Heroes is, at heart, the comic book tale of a varied group of people, each with special powers that they struggle to come to terms with. With such powers, of course, come troubling foes and situations to face, and that proves to be the case here. So this time, we pick up four months after the events of the first series, and there's the small matter of the Shanti virus to contend with. This provides the main thrust for the series' story arc, and allows room for several interesting sub-plots to develop too.

Yet while, in the world of Heroes, you suspect that this second series will never rank with the best, there's easily enough here to justify the asking price, and the show emerges easily with its reputation intact. Even when it's not at the top of its game, Heroes is exciting, interesting and polished entertainment. --Jon Foster