Author: Robert Greenberger

I had missed out on the [[[Ben 10]]] phenomenon and wasn’t even sure what it was about despite colleagues of mine creating it and friends writing for it. Recently, someone described it to me as Dial H for Hero except he dials up alien lifeforms. Ah!

By sheer happenstance, Warner Home Video sent over Ben 10 Alien Force, Vol. 8, on sale Tuesday, for review. The six episodes contained within are from the latter half of the second season so by now, the show has become a rich, fully populated reality. Diving in, it took a little while to figure out the players and relationships but given the 22 minutes per episode, they couldn’t get overly complex anyway.

The series, which concluded in March to make way for the next generation, [[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien]]], which debuted in April. I’m not sure how the characters and situations worked out when they were initially depicted as five years younger than the teenagers they are here, but suspect things play better now that the trio – Ben, his cousin Gwen, and their friend Kevin – now have greater experience to draw upon for their exploits.

The set includes “If all Else Fails”, “In Charm’s Way”, “Ghost Town”, Trade Off”, Busy Box’, and “Con of Rath” (this cleverly titled final one is oddly listed as a bonus). They show the comic book roots of the creators with a nice variety of new threats, old threats, character arcs, and differing tones. One was written by Peter David, who has previously visited this world with the DelRey graphic novel [[[Ben 10 Alien Force: Doom Dimension]]] and there’s a freshness to his dialogue that sparkles while Len Wein’s effort felt more predictable.

Other than Kevin trying to reverse his physical condition back to normal, there are few status quo changing elements here so for newbie’s like me, these episodes were engaging since they focused on the action. There’s a nice blend between the human antics of the teens, the growing closeness between Gwen and Kevin along with the role Grandpa Max plays. Charmcaster proved Gwen’s most interesting challenge and in this sextet of stories, she is probably the most underutilized character. Apparently the world is somewhat comfortable with aliens given their frequent comings and goings although you don’t get a real feel for that/ Nor do we understand if these kids go to school at all and if they have friends beyond one another, elements worthy of exploration.

The animation is strong and the alien designs are imaginative and don’t feel like they all came from the same shop, much as the Hanna-Barbera stuff began to exhibit a sameness after a while. The vocal cast is also well done so the entire package is eminently entertaining and therefore recommended.

The sole extra on this disc is an Alien Database that provides exceptionally brief details on the common alien races seen throughout the series.

Ghostopolis

By Doug Tennapel
Scholastic Graphix, 267 pages, $12.99

Doug Tennapel recently wrote on his blog that he cannot begin drawing a graphic novel until he has written the story and worked hard to ensure the story is a good one. He wrote, “It has to be tight, read well enough and come to a point of being finished before I can move on to pencils.”

It could be that emphasis on story that has propelled him to fame as an acclaimed creator of works such as [[[Earthworm Jim]]], [[[Creature Tech]]], [[[Tommysaurus Rex]]],[[[Monster Zoo]]], and now [[[Ghostopolis]]]. The recently released graphic novel from Scholastic’s Graphix imprint is a well-paced adventure taking familiar themes and ideas and making them feel fresh.

Garth Hale is a terminally ill adolescent who is accidentally transported to the spirit realm known as Ghostopolis. The living doesn’t belong there and Frank Gallows, a Supernatural Immigration Task Force agent and the man responsible for the mishap, wants to retrieve him. His superior, though, fires Frank for incompetence but he feels guilty enough to want to complete his mission.

Once he crosses over, accompanied by his ex-fiancé and current ghost, Claire Voyant, the adventure kicks into gear. Across 267 pages, Tennapel swiftly moves across a sprawling landscape of the hereafter, which has its own rules, few of which apparently applying to the living. While Frank seeks Garth, so does the realm’s vile ruler, Vaugner (another of Claire’s exes). There are secrets revealed, families reunited, and love in the fetid air.

We could pretty much guess how this will end, but there are enough twists on the expected outcome that it is far from anticlimactic. What Tennapel nicely does here is give us a fantasy world but never strays from the emotional ties between members of Garth’s family, which transcends the realities. Additionally, the various lead characters have nice arcs so what happens to them has meaning.

In addition to the drama, there’s action aplenty including a climax that is epic in scope and visually appealing. Tennapel also doesn’t skimp on the humor (including some well timed puns), which will keep younger readers rapt.

While Tennapel wrote and drew this epic, Katherine Garner and a team of colorists do a nice job making things feel otherworldy. I do wish, though, she used different palettes for the real world and the other realms, which could have enhanced the story a bit.

This is a welcome addition to Tennapel’s works and well worth the time of readers.