BEN 10 #5 (DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT)
A stop at the circus has taken a terrifying turn for Ben Tennyson .
ZOMBOZO and his freak show have brainwashed attendees in a plan to take over. The latest victim is Grandpa Max!
When Ben tries the initial save, things don’t go so well. Grandpa is on his way over a cliff while Zombozo is laughing in the shadows!
BEN 10 #5 by Joe Casey, Duncan Rouleau, Joe Kelly, Robert Carey, Steven T. Seagle, Ren Spiller & Taylor Esposito- (Dynamite Entertainment) concludes the horror show under the big top.
Let’s take a closer look.
BEN 10 #5 by Joe Casey, Duncan Rouleau, Joe Kelly, Robert Carey, Steven T. Seagle, Ren Spiller & Taylor Esposito (dynamite comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
WRITING:
Seagle keeps up the horror angle right from the beginning. Seeing Ben’s transformation into Grey Matter is sure to be a fan-favorite scene. His new persona struggles to cleanly make the save but gets the job dine. The following dialogue shows Zombozo’s influence is stronger than previously thought. It pushes Ben to make some sense of the gravity of the situation. Gwen’s intervention leads to a small break to recess for two scene breaks.
Getting the breather allows the writing to spotlight the clashing personalities of the cousins. Ben’s panic over his powers crashing is met with Gwen’s overthinking of direction. It provides a solid display of how much danger Zombozo is bringing. Readers watch as the conversation leads into impulsive moves. Pacing picks up to let some quick action hit the pages. This allows for a few more moves to take place leading into the end of the confrontation. Seagle sneaks in a bonding moment before bowing events out to the steady close. A fun story and a vastly different look for the young hero’s opposition.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW!
ARTWORK:
Carey and Spiller open with a blunt look at Grandpa’s aerial maneuvers. Grey Matter’s debut comes in quiet fashion with a corner panel. Readers watch as his small stature gives its’ all to save Grandpa. When the save isn’t a complete success, Ben’s emotions start opening up. Gwen’s save allows for the frustration to take hold. It provides a pivot point to some full shots of Kraab’s situation and Zombozo’s full page decree.
Gwen and Ben’s frantic planning takes center stage with the family rivalry kicking into place. Ben’s demeaner of “powers conquer planning” clashes with Gwen’s stern looks of over-confidence. This rolls into a transformation of another persona to escalate the fight via full shot. Panels reflect the fast moving action as the final play commences. Readers are treated to a solid round of images leading into a direct finish. The closing pages are more wholesome in presentation. It’s in the same vein of most horror movies with a calm walk-off scene. Solid work
FINAL GRADE: 8.5
Ben’s circus adventure comes to a fitting halt with Zombozo raising the stakes. Seagle dives into the dynamic with Gwen to set up the drama. Carey and Spiller showcase the clashing of personalities for huge gains. A fresh take that’s outside of the classic superhero theme model. Ben’s back and fans don’t want to miss this.
Let me know your thoughts on Ben 10 #5 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
