Hard to believe the Ben 10 franchise is over two decades old. Despite garnering a devoted fanbase, the beloved property has been curiously in limbo since its most recent animated series ended on Cartoon Network a few years back. As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. After teasing a new licensed comic, Dynamite has officially announced a new era of Ben 10 will begin in a new ongoing comic series launching in February.
Moreover, Man of Action, the creators of Ben 10 consisting of Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle. According to the press release, writer Joe Casey will lead the way penning the first few stories and be joined by artist Robert Carey.
The publisher is keeping much close to the vest but teased a revamped origin.
Details below:
For this inventive new phase of Ben 10, Casey, Carey, and company are taking a more straightforward, action-oriented approach. The beloved animated series exists for fans who grew up with it and for future generations to continue discovering it. This comic series will update the concept for modern audiences, while of course being drawn with the boundless potential of the comics form, opening up a wider range of tones to tap into, from the emotional to the surreal, across drama, comedy, and tragedy.
“Ben 10 is obviously very close to our hearts, and has been for the last twenty years,” said initial series writer Joe Casey. “So we’re psyched to finally present a vision of Ben and his mythology in the manner and format that we’ve always wanted to see. This is basically a straight-up superhero comic that’s going to compete with every major series out there. This is “Ultimate” or “Absolute” Ben 10. We guarantee, this is the best that Ben 10 has ever been.”
It all starts in issue #1 with an updated origin, bringing fans both old and new up to speed on the incredible characters and mythos of Ben 10. As young Ben Tennyson first discovers the mysterious Omnitrix — and the transformative powers it contains — readers will be pulled in deeper to how such an event would truly impact the world around it.
From there, the Man of Action brain trust will recontextualize the greatest hits and coolest components of previous iterations, honing it down to its most perfect presentation. They will expand and add to the recipe, with a thoughtful approach to continuity in the vein of classic superhero comics, rewarding both grown up fans of the original shows, as well as younger readers who have never met Ben, his cousin Gwen, Grandpa Max, fearsome foes like Vilgax, all of the powerful aliens of the Omnitrix, and countless other fun parts of the world!
