When 2008 Topps Heroes first arrived, there was a lot of hope for both the show and the trading card line. Neither really played out. That said, fans of the show may find some joy in the fact that the 2008 Topps Heroes Memorabilia cards come from the first season — the good one.
The five-card set (six if you count variants) covers four characters. Considering the show’s ensemble cast, this may seem a little disappointing. If there’s any consolation, two of the show’s most popular characters are among them.
Leading the way is Claire Bennet. Played by Hayden Panettiere, she has two different cards on the checklist. The first has swatches from her central cheerleading uniform. Claire is also included on the rarest card in the set, one that has a patch piece from the uniform. Both cards use separate photos and are considered different cards.
The variant card has Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka). One has a shirt swatch, the other a piece of his jacket. These cards use the same photo.
Other 2008 Topps Heroes Memorabilia cards are a painting shirt from Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera) and a Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) police uniform.
Costume cards land 1:44 hobby packs. At the time, they were considered the weakest of the main three inserts in the product with autographs and sketch cards being the bigger draws.
2008 Topps Heroes Memorabilia Cards Checklist
Click on the links to shop for specific cards or check current market values on eBay.
Santiago Cabrera as Isaac Mendez – Painting Shirt
Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman – Police Uniform
Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura – Jacket
Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura – Shirt
Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet – Cheerleading Outfit
Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet – Cheerleading Outfit Patch
