto and f/x supervisor Gary D’Amico
- A Clear and Present Danger: Ventimiglia, Kring, and director Greg Yaitanes
- Trust and Blood: Arkush and director Mark Verheiden
- Building 26: Art director Sandy Getzler and production designer Ruth Ammon
- Cold Wars: Ramamurthy and Coleman
- Exposed: Grunberg and Ventimiglia
- Shades of Gray: Actor David H. Lawrence XVII and writer Oliver Grigsby
- Cold Snap: Oka and writer Bryan Fuller
- Into Asylum: Director of photography Nate Goodman and writer Joe Pokaski
- Turn and Face the Strange: Verheiden and writer Rob Fresco
- 1961: Editor Jon Koslowsky and director of photography Adam Kane
- I Am Sylar: Goodman, Foster, and Armus
- An Invisible Thread: Lieberman and Aron
- Hero Connections – Network: An interactive look at the different character connections.
- Deleted Scenes: There are 37 minutes of unused material provided.
- The Super Powers of Heroes: An eight-minute look at the amazing stunt work and how the team pulls everything off on a weekly basis.
- Completing the Scene: An eight-minute look at the completion of the visual effects on the show.
- Alternate Stories: A 46-minute collection of webisodes is provided here
- Pinehearst Commercial: A minute-long fake commercial is provided.
- The Prop Box: A six-minute look at the props used in the show.
- Tim Sale Gallery of Screen Art: A minute-long montage of art from the show.
- Genetics of a Scene: A 21-minute piece is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the creation of some of the toughest moments of the season.
- The Writers’ Forum: A 14-minute discussion between the creative figures as they delve into the developments this season.
- Building Coyote Sands: An 11-minute look at the construction of a key set.
Season Four
- Picture-In-Picture Cast & Crew Commentaries
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- Once Upon A Time in Texas: Creator Tim Kring, director Nate Goodman, and director of photography Charlie Lieberman
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- Shadowboxing: Actor Greg Grunberg, producer Adam Armus, and executive producer Kay Foster.
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- The Fifth Stage: Tim Kring and actor Adrian Pasdar
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- Brave New World: Tim Kring and Robert Knepper
- Hero Connections – Network: An interactive look at the different character connections.
- Deleted Scenes: There are 45 minutes of unused material provided.
- Deconstructing Sylar: A 21-minute discussion between creator/executive producer Tim Kring, executive producer Adam Armus, and actor Zachary Quinto in which they explore one of the most pivotal characters in the series.
- Behind the Big Top: A ten-minute look at the unique setting for this season is provided.
- Heroes Revolution: An 11-minute exploration of the push into online initiatives is shown.
- Milo Speaks: A six-minute discussion with Milo Ventimiglia about his relationship with the series and the fans.
- Sullivan Brothers Design Gallery: A three-minute montage of different designs is provided.
- Genetics of a Scene: A 42-minute piece is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the creation of some of the toughest moments of the season.
Heroes: Reborn
- Deleted Scenes: There are 18 minutes of unused material provided.
- Heroes Reborn – Reliving The Legacy: An 11-minute piece that takes a look at the return to this world, the new and returning faces, the storylines, and more.
- Heroes Reborn – Dark Matters: A six-part series of webisodes totaling 44 minutes is provided that digs further into pockets of the Heroes universe.
Final Thoughts
Heroes was a series that really took us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. When the series premiered, it was as thrilling as anything on TV, especially as superhero culture was still fresh both in theaters and particularly on the small screen. The first season kept us riveted episode after episode with its careful plotting and great character development. Unfortunately, the series took a major plunge beginning with the second season, and it never quite recovered despite having enough interesting moments to keep us watching until the bitter end. We still love it when the show is firing on all cylinders, but it hurts to see a show with such promise stumble so swiftly. Universal Home Entertainment has released a complete series Blu-Ray set featuring a decent A/V presentation and a robust selection of special features. If you already have the individual releases, there is no reason to upgrade, but this is a shelf-friendly option for newcomers.
Heroes: The Complete Collection can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.