‘Ben 10’ Pays Homage to Stephen King’s ‘IT’ With Terrifying New Variant Comic Cover

Comic collectors and cartoon lovers are freaking out over a newly revealed variant cover that perfectly blends childhood nostalgia with pure, unadulterated horror.

Dynamite Entertainment has just dropped a gorgeous new variant cover for their ongoing, mature-themed Ben 10 #4 comic book series, and it is a direct, brilliant homage to the legendary 1990 poster for Stephen King’s IT. The art perfectly replicates the iconic, skin-crawling visual of a monster's hand peeling back a crisp white curtain, teasing the terror waiting on the other side.

For fans of the current 2026 comic run—written by original franchise co-creator Steven T. Seagle—this creepy crossover timing actually makes perfect thematic sense. In this upcoming issue, the Tennyson family's endless summer road trip takes a dark, rain-soaked turn through the Pacific Northwest when they accidentally stumble into a deeply unsettling, haunted circus.

Zombozo's Nightmare Circus Begins

The creepy atmosphere on the cover directly reflects the classic villain making life miserable for Ben, Gwen, and Grandpa Max in this specific story arc: the brainwashing space-vampire clown, Zombozo!

By using deep purple tones contrasted against the monster's stark red hair, the creative team has managed to keep the cover incredibly spooky and horror-adjacent while still feeling entirely true to the colorful, high-energy DNA of the classic Cartoon Network universe.

Did you know? This darker, PG-13 leaning Dynamite comic series is actually the first official Ben 10 project explicitly targeted at teenagers and older fans, intentionally leaning into elements of cosmic and body horror.

A Must-Have for Variant Collectors

Homage covers are currently driving the comic book speculation market, and bringing a nostalgic powerhouse like Ben 10 into the Stephen King lore is bound to make this specific variant a hot commodity on shop shelves. Between the horror vibes and the massive news that this issue features the official comic debuts of both XLR8 and Stinkfly, issue #4 is shaping up to be an absolute must-read.

Keep your eyes peeled at your local comic shop when the issue officially hits stands!

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Over to You!

What do you think of this horror crossover? Are you loving the darker, more mature tone of Dynamite's new 2026 Ben 10 comic line, or do you prefer the friendlier vibe of the classic animated shows? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!