Ben10: Doom Dimension Review...or something. It's probably mostly picspam
Don't read this if you don't want to be spoiled for this...amerimanga? Yeah. I guess that's what this is.
Also: THIS WILL BE IMAGE HEAVY. IT'S UNDER A CUT, DEAL WITH IT.
Okay, so here's a brief overview just to get you started.
Ben 10 Alien Force: Doom Dimension is a graphic novel written by "In Charm's Way" scribe Peter David and drawn by Dan Hipp, who's apparently drawn Amazing Joy Buzzards, Gyakushu!, and Gen13, and was published by Del Rey books.
Here's a synopsis (lifted from Amazon)
THERE’S NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF BEN 10
Fifteen-year-old superhero Ben 10 and his friends arrive on the scene of an interstellar wreck only to find the fearsome Forever Knights, a secret society dedicated to stealing alien technology for its own dark ends. While the Knights seize a new gizmo from the smashup, Ben is blasted-along with Aztak, the pilot of the downed spacecraft-into an alternate world: the Fourth Dimension.
Now Ben’s stuck in a strange new realm with an alien bounty hunter who just happens to be hunting for-him! Ben Tennyson is wanted far and wide for the vaunted Omnitrix that transforms him instantly into any number of amazing and ultradeadly creatures.
Worse yet, the gadget the Forever Knights stole from Aztak’s spaceship is a ticking time bomb. Ben must now escape the trap of time, elude Aztak, and find the nefarious Knights before the object blows all living matter within four miles to smithereens!
Okay, so the plot's not too bad, seemingly standard fare that could even have been an episode. After reading the book, I'm a little confused, canonically speaking, but that's not here or there, cause I'm going to let those who are interested pick up the book and read (at their own risk). What I'm going to review is the art.
The art is the biggest turn-off this graphic novel has. I am not the art snob, by bffl, monarchist is, but even I can't get over it. Before I go into pictures, the best way I can describe the style is that it's reminiscent of Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl, Gorillaz) but only Fail.
Without any further ado, PICSPAM.
Here's our establishing shot. Oh hey team! Look at you! In Keu's ride! And after seeing the video for 'Stylo', I am more convinced that Keu is Murdoc, Ben is 2D, and Gwen's a FAIL!Noodle.
Keu has a point here. Nobody's ever like "HO SHIT IT'S KEVIN LEVIN!!" Come on, Keu beats ass too.
I don't even. This guy's style is like WTF? I'm guessing that her eyes are supposed to be glowing. That or she's mutated. Which is totally Kevin's job and he probably yell at her "YOO TOOK MAH JERB!"
So they fight some Forever Knights and then....
TIS BUT A FLESH WOUND!!!!!
Keu, it might be just me, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want an immature Anodite performing limb reattachment on me. And when the hell did she get this power and since when has Kevin be able to become completely a material as opposed to just getting a coating over his skin LIKE IT HAS BEEN SINCE ALIEN FORCE BEGAN????? /nerdraeg
SIMPLEFACE IN MAH BEN10? IT'S PRETTY FUCKING LIKELY.
Okay, so Gwen got his arm back on. But I still hold to the fact it was but a flesh wound. Also, Keu's a punny bastard.
Okay so Keu and Gwen got thrown into the sea? (What the hell?) And the only thing I notice is the MASSIVE THUNDERTHIGHS GWEN IS SPORTING. SERIOUSLY, IT'S LIKE SHE FORGOT HOW TO USE HER THIGHMASTER OR SOMETHING. HEY GWEN! CHUN-LI CALLED AND WANTS HER BODY BACK.
This next series of images I will leave in their entirety:
Okay...so Keu's a hero and goes back into the ocean to save the ever helpless Gwen. And since she's not breathing, administer CPR...and...WHAT THE HELL GWEN?! ARE YOU SOME CHEEZY ASS DUDE WHO FAKES DROWNING TO MAKE OUT WITH THE HOT LIFEGUARD?!?!
AND HOW THE FUCK DOES THIS SHIT MERIT A TWO PAGE SPREAD??? THIS IS SOME OL BULLSHIT. I AM ABOUT TO GO VOMIT OR SOMETHING.
OH COME ON GWEN, DON'T PLAY INNOCENT. YOU HAD THAT PLANNED ALL ALONG, YOU SKEEZY HOBAG. GOD YOUR HANDS LOOK LIKE A 90 YEAR OLD MAN'S.
OKAY.
So, now back to Ben's pov, apparently a blast threw him into the "Fourth Dimension" which makes you become drawn in pencil is four seconds behind the one we live in.
And while this shows that they can't mess with things that move, all I see is Buffy, Kevin's cat, (crossfirerp) RUNNING BENJI THROUGH. WITH HER BODY. YOU DON'T FUCK WITH HER YARN, TENNYSON. NEVER.
Here Ben is visiting the Department of Backstory.
And again. And this is where I decided that Hipp sucks at drawing everyone but Ben and the aliens.
Back to Kevin and Gwen.
So, she thinks Ben is dead and gets all mopey on us or has a really bad case of pink-eye. We'll never know.
Probably because of the pink-eye, Gwen goes BERSERKER SUPER-SAIYAN Anodite and decides to punish the Forever Knights for killing her only obstacle between her and Kevin cousin. And takes out this PMS on Keu.
And back to Ben's pov aka Pencil Land:
Wow, Gwen, it's pretty bad when Kev is all like, "Wow, that's a little too harsh." Pull it back a smidge, eh? And since when can you go Full!Anodite on command? I don't even.
Anyway, that's all the scans I have. I woulda scanned more, but I'm pretty lazy.
Now, discuss. Or Macro.
Also: THIS WILL BE IMAGE HEAVY. IT'S UNDER A CUT, DEAL WITH IT.
Okay, so here's a brief overview just to get you started.
Ben 10 Alien Force: Doom Dimension is a graphic novel written by "In Charm's Way" scribe Peter David and drawn by Dan Hipp, who's apparently drawn Amazing Joy Buzzards, Gyakushu!, and Gen13, and was published by Del Rey books.
Here's a synopsis (lifted from Amazon)
THERE’S NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF BEN 10
Fifteen-year-old superhero Ben 10 and his friends arrive on the scene of an interstellar wreck only to find the fearsome Forever Knights, a secret society dedicated to stealing alien technology for its own dark ends. While the Knights seize a new gizmo from the smashup, Ben is blasted-along with Aztak, the pilot of the downed spacecraft-into an alternate world: the Fourth Dimension.
Now Ben’s stuck in a strange new realm with an alien bounty hunter who just happens to be hunting for-him! Ben Tennyson is wanted far and wide for the vaunted Omnitrix that transforms him instantly into any number of amazing and ultradeadly creatures.
Worse yet, the gadget the Forever Knights stole from Aztak’s spaceship is a ticking time bomb. Ben must now escape the trap of time, elude Aztak, and find the nefarious Knights before the object blows all living matter within four miles to smithereens!
Okay, so the plot's not too bad, seemingly standard fare that could even have been an episode. After reading the book, I'm a little confused, canonically speaking, but that's not here or there, cause I'm going to let those who are interested pick up the book and read (at their own risk). What I'm going to review is the art.
The art is the biggest turn-off this graphic novel has. I am not the art snob, by bffl, monarchist is, but even I can't get over it. Before I go into pictures, the best way I can describe the style is that it's reminiscent of Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl, Gorillaz) but only Fail.
Without any further ado, PICSPAM.
Here's our establishing shot. Oh hey team! Look at you! In Keu's ride! And after seeing the video for 'Stylo', I am more convinced that Keu is Murdoc, Ben is 2D, and Gwen's a FAIL!Noodle.
Keu has a point here. Nobody's ever like "HO SHIT IT'S KEVIN LEVIN!!" Come on, Keu beats ass too.
I don't even. This guy's style is like WTF? I'm guessing that her eyes are supposed to be glowing. That or she's mutated. Which is totally Kevin's job and he probably yell at her "YOO TOOK MAH JERB!"
So they fight some Forever Knights and then....
TIS BUT A FLESH WOUND!!!!!
Keu, it might be just me, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want an immature Anodite performing limb reattachment on me. And when the hell did she get this power and since when has Kevin be able to become completely a material as opposed to just getting a coating over his skin LIKE IT HAS BEEN SINCE ALIEN FORCE BEGAN????? /nerdraeg
SIMPLEFACE IN MAH BEN10? IT'S PRETTY FUCKING LIKELY.
Okay, so Gwen got his arm back on. But I still hold to the fact it was but a flesh wound. Also, Keu's a punny bastard.
Okay so Keu and Gwen got thrown into the sea? (What the hell?) And the only thing I notice is the MASSIVE THUNDERTHIGHS GWEN IS SPORTING. SERIOUSLY, IT'S LIKE SHE FORGOT HOW TO USE HER THIGHMASTER OR SOMETHING. HEY GWEN! CHUN-LI CALLED AND WANTS HER BODY BACK.
This next series of images I will leave in their entirety:
Okay...so Keu's a hero and goes back into the ocean to save the ever helpless Gwen. And since she's not breathing, administer CPR...and...WHAT THE HELL GWEN?! ARE YOU SOME CHEEZY ASS DUDE WHO FAKES DROWNING TO MAKE OUT WITH THE HOT LIFEGUARD?!?!
AND HOW THE FUCK DOES THIS SHIT MERIT A TWO PAGE SPREAD??? THIS IS SOME OL BULLSHIT. I AM ABOUT TO GO VOMIT OR SOMETHING.
OH COME ON GWEN, DON'T PLAY INNOCENT. YOU HAD THAT PLANNED ALL ALONG, YOU SKEEZY HOBAG. GOD YOUR HANDS LOOK LIKE A 90 YEAR OLD MAN'S.
OKAY.
So, now back to Ben's pov, apparently a blast threw him into the "Fourth Dimension" which makes you become drawn in pencil is four seconds behind the one we live in.
And while this shows that they can't mess with things that move, all I see is Buffy, Kevin's cat, (crossfirerp) RUNNING BENJI THROUGH. WITH HER BODY. YOU DON'T FUCK WITH HER YARN, TENNYSON. NEVER.
Here Ben is visiting the Department of Backstory.
And again. And this is where I decided that Hipp sucks at drawing everyone but Ben and the aliens.
Back to Kevin and Gwen.
So, she thinks Ben is dead and gets all mopey on us or has a really bad case of pink-eye. We'll never know.
Probably because of the pink-eye, Gwen goes BERSERKER SUPER-SAIYAN Anodite and decides to punish the Forever Knights for killing her only obstacle between her and Kevin cousin. And takes out this PMS on Keu.
And back to Ben's pov aka Pencil Land:
Wow, Gwen, it's pretty bad when Kev is all like, "Wow, that's a little too harsh." Pull it back a smidge, eh? And since when can you go Full!Anodite on command? I don't even.
Anyway, that's all the scans I have. I woulda scanned more, but I'm pretty lazy.
Now, discuss. Or Macro.