VIZ MEDIA’s PERFECT SQUARE IMPRINT DELIVERS NEW BEN 10 OMNIVERSE ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL SERIES IN OCTOBER

Ben Tennyson And Partner Rook Investigate A Distress Call Aboard A Stranded Spacecraft In A Full-Color Original Adventure Series Based On The Emmy-Winning Animated Kids Program

San Francisco, CA, October 9, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, takes readers on an action-packed adventure in its new full-color original graphic novel series – BEN 10 OMNIVERSE.

BEN 10 OMNIVERSE, Vol. 1: GHOST SHIP features artwork by Alan Brown with story by Cory Levine and is now available under the company’s Perfect Square imprint. The title is rated ‘A’ for All Ages, and carries an MSRP of $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN. A digital version is also currently available for $4.99 U.S. / CAN from the Perfect Square App, which has titles available for the Apple iPad^® and iPad^® Mini. The Perfect Square App is available from the iTunes store.

The BEN 10 OMNIVERSE graphic novels are inspired by Cartoon Network’s hit original animated series Ben 10 Omniverse, which is currently airing new episodes on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. (ET/PT). Ben 10 Omniverse is the latest installment of the hit Ben 10 franchise and was developed by Men of Action, a Development/Production House dedicated to writing, conceptualizing, and developing work of exceptional quality, commercial viability, and explosive creativity.

For more than five years, Ben Tennyson has been saving the universe with his Omnitrix, which allows him to use the DNA of aliens to take on heroic new forms. But he’s never encountered a challenge quite like this! Teamed up with a new partner, Rook, who seriously needs to relax, Ben investigates the mysteries of a hidden underground alien city and has to battle a new enemy, Khyber, who has only one thing on his mind: hunting down Ben 10!

In the opening volume of the graphic novel series, Ben and Rook investigate a distress call that lands them on a stranded space ship with a secret... and puts them right where Khyber wants them, trapped with no way out while he and his shape-shifting dog hunt them down. Now Ben’s got to get off an abandoned vehicle that’s falling out of space, save himself and his partner from Khyber’s alien pet (who can turn into the natural enemy of any of Ben’s alien forms!), and figure out the mystery of the “Ghost Ship!”

“It’s truly an honor to welcome these new original BEN 10 OMNIVERSE graphic novels into the Perfect Square print and digital catalog,” says Editor Joel Enos. “The Ben 10 animated series has received international critical acclaim and won three Emmy Awards, and the OMNIVERSE stories build on and expand the mythology of the series in new ways while staying true to the series’ visual art style and tone. Our comics feature original adventures with some surprising cameos from past Ben 10 comics and cartoons, as well as some all-new characters created exclusively for the new Perfect Square corner of the Omniverse!”

BEN 10 OMNIVERSE, Vol. 1: GHOST SHIP artist Alan Brown has a love of comic art and cartoons that led him to a career as a storyboard and concept artist for a busy London agency, working for clients such as Lego and Ford. As a freelance artist and designer he has also created a variety of licensed artwork for Disney, Warner Bros. and the BBC, while continuing to provide comic art for small press and independent comics publishers. 

BEN 10 OMNIVERSE, Vol. 1: GHOST SHIP writer Cory Levine is a former editorial staffer for Marvel Comics where he edited hundreds of collected editions of comic books, encyclopedic handbooks, special edition magazines and foreign-licensed comics including the company's well-received line of Soleil graphic album adaptations. In 2010 he founded First Edition Publishing, Inc., an end-to-end publishing solutions firm offering editorial packaging, graphic design and pre-press production services.

VIZ Media’s Perfect Square imprint focuses on delivering original comics, manga (graphic novels) and other children’s books with an emphasis on strong storytelling, eye-popping graphics, empowering themes, and a dash of irreverence, that captures the imagination of a whole new generation.

Additional information on titles published by Perfect Square is available at www.PerfectSquare.com.

For more information on other manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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