We could be Heroes, just for one day

I'm watching Heroes, catching up on Netflix the mess that was last season, and I just got to where Matt Parkman started drawing the future.  This is the plot device they used to great effect in the first season, where a bonafide comic book artist was drawing visions, which led the characters down their respective paths.  They made the mistake of killing him, so they've had to shoehorn in plot contrivances to keep illustrations alive.

The only problem is they're all done by the mega talented Tim Sale.  If you don't know his name, it's a shame, because his work is truly amazing.  Primarily known for his Batman work, he pairs up with writer Jeph Loeb for most of his projects.  "Batman: The Long Halloween" is an absolute must read and see.  His style is chunky, yet fluid, and minimalist in the details.  He can convey mood with very few brush/penstrokes. 

So why is using Sale a problem?  Because EVERY person that has had this premonition power draws in the exact same style as Sale!  Obviously, because Sale does all the actual artwork, but for this comic fan, at least, it's disconcerting.  Comics all look different.  Superheroes don't really have a specific look, like cartoons or most animation, because the characters are interpreted differently by every artist.  The costumes stay the same, logos, etc, but the majesty of the art form is one person's Superman will look vastly different from another artists.

Superman by Tim Sale

Superman by Jim Lee

Superman by John Byrne

Seeing the same style come through at least 4 different Heroes characters becomes problematic because it ties them all together.  Is this the exact same power?  If so, how did the Aborigine and the NY artist have it at the same time?  Peter was given it from the NY artist, and Parkman got it from the Aborigine, so I can see that.  But what's the connection between the NY and Aborigine?  These are the questions that a nitpick comic fan will come up with when you don't use different art styles for the visions.  I LOVE TIM SALE!  Don't get me wrong, it just would have been cool to see another style crop up as the vision power transferred to others.

MotD: Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

New Line's attempt to revitalize an icon isn't an entirely horrible affair.  In retrospect, it didn't work, and the dialogue is clunky, the actors stiff and wooden, but the suspense is decent enough in places and Viggo Mortenson is awesome as should be expected.  The iconization of Leatherface feels a bit forced here.  He gets a chrome plated chainsaw, you learn more about his life away from the mass murdering, etc.  Kinda the opposite of what he was, which is just a force of nautre, unleashed to hack meat.  This movie definitely corporatized the franchise in a way that the recent remake dehumanized it.  Like both films went for opposite directions.