TV

Heroes of the North Bands Together Canadian Superheroes

Canadians, assemble! Superheroes come to life in the online series Heroes of the North

By Will Harris /

Top row: Fleur-de-Lys, The Canadian, Nordik. Bottom: 8 Ball, Black Terror

Canadian superheroes band together in this live-action online series, eh

The idea of a Canadian superhero team isn’t exactly a new one — let us all now praise Marvel’s Alpha Flight — but seeing one brought into a live-action medium doesn’t happen every day, and especially not in the awesome manner that’s been done for Heroes of the North.

Writers Ryan Barnett, Kole McCrae, and Michel and Yann Brouillette clearly know how to script for super-powered types, but what really helps sell Heroes of the North is that it looks great, plays it completely seriously, and — perhaps most importantly for comic-book aficionados — isn’t afraid to take it slow, introducing each team member one by one and then bringing them all together in such a way that viewers are as raring to go as the heroes themselves.

There isn’t nearly enough space here to tell you about the whole cast of characters, but when you tune in, you’ll quickly find yourself introduced to such upstanding individuals as Nordik, Fleur-de-Lys, 8 Ball, the Black Terror and — wait for it — Canadian Shield.

The story begins during the Second World War, when we meet Canadian Shield, a hero who . . . OK, let’s be honest, he might as well be called Captain Canada, as there are more than a few parallels to Captain America throughout the series (Cap fights HYDRA, for example, while the Heroes of the North battle MEDUSA). Still, it’s the Shield’s introduction in the first episode that sets the stage for what’s to come, an adventure which, if you can believe it, even manages to use Dr. Joseph Mengele as one of the primary nemeses — now that’s what we call a bad guy!

Is the series melodramatic at times? Sure, but that’s the nature of the beast. If you’re looking for a bit of superhero adventure instilled with a dash of national pride, Heroes of the North fits the bill perfectly.

Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.