Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight#165: 5 Years Later

Have you ever wished your favorite show got that extra sequel it was looking for? If so, you're about to get a double dose as we take on the fan-created sequel to Ben 10 and Danny Phantom: 5 Years Later by the Ink Tank.

Summary

Saving the world should be enough excitement for a lifetime. Except if you're Danny Fenton, that is. Five years after the Disasteroid incident, the world seems to move on, except for him, as he stays in Amity Park to work on old experiments with his dad, Jack Fenton. However, when even his dad started giving up, Danny took it upon himself to investigate the Ghost Portal's possibilities to travel to another dimension.

A journey that unintentionally sends him to cross paths with the Heroes of Heroes: Ben 10. While the two come to blows at first, they quickly become fast friends, a bond that immediately is tested as enemies from both their pasts rear their ugly heads to create a dark future.

Characters

Danny Phantom: Our main character, Danny, is still the same guy he's ever been: a courageous hero who balances his humanity with otherworldly supernatural powers. However, after half a decade of being on the sidelines while being thrown into a current adventure unlike anything he's ever seen, Danny must both get back in action and become even stronger than before.

Ben 10: The baddest adult to ever save the day, Benjamin Tennyson, at this point, has had the universe's greatest device, the Omnitrix, for 11 years. Through it, he's gone from a punk-nosed kid to leader of the next generation of heroes. He's still plenty brash and arrogant, but now more than ever, you can see these are masks to hide the deep pressure he feels.

Vlad Plasmuis: Danny's archnemesis and "Uncle" Vlad Masters has spent his entire life pursuing power. Only to end up floating across space alone for five long years. So, with nothing left to lose and everything to gain, Vlad is back with every bit of vengeance he can muster.

Eon: One of Ben's most dangerous foes, Eon is a Chronian, a super advanced alien race that can manipulate time and space at the cost of their physical bodies. A struggle that pushed his entire species to ruin, forcing him to adopt the role of messiah and lead his people to a new promised land. However, to become all he wishes to be, he must first defeat Ben 10, a prevalent thorn in his side for thousands of years now.

Overview

So, this is one of the more surprising webcomics I've covered. For those who didn't see my Glitch in Time spotlight, I'm a massive fan of Danny Phantom and an even bigger fan of Ben 10. My wrist still hurts from how much I slammed down on it, thinking there was an imaginary Omnitrix there. And given the history of the Ink Tank YouTube channel, the staff probably did the same thing.

Again, for those unaware, the Ink Tank is a Multi-Purpose production company of artists, voice actors, animators, and producers specializing in Ben 10 content on their YouTube channel. Something which does make a ton of sense given the bigger cosmology of that franchise and the opportunity to draw tons of cool shit.

Kuro the Artist is the main one writing and drawing here, with O.R. Ash, Action Jack, L.K. Williams, Isanemane, and Kellen Goff providing extra hands and brushes to aid him. So, while I'm not the most certain who does everything, 5YL goes from a simplistic art style in its beginning, quickly ramping up in bolder colors and more complex designs throughout its more current chapters. Each chapter brings a new form, ability, or cool parallel.

In fact, "ramping up is an apt term to describe the entire series. Both Ben 10 and Danny Phantom were famous not only for their ever-expanding universes but also for their coming-of-age narratives, and 5YL is the closest we may ever get to seeing the two heroes in the adult stage. The present conflicts and relationships here are expanded more than ever in both physicality and morality.

Like how he adopts so many different forms, we see a Ben who has to grapple with patrol, leadership, and even more dangerous threats. Danny, on the other hand, is an out-of-practice hero who now has to move forward into territory far beyond his pay grade so he can protect everyone. Oddly similar motivations to Eon, who all push past his limits to benefit everyone. Which, at least for now, is the best theme we have so far in 5YL: how do you not lose yourself on the path to your ambitions?

Of course, if you're not into all that fun little mess, there are loads of fanservice here. No matter how small they feel, every character is on point with loads of easter eggs to previous chapters. This was made for the die-hard fans of both shows and a lot of series like KND, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Kim Possible, Secret Saturdays, etc. While the story is far from over, I can't wait to see where it leads next.

Epilogue

Overall, 5YL, much like Glitch in TIme, proves that there's more to these franchises than most would believe and that the passion of die-hard fans burns brighter than any star. Given the cliffhanger I left in chapter 12, I'm very interested and excited to see where it heads next. And the same goes for the spotlight as we turn the dial and slam down on the next story.