Entertainment Weekly devotes the cover of this week’s issue to NBC’s Heroes, saying that the show is “proof positive that what was once considered cult pop is now mainstream, thanks to a decade defined by the Spider-Man and Harry Potter film sagas, to say nothing of Lost.”

Some people have commented that Heroes deals with concepts and themes seen elsewhere, in the works of George R.R. Martin, Salman Rushdie and J. Michael Straczynski. Apparently, “some people” includes Straczynski and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof:

[Heroes creator Tim Kring] consulted an inner circle of industry friends, like Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof. ”The first thing that hit me when I heard the idea was, ‘F—. I wish I had thought of that,”’ says Lindelof. ”What was so surprising was how simple the concept was, yet it was built upon a grander theme: the wish-fulfillment of ordinary people suddenly realizing they were meant for something much greater.” However, Lindelof suggested that Kring might want to check out the similarly themed comic book Rising Stars by J. Michael Straczynski, who also created Babylon 5. So Kring picked up a copy, read the jacket summary, and put it right back down: ”I was like, ‘This is the same idea! I’m not reading this!”’ For his part, Straczynski says he’s not ruffled: ”Everybody in comics…looks to what came before and builds upon it,” says the writer, who’s now — in a circuitous turn of events — shopping a Rising Stars TV series with director Sam Raimi. And what if the networks say, ”Sounds too much like Heroes”? ”Well, there’s always seppuku,” jokes Straczynski.

EW also talks with cast members and co-executive producer Jeph Loeb. Warning: There are spoilers buried within the article.

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