I am just the opposite. To me... the boxart looks fine.. but is a little on the plain side for my taste. I always prefered the coverart to have the cast photos. But that is just my opinion.
I agree completely. While many box arts do look very nice I have grown a little tired of always having the protagonists' faces on the covers. I know, it's an important selling point, but I've always welcomed shows with more than "just faces" on the boxes....Lost comes to mind, as do Six Feet Under, Rome, Millennium and Dead Like Me (Season 1). And I absolutely love the design of that Heroes box.
Anyway, as happy as I am to read about all this, I am still rather clueless whether to buy the dvd-box (which I could watch right away) or to hold out for the HD-DVDs, respectively for myself getting a HD-player. I'm not in the US so I am rather curious about Heroes, but I KNOW that at the end of the day, I'll want it in HD. Tough life.....
Unless I'm missing something [wouldn't be the first time], it looks like the tvshowsondvd.com link does NOT include information about extras. According to the site listed below, the extras are:
"audio commentaries, the original un-aired pilot episode with optional commentary, deleted scenes, a making of featurette, a special effects featurette, and a stunts featurette. ... This will include all of the above, along with additional material (PIP video commentaries, a Genetic Abilities test, and more)."
I'll definitely buy the standard release of this one. Because of work [I often have meetings on Monday nights], I rarely get to watch the show in HD, so downgrading to standard DVD isn't a big deal to me.
I wonder if the video commentaries are the ones from the official website? And there's no mention of the series of online graphic novels that are available on the website. I had expected that they would be included as well.
I find that a lot of the sets with pics of cast members on the cover tend to blend in together on the shelf at a store. I'm usually pressed for time when I go to Wal-mart and I usually do a quick glance over the DVDs. When I went to buy Beauty and the Beast season 1, I didn't see it the first time I looked. I think Smallville is the worst, the covers are bland and uninteresting and are troo similiar in design. Lost's have been really good so far. I love that the one for Heroes stands out from most other sets. I doubt I'd have any problem spotting it. Plus, if I had never even heard of the series, I'd stop and pick up the box to see what the show is about based on that box art.
I'm also disappointed to see that the online comics aren't mentioned. I have one other concern though. It appears to me that the only commentaries mentioned in these press releases are the PIP ones exclusive to the HD-DVD release. Someone please assure me that I'm being paranoid. I'm really hoping for commentaries on the standard release.
Presumably, the PIP video commentaries are the ones from the official website. Is there a reason why they couldn't be included on the standard DVDs as well? Obviously, they'd take up more space on the discs, which might result in the set having more discs, but other than that...?
It's great to see that Tim Sale will also get some attention. I always loved his art in the comics. I loved his work on creator Matt Wagner's GRENDEL series.