Viz Media has been busy snapping up licenses for its VizKids imprint, and now has announced a new one: a series of Ben 10 Omniverse graphic novels that will tie in with the Cartoon Network show.

Ben 10 Omniverse is the fourth iteration of the Ben 10 cartoon created by four comics writers (Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle), beginning as the story of 10-year-old Ben Tennyson, who changes into different types of aliens with the help of a device called the Omnnitrix. In Ben 10 Omniverse, Ben is now 15 and has a new Omnitrix that transforms him into different creatures. His Grandpa Max pairs him up with a rookie plumber named Rook (who's "highly skilled with his Proto-Tool, but lacks any field experience," according to the press release) to explore an alien city and stay one step ahead of the bad guys who are in hot pursuit. If this is making you feel a little lost, here's some good news: Cartoon Network is having a "Ben 10 Bootcamp" this weekend, with 17 hours of Ben 10 programming so everyone can catch up.

Perhaps because it was created by comics creators, Ben 10 has been popular fodder for comics. DC included Ben 10 in its Cartoon Network Action Pack comics (and later collected the Ben 10 stories into a graphic novel), and Del Rey's Ben 10 graphic novels actually outsold its manga. Del Rey also published a manga-style Ben 10 graphic novel written by Peter David (who had penned an episode of the show) and illustrated by Dan Hipp. Just a few weeks ago, IDW Publishing announced it will release comics based on Cartoon Network properties, and Ben 10 was one of the titles mentioned.

Viz's new line of Ben 10 Omniverse graphic novels will debut in print and digital in the fall, and it looks like they will be original stories set in the Ben 10 Omniverse universe, with a similar look to the animated cartoons. They will be rated for all ages; print editions will retail for $7.99.