Ben 10 #6 Review – Enter Hex

Ben 10 #6 (Dynamite Comics, 11/11/26): Writer Joe Casey and artist Robert Casey begin a new arc when Ben heads to the desert to test his powers, leading to a dangerous collision with Professor Hexford, aka Hex. Joe Casey’s tale onboards another classic villain with energy and urgency. Verdict: A solid start to a new arc.

• Writer: Joe Casey
• Artist: Robert Carey
• Colorist: Ren Spiller
• Letterer: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Artist: Robert Carey (cover A)
• Publisher: Dynamite Comics
• Release Date: November 11, 2026
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Page Count: 22
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of Ben 10 #6:

First Impressions:

I was not looking forward to reading this issue, given how poorly Ben 10 #5 turned out. Fortunately, this issue is a significant step up in quality.

Recap:

In Ben 10 #5, Ben and Gwen raced to save Grandpa Max after he walked off a cliff, but despite Ben’s quick thinking and a timely alien transformation, Max remained under the clowns’ mind control. When Ben’s attempt to take on the clowns with Heatblast ended in his capture, Gwen swooped in with a clown car to rescue him, and the two finally put their differences aside to devise a plan. Ben managed to snap Max out of his daze as Gwen destroyed the mind control device, and the issue wrapped up with the two sharing ghost stories.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

The issue begins in Arizona, where Professor Hexford is teaching an elective Summer class on the intersection of science and mythology. His class isn’t very popular or well-attended. Elsewhere, Grandpa Max takes Ben and Gwen out to the Arizona desert so that Ben can practice and catalog his powers, much to Gwen’s annoyance.

Meanwhile, Colonel Rozum delivers a report on the strange goings-on related to his hunt for an alien presence. His superiors agree that the matter needs serious attention, and they’ve selected Col. Rozum to lead a new alien-hunting task force. The Colonel wastes no time setting up new surveillance tech that sniffs out the unique alien signature.

Later, Ben activates his powers and turns into XLR8. When he races off to test the limits of his speed, he loses control and crashes into Prof. Hexford’s class, knocking him unconscious. When Ben wakes up, he’s chained to a pentagram wheel in a secret location, about to be sacrificed for Prof. Hexford’s wish to ascend to supernatural supremacy.

How is the story in Ben 10 #6?

Not bad. Joe Casey’s script is relatively solid and a significant improvement over the dreadful previous issue (the Zombozo arc finale). The setup is simple, and Casey drops a few breadcrumbs about Uncle Max’s past that give readers something to think about while the conflict at hand unfolds.

The two minor sticking points are Gwen’s unceasingly caustic personality, which makes every scene with her feel like you’re ringside during a toxic fight between relatives. Second, Prof. Hexford makes a hug logic leap to suppose that sacrificing Ben will somehow help him gain mystical power, with no rhyme, reason, or explanation as to how he came to that conclusion.

How is the art in Ben 10 #6?

The art team turned in a perfectly serviceable issue to set up the Ben 10 mythology’s resident sorcerer to create a whole heap of trouble. The backgrounds and panel angles are good, and the character figurework is on point. That said, the art is a bit clunky in two areas.

First, Robert Carey struggles with faces on certain characters, predominantly in the close-up panels. The proportions between the eyes, nose, and mouth are regularly mismatched. Second, Ren Spiller’s color selection is very good, but the application sometimes looks smudged. The net effect is a comic that’s visually okay but rough around the metaphorical edges.

Characters

There doesn’t appear to be a strong focal character in this issue, since Casey gives everyone in the ensemble something significant to do. Normally, the lack of focus would be a problem, but all the characters appear to be moving in the same direction and headed for a collision, so it works well enough. Uncle Max acts as the patriarch with a mysterious past. Col. Rozun is the staunch military man out to bag an alien. And Prof. Hexford seizes an opportunity for greatness, based on his wacky theories.

Originality & Concept Execution

This Hex is not the Hex from the source material, so you could easily agree that Joe Casey is going for a somewhat original take on the classic Ben 10 villain. A student of the occult who goes off the deep end when he crosses paths with one of Ben’s alter egos is not the kind of origin story most Ben 10 fans would recognize, but it works well enough in concept and execution.

Pros and Cons

What We Loved

• Solid art
• An original take on Hex, with some foibles
• Good pacing and energy

Room for Improvement

• Gwen is offputtingly obnoxious
• The art has rough spots
• Hex’s “sacrifice” conclusion comes out of nowhere

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 2.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1.5/2

Final Thoughts:

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Ben 10 #6 begins a new arc when Ben’s practice sessions in the desert inadvertently cross paths with a would-be sorcerer. Joe Casey’s script is solid enough, with a few rough spots. Likewise, the art team’s visuals are generally good, again, with a few rough spots.

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