Review: ‘Ben 10’ #1 Is A New Take On The Cartoon Classic

Some people might say I’m a little old for cartoons. There’s even some that I fully missed. But I have a soft spot for a few that came during my late teens and twenties, and Ben 10 is near the top of that list.

Now, the classic cartoon is getting a comic book reboot, and it’s a completely unique one. For once, the original creators are at the helm, as the series is plotted by Man of Action, with a script by Joe Casey, art by Robert Carey, colors by Ren Spiller and letters by Taylor Esposito.

Ben Tennyson is just an average kid, spending his summer vacation with his Grandpa Max and cousin Gwen. Yet, when a strange device crash lands near their campsite, Ben’s life is about to change. The Tennysons are about to be hunted for the strange watch on Ben’s wrist…

Now, this story might seem familiar. Yes, this is a reboot of the classic cartoon, and that does mean this issue follows the plot of the pilot episode pretty closely. But having Man of Action (consisting of Casey, Joe Kelly, Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau) involved makes it clear this isn’t just a rehash. This is a story honoring what made Ben 10 great.

And here’s the thing about that — this issue does echo a lot of Ben’s first adventure. It might even seem like a straight adaptation of it. But there’s small changes throughout that makes it clear it’s more than that.

What Casey seems to be doing here is taking the foundation of Ben 10, and transforming it into a mature serial. It’s not overly serious, and definitely not adult though. I definitely felt like I could hand it to my kiddo (which I will once our physical copy arrives). But this is Ben 10 as a comic — a little deeper, serialized, and using the medium to its full advantage.

Carey is a great companion to Casey in that mission. While everything is on-model (the biggest difference is Max Tennyson’s skinnier and slightly more aged appearance) he has a strong depth in his pencils, and uses more angular, sketchy lines to make it clear this isn’t exactly the world we know.

He also pairs fantastically with Spiller when the action picks up. The highlight of the issue is absolutely when Ben starts using the Omnitrix to fight a cyborg bear. Our first glimpse of the aliens — Four Arms and Heat Blast — are played for horror as much as they are heroics, and it’s thanks to how Spiller uses his colors to enhance the moment. Heat Blast’s first appearance one page is bathed in an orange-yellow glow that’s absolutely frightening.

Esposito handles a lot of exposition and dialogue here. He captures the patter of Ben and Gwen’s sibling-like banter though, and also keeps the exposition from overwhelming the page.

If you like superhero action, Ben 10 is a great place for it. I have to say though, I’m excited for this slightly more grown-up take on our favorite alien(s) hero.

Ben 10 #1 is available now from Dynamite Entertainment.