Posted in: Comics, Dynamite, Speculator Corner | Tagged: Ben 10, joe casey

Will Ben 10 #1 Be The Hottest Comic Published This Week?

Will Ben 10 #1 by Joe Casey and Robert Carey from Dynamite Entertainment be the hottest comic published this week? #ben10

Published Mon, 04 May 2026 14:57:09 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Ben 10 #1 is tipped as one of the hottest new comics this week, with retailers warning demand could outstrip supply.
Dynamite says Ben 10 #1 topped 82,000 orders, but Joe Casey and Nick Barrucci still believe it was under-ordered.
Joe Casey warns Ben 10 fans may miss out on release day if they did not pre-order through the Direct Market early.
With multiple variants, blind bags, and retailer exclusives, Ben 10 #1 is set for a major launch and possible sellout.

Discussions I had this weekend confirmed something I had been hearing. That no one has ordered enough copies of the new Ben 10 comic book, the original Man of Action creators, the first issue written by Joe Casey, drawn by Robert Carey and published by Dynamite Entertainment. I noted in the Top 50 Most Anticipated Comics list for this Wednesday how high Ben 10 #1 was and how unusual that was. Talking to retailers, many are expecting high demand, and they are just hoping they have enough copies.

In his Substack newsletter, Ben 10 co-creator and writer of the comic, Joe Casey, states, "I don't think it's an understatement to say there's been a certain level of anticipation for this first issue. The dedicated BEN 10 fanbase seems to have rallied behind the book, and we're extremely grateful for it. I also think there might've been certain people along the food chain that had more… modest expectations as to how well this first issue debut would go, in terms of pre-orders in the Direct Market. But we cleared 82,000 units ordered and, these days, that's nothing to sneeze at."

That is true. I still think it's not enough. Dynamite Entertainment is the largest comic book publisher owned by a sole owner, Nick Barrucci. And he says, "The initial orders were at 6,000 units, and these days, initial orders are about 25% to 30% of FOC numbers. That means we should have sold between 18,600 and 24,000 copies. But as we released more information on the series, orders were picking up even before FOC. That shows how fans and retailers reacted to the information that was rolled out and how great this series is. And I truly think that the book is under-ordered and may be hard to get in comic stores for fans who did not pre-order it. If fans did not pre-order the new #1, they should reserve copies now."

And he breaks it down further. "Let me give more information, as the breakdown is as follows. 13,000 plus copies of the over 82,000 units were the Mystery Blind Bags, and about 16,000 plus were retailer exclusives, and limited-edition high-end covers. Still strong numbers at over 53,000 units, but man, we can feel that it's not nearly enough for demand. Joe Casey, who is lead writer on the first story arc, and the rest of the Man of Action Team of Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle, all worked very hard on the series. They put their heart and souls into the series, and the passion shows. I can't wait for retailers to have these in their hands and fans to pick them up. There are incredible plans for promotions for sell-through, and the excitement will just build from there. Wait till we announce what is happening in issues #2 and up."

Joe Casey agrees with Nick – and me. "I happen to agree with Nick that — even at those impressive pre-order numbers — I still think the book was under-ordered. I think there are still BEN 10 fans who might've heard about the comic book but have no knowledge of how the Direct Market actually works. They might figure they can just walk into their local comic book store this week and, lo and behold, the comic book they came in to purchase will be there on the shelf, guaranteed. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. If you walk into your local comicbook store this Wednesday and BEN 10 #1 isn't there… by all means, let that retailer know, and they'll do what they can to secure you a copy, after the fact."

It's called a second printing., Though they usually take a month to get out there. JHoe Casey also promises, "this series is only going to pick up steam with each subsequent issue. The alien debuts, the reveals, the villains, the Easter eggs… they're all coming fast and furious. Each and every issue is going to be an absolute banger. All of the best comic book series build serious momentum as they go on. I honestly think that's exactly what we're doing here."

Because it's Dynamite, there are lots of covers and lots of blind bag offerings. And because it's Ben 10, there are Retailer-exclusive variants. Such as this U.K. Blank Cover Podcast Retailer Exclusive variant cover by Kevin Tolibao. Limited print run of 400, going for £10 a pop.

Which will win the week, Ben 10 #1, Batman #9 or Dungeon Crawler Carl #0? Let's find out…

Ben 10 #1 Cover A
Ben 10 #1 Cover B Duncan Rouleau Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover C Dustin Nguyen Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover D Sebastián Píriz Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover E Eric Canete Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover F Blank Authentix Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover G Blind Bag Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover H Robert Carey Metal Virgin Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover I Duncan Rouleau Virgin Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover J 1:10 Eric Canete Black & White Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover K 1:15 Sebastián Píriz Black & White Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover L 1:15 Dustin Nguyen Virgin Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover M 1:20 Duncan Rouleau Black & White Virgin Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover N 1:25 Robert Carey Virgin Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover O 1:50 Duncan Rouleau Signed by Man of Action Team Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover P Ben 10 Logo Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover Q Cormac Hughes Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover R Green Blank Authentix Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover S Robert Carey Foil Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover T Robert Carey Foil Virgin Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover U 1:7 Cormac Hughes Virgin Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover V 1:10 Mystery VariantCover V 1:10 Mystery Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover W 1:10 Eric Canete Foil Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover X 1:15 Sebastián Píriz Foil Variant
Ben 10 #1 Cover Y 1:20 Dustin Nguyen Foil Variant
Ben 10 #1 Chris !mber Variant
Ben 10 #1 Chris !mber Variant
Ben 10 #1 Chris !mber Variant