Posted 24 October 2019
This post is nothing too elaborate. These are just some quick thoughts about a franchise I’m experiencing for the first time. This post was written with little to no research and I may not explain everything 100%. Again, these are just some thoughts.
The Ben 10 Series / Cartoon Network /2005-Present
Ben 10 is a franchise I’d thought I’d never appreciate until quite recently. When it first debuted on Cartoon Network in late ’05, early ’06, it just seemed like another boys’ action show to me. This goes the same way thinking “Man of Action” (Ben 10’s creators – Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle) was an important male creator who was known for taking action and not a comic writing collective.
Quick Overview of Each Series
Ben 10 Classic (watched from 30 May 2019 to 5 July 2019)was an excellent series. It laid the groundwork and set the bar for the later series.
Ben 10: Alien Force and Ultimate Alien are the ones I haven’t seen in their entirety. I’ve only watched their intros and watched some clips since eps are hard to come by. They seem just OK and the intros have no lyrics. I’ve seen one ep of Ultimate Alien and that seemed up to par with what I’ve grown accustomed (“Escape from Aggregor”). Despite that, I feel I need to watch both series to fill in the gaps for what happens between the original series and Ben 10: Omniverse.
I have not yet seen any of the movies. Do I want to see them?
I have finished watching Ben 10: Omniverse (watched from 26 August 2019 to 18 October 2019). It’s as great as the classic series but it mostly focuses on Ben as a teenager and new characters are added. All changes are welcomed for a fresh feel for the series.
What Draws Me Near?
It was one episode of the 2016 reboot that influenced my decision to pursue this franchise. I have not yet seen very many episodes of the new series but from what I’ve seen, it’s not as great as the other series. Even by that one episode alone, that’s how I realized how much potential this show can have.
An Amazing Alien Action Show!
The show’s dark, shadowy artwork and mood music for every moment should be factors that will make Ben 10 Cartoon Network’s crown jewel of action shows. Ben can act like a blockhead at times but remember, he’s still young. From the two shows I’ve watched, I enjoyed the distribution of humor throughout the perfectly spaced doses of action. I like the different personalities and touches of humor of his many aliens. My favorite aliens are Ditto and Rath. What was marketed as a “boy show” helps this girl enjoy the feel of what she had avoided in the past.
I still need to work on a new rating system but if you like Cartoon Network action show from the mid-‘00s to the mid-‘10s, add this show to your list. For lack of a better rating system, for now, I’ll just say this show is excellent (5 stars does not describe this) (judging from watching the entire classic series, most of “Omniverse,” and one ep of “Ultimate Alien”)! This show can be used to promote alien tolerance if that’s ever needed. This is a reminder that not all aliens are those stereotypical green beings with the void, black eyes. It’s clear that the Man of Action team takes all of their past comic-making experience and gathers it together to create this fine specimen of action greatness.
