The End of Ben 10

[Jcogginsa]

This past week, the final episode of Ben 10 Omniverse aired. Though it ended with a sequel hook, as far as i know there are no plans to continue this series.

Though the franchise has had it's ups and downs, I think it has proven itself a new classic. Years from now, it will be remembered with the same fondness as the original transformers cartoon.

Let's talk about our favorite moments of this fine series. Our favorite heroes, villains, aliens, plotlines, episodes. Anything.

[KurtW95]

I love Ben 10. But Omniverse literally got rid of everything I loved about it. Everything Dwayne McDuffie brought to the series... Thrown away. The Kevin retcon was when I finally quit the series. I wasn't happy with Gwen's new Velma design, didn't like Kevin's new caveman design, didn't like that Ben and Julie were broken up, didn't like that Ben can't control the Omnitrix anymore and stops saying his alien's names, didn't like the new animation and goofier direction. But I stood by it for all of that. But when they retcon something so important to the mythos like Kevin's alien origin, I leave. It's just not the same series. And all of these retcons are extremely disrespectful to Dwayne McDuffie, who made Ben 10 better than ever with AF and UA. And so many plotholes from those retcons and errors in characterization. In my own headcanon Omniverse isn't continuity. It reminds me of Sliders, how a brilliant series can go downhill under new management.

[Jcogginsa]

I love Ben 10. But Omniverse literally got rid of everything I loved about it. Everything Dwayne McDuffie brought to the series... Thrown away. The Kevin retcon was when I finally quit the series. I wasn't happy with Gwen's new Velma design, didn't like Kevin's new caveman design, didn't like that Ben and Julie were broken up, didn't like that Ben can't control the Omnitrix anymore and stops saying his alien's names, didn't like the new animation and goofier direction. But I stood by it for all of that. But when they retcon something so important to the mythos like Kevin's alien origin, I leave. It's just not the same series. And all of these retcons are extremely disrespectful to Dwayne McDuffie, who made Ben 10 better than ever with AF and UA. And so many plotholes from those retcons and errors in characterization. In my own headcanon Omniverse isn't continuity. It reminds me of Sliders, how a brilliant series can go downhill under new management.

You do realise that the alien origin was a retcon as well, right?

[KurtW95]

You do realise that the alien origin was a retcon as well, right?

How? He never had a human father in the original series. And it didn't make previous stories null and void.

[Pharozonk]

I lost interest in the franchise after the original series ended.

[KurtW95]

I lost interest in the franchise after the original series ended.

I think you'd like Alien Force and Ultimate Alien.

[brettc1]

I too was disappointed in the direction the show took after Dwayne passed. I used to watch it with my son, who became hooked on the original series when he was about 5. Lots of deeper messages in Alien Force.

[shades of eternity]

The problem with Ben 10 is that the universe is way more interesting then the main character.

Ben's always been one of the weakest part of his own mythos. Heck some of the stronger stories in it's long run have Ben as a side character at best (such as that one horror episode where Gwen has to confront that one fallen superhero).

Kevin and Gwen are a much stronger focal point, and hell even most of the plumbers are kind of fun.

I think I get way why they redid Kevin's back story and it's not that bad a change (it does fix a couple of big gaping holes), but omniverse's animation has been painful.

However, some villains being rehabilitated really make better characters. Fistina is really growing on me and I'd love to see her go through the plumber's academy.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

I lost interest in the franchise after the original series ended.

Same here. Actually, I began to lose interest when they attempted Ben 10 in live action, that was just bad.

[shades of eternity]

hell, it got shown hard in the penultimate episode when they basically do a female game show for ben's hand and you notice that there are about at least 10 characters that you don't recognize and 10 that are way better then Ben in every conceivable way for driving stories.

[AdamFTF]

I lost interest in the franchise after the original series ended.

I didn't exactly lose interest, but I did find the show to be a bit more unique in its original series. The show didn't take itself too seriously. It had a hero who was younger than most superheroes in TV and comics with a very clearly defined personality. It took place over one long summer vacation (which is something more common lately, but Ben 10 did it first). Also, it was just so wonderfully cross-genre. There was a lot of alien stuff, but there would be stuff like magic or robots or mad scientists or even stuff that was undefined like where Kevin 11's powers came from. In the shows that followed, everything just became about aliens. Even Gwen's magic got turned into some alien thing.

I actually did like Omniverse, but the stuff between Ben 10 and Ben 10: Omniverse just felt kind of generic to me.

[Randumbz]

I loved the original series. At first I hated alien force because I thought it was too dark, but over time I started to like it even more than the original series. But then ultimate alien came along and it was completely dull and pointless. It felt like they were just going through the motions. The aggregor stuff was kind of cool, but most episodes just felt like filler. I hated every episode of Omniverse except for the galactic monsters stuff. I haven't seen the episodes after that though. Maybe I should check out the last episode.

[Batman#22]

BEN 10 IS DEAD!!!!

Wow, this is news to me.

(looks on Wikipedia)

Well, I'm amazed that no advertisement was given for these episodes. They actually aired these episodes every day and CN told no one? Weird. However nothing said that was the final episode. On the other hand it would make sense if they did want to get the episodes done right away because CN did the exact same thing with Beware the Batman. On second thought, I don't CN would do that, because it sold Millions of Toys.

Also, like some you said. Once Dwayne McDuffie died, this show went down hill fast. They made Ben 10 regress into his former bratty self and even regressed all the improvements of the show. I also hated the complicated relationship of Ben and Julie. Julie turned into such a bitch who always tried to get her way, and on top of all that, she was annoyingly competitive. What's worse is how Ben was written so badly, that the break up was on accident when he was saying it in trance coused by a video game of all things. I loved how Dark Ben 10: Alien Force was and I loved how Ben was more mature than his old self. Take that away and all you have is a bratty man child.

[KurtW95]

Also, like some you said. Once Dwayne McDuffie died, this show went down hill fast. They made Ben 10 regress into his former bratty self and even regressed all the improvements of the show. I also hated the complicated relationship of Ben and Julie. Julie turned into such a bitch who always tried to get her way, and on top of all that, she was annoyingly competitive. What's worse is how Ben was written so badly, that the break up was on accident when he was saying it in trance coused by a video game of all things. I loved how Dark Ben 10: Alien Force was and I loved how Ben was more mature than his old self. Take that away and all you have is a bratty man child.

Without McDuffie, I'd expect nothing less from these guys.

[Jcogginsa]

I loved the original series. At first I hated alien force because I thought it was too dark, but over time I started to like it even more than the original series. But then ultimate alien came along and it was completely dull and pointless. It felt like they were just going through the motions. The aggregor stuff was kind of cool, but most episodes just felt like filler. I hated every episode of Omniverse except for the galactic monsters stuff. I haven't seen the episodes after that though. Maybe I should check out the last episode.

The last episode is good but not the best. I recomend the "and then there was Ben" two parter. Easily one of the best episodes in the entire franchise.