Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 02/01/2010
“It’s Hero Time”: Ben 10: Alien Force
Ben 10, an animated television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios, first burst onto the scene in 2006. The show centers around Ben Tennyson, a boy who finds a mysterious watchlike device (known as the Omnitrix) that attaches permanently to his wrist and allows him to transform into 10 different alien forms, each possessing unique abilities. With the help of Grandpa Max and his cousin Gwen, Ben uses these incredible superpowers to aid others and protect Earth from extraterrestrial threats.
In 2008, the show was succeeded by Ben 10: Alien Force, a series currently airing on Cartoon Network that features a more mature protagonist and more complex plotlines. Five years have passed and Ben, now 15, has removed the Omnitrix and is content to lead a normal teenage life.
However, when Grandpa Max goes missing, Ben discovers that planet Earth is once again in danger. Strapping on the Omnitrix, which now allows him to access 10 new alien life-forms (including supersized Humungousaur, crablike but cerebral Brain Storm, and poly-morphing Goop), Ben works alongside Gwen, Kevin Levin (Ben’s now-reformed former nemesis), and a group of other good guys to rescue Grandpa Max and keep Earth safe from all manner of alien invaders. TV fans can visit the official Web site to check out the characters, watch full episodes, play online games, and get in on the chat.
Book Tie-ins
Scholastic has published several Ben 10: Alien Force titles that will grab TV series fans with colorful cartoon covers. Those who want to explore the show’s universe in greater depth will dive right into The Complete Guide, a fun-to-flip-through manual brightly illustrated with large, crisply reproduced images. Spreads introduce readers to Ben and his 10 new manifestations, describing each alien form’s name, species and home planet, amazing abilities, and proudest accomplishments. Other sections provide the scoop on Ben’s allies and enemies (earthlings and extraterrestrials alike); summaries of the heroic trio’s greatest feats; a glossary; and two quizzes to help readers determine which of Ben’s alien forms they are most like. The chatty tone and anecdotal text will satisfy series devotees. Those who like to doodle will enjoy How to Draw, a slim paperback that provides step-by-step directions for re-creating the main characters, including all of Ben’s visually diverse alien forms (both Scholastic, 2009; Gr 2-6).
Illustrated with cartoon artwork throughout and featuring straightforward language, two Ben 10: Alien Force storybooks are appropriate for both younger and reluctant readers (K–Gr 5). In Ben’s Knightmare (2009), Ben’s girlfriend Julie is turned into a lizard when a piece of alien technology misfires, and Ben and Kevin must breach the booby-trapped castle of the Forever Knights (an evil group dedicated to stockpiling alien technology) to obtain the reverse ray. Triple Threat (2010, both Scholastic) features a race between practiced heroes Ben, Gwen, and Kevin and a trio of less-experienced good guys to deactivate an alien spy transmitter. In both offerings, slick-looking illustrations and dialogue-infused text keep the pages turning quickly.
For more confident readers, two Ben 10: Alien Force chapter books provide fast-paced adventure supercharged with amusing dialogue and succinctly described action (Gr 3–6). When the evil HighBreed begin their invasion of Earth, it’s up to Ben and his friends to win the War of the Worlds (2009). An eight-page full-color “fact file” introduces the main characters and some of Ben’s alien forms. In Double Negative (2010, both Scholastic), Ben’s friends notice that Ben is not behaving like himself and soon realize that he has been replaced with Albedo, his evil—and alien—alter ego. Will they be able to get the real Ben—and the Omnitrix—back?
Graphic Novel
Del Rey has just launched an original Ben 10: Alien Force manga series (Gr 3–7) written by Peter David and illustrated by Dan Hipp. In the first volume of Doom Dimension (Feb., 2010), Ben and his friends are investigating an outer space wreck when the Forever Knights arrive on the scene and use their fire power to seize a mysterious alien device. During the skirmish, Ben and the spaceship’s pilot (actually a bounty hunter named Aztak, who happens to have Ben in his sights) are blasted into an alternate world: the Fourth Dimension. Ben must escape Aztak, return to his own time phase, and find the gadget before it blows up. Meanwhile, his friends think that he’s dead. Concise, sometimes humorously snarky dialogue and well-paced panels propel the action quickly. Fourth Dimension scenes are differentiated by softer edges and faded hues while the real-time scenes—focusing mostly in the interactions between Gwen and Kevin—are sharply delineated. The cliff-hanger ending will have readers enthusiastically awaiting the next installment, due out in July.
TV Movie
In November 2009, Cartoon Network aired Ben 10: Alien Swarm, a live-action film based on the series that has since been released on DVD. This sequel to the 2007 movie Ben 10: Race Against Time stars Ryan Kelley as Ben, Nathan Keyes as Kevin, and Galadriel Stineman as Gwen. When Ben’s old friend Elena (Alyssa Diaz) asks for help in finding her father, who was kicked out of the Plumbers (a secret organization that protects Earth from dangerous aliens) as a traitor years ago, Grandpa Max (Barry Corbin) refuses to comply. Ben must go against the wishes of his family to help Elena. Kids can visit the movie’s Web site to watch behind-the-scenes footage, play games, and more. Ben 10: Alien Swarm, a movie novelization from Scholastic (2009; Gr 3–6) will entice both movie and series fans with brisk dialogue, a shadowy villain, and nonstop action.
Pub Info
WEST, Tracey, with Katherine Noll. Ben 10: Alien Force: The Complete Guide. Scholastic. 2009. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-545-16049-0.
Ben 10: Alien Force: How to Draw. Scholastic. 2009. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-545-16050-6.
Ben 10: Alien Force: Ben’s Knightmare. Scholastic. 2009. pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-545-16051-3.
Ben 10: Alien Force: Triple Threat. Scholastic. 2010. pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-545-17717-7.
FULLERTON, Charlotte, adapt. Ben 10: Alien Force: War of the Worlds. Scholastic. 2009. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-545-17715-3.
Ben 10: Alien Force: Double Negative. Scholastic. 2010. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-545-17716-0.
DAVID, Peter. Ben 10: Alien Force: Doom Dimension: Volume 1. illus. by Dan Hipp. Del Rey/Ballantine. pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-345-51439-4.
WEST, Tracey, adapt. Ben 10: Alien Swarm. Scholastic. 2009. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-545-16052-0.
