Top 10 #1

[superboyprime]

"I was a big fan of Homicide and NYPD Blue. And I was thinking about superhero groups, why they don’t work. But Steven Bocho seems to be able to handle huge casts of characters very well. So I was thinking it through. Why don’t groups work? Hill Street Blues works. So what if you could have a superhero cop book – at that point the light came on. It can be really funny and you can talk about stuff you can't talk about in super hero books." - Alan Moore

Comments

[nyadnar17]

That was.....dense. Reminded me a lot of Judge Dredd actually. Not sure how much I could read in one sitting, but I guess you get used to it.

[ironymaiden]

I love every crowd scene in the book. They're packed with details - lots of references and visual jokes. So yeah, it rewards the time spent to absorb everything. Top 10 has great reread value for me.

[shadur]

There's a scene at some point near a transit station where Professor X and a Dalek are protesting the lack of accessibility at the foot of a long stair. I laughed for thirty seconds straight when I first spotted it. :)

[jencaasi]

One of my favorite Alan Moore series. They throw a lot of information at you in Top Ten, but it's all good in my opinion.

The follow up mini-series, Smax, is good and weird and...not all the "good" kind of weird.

[lilacsigil]

Well, the Robyn and the dwarves vs the dragon parts were great! The rest was, well, it certainly wasn't boring or what I expected?

[thanekos]

There isn't a character design here that doesn't work.

(" Sharkman-in-a-suit lawyer " is the best, even though he's not the brain-in-a-jar.)

[captainbellman]

I love the implication of the gag that their law firm is named "Metavac, Fishmann and Goebbels".

[agharta75]

Let's be careful out there.

[icon_uk]

A gorgeous series that works on it's own premise, but it so laden down with easter eggs that you can read it half a dozen times and see soemthing new every time.

I've read Moore say that he loves it when he finds an artist who can pack all the detail he wants into the background and not make it overly busy. Kevin O'Neill is the obvious one, but Gene Ha is RIGHT up there.

[laughing_tree]

Reading some of the script excerpts Gene Ha posted online, it seems most of these easter eggs don't actually come from Moore, actually.

Here's the script for the first page in this post, f'rinstance:

PAGE 3.
PANEL 1.
NOW A SIX PANEL PAGE, PROBABLY ARRANGED IN THREE TIERS OF TWO EQUAL SIZED PANELS EACH (ALTHOUGH AS EVER WITH MY SCRIPTS, GENE, ALL THESE DIRECTIONS ARE REALLY ONLY JUST SUGGESTIONS, AND IF YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA YOU SHOULD GO WITH IT). IN THIS FIRST PANEL, WE HAVE A SHOT LOOKING UP A FLIGHT OF SUBWAY STEPS THAT LEAD UP FROM THE STATION TO THE STREET ABOVE, A VERY LITTLE OF WHICH WE CAN SEE AT THE TOP OF THE STEPS. TRUDGING UP THE STEPS AWAY FROM US WE SEE TOYBOX, HER BOX UNDER HER ARM. OTHER PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES, SIZES AND RACES WALK UP AND DOWN THE STEPS AS WELL, ALL IGNORING EACH OTHER AND ALL WEARING COMIC BOOK COSTUMES. AGAIN, AS YET, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY REALLY WEIRD LOOKING CREATURES, JUST PEOPLE IN COSTUMES. THE STEPS ARE DIRTY, WITH LITTER GATHERED IN THE UNSWEPT CORNERS. TOYBOX MOUNTS THE STEPS AWAY FROM US, TOWARDS THE COLD AND BRITTLE OCTOBER LIGHT UP ON STREET LEVEL ABOVE HER.
No Dialogue

PANEL 2.
NOW WE ARE UP ON THE STREET, WITH THE SUBWAY MOUTH FROM WHICH TOYBOX HAS JUST ASCENDED VISIBLE, OVER IN THE LEFT BACKGROUND, WITH OTHER COSTUMED PEDESTRIANS GOING DOWN IT OR EMERGING FROM IT HERE. UP IN THE RIGHT FOREGROUND WE SEE A LITTLE OF A TAXI CAB AS IT SLOWS TO A HALT. IN THE MIDDELGROUND, STANDING ON THE CURB WITH HER BACK TO THE SUBWAY MOUTH SHE HAS JUST EMERGED FROM, TOYBOX RAISES HER FREE ARM AND HAILS THE TAXI WE SEE IN THE RIGHT FOREGROUND. THE TAXI, FROM WHAT LITTLE WE CAN PROBABLY SEE OF IT HERE, LOOKS AS IF IT WAS ONCE THE BATMOBILE, THE ARROW-CAR OR SOME SUCH OTHER SUPERHERO MOTOR-VEHICLE, ONLY IT HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN RESPAYED BRIGHT YELLOW AND PRESSED INTO SERVICE AS A YELLOW CHECKERED CAB. ITS LOOKS SORT OF DIRTY AND BEAT UP AS IT SLOWS TO A HALT FOR TOYBOX. THE STREET AROUND THEM IS FULL OF LIFE, ALL OF IT VAGUELY SUPER-HERO RELATED.
TOYBOX : Hey, TAXI?
TOYBOX : Over HERE...

PANEL 3.
NOW WE ARE INSIDE THE CAB. THE CAB DRIVER FACES US UP IN THE LEFT OF THE FOREGROUND, WHILE WE SEE TOYBOX AS SHE CLIMBS INTO THE BACK AND OVER TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE CAB'S REAR SEAT, FACING US FROM THE IMMEDIATE RIGHT BACKGROUND HERE. AS SHE SLIDES INTO THE CAB INTERIOR, SHE SETS HER BOX ON THE REAR SEAT BESIDE HER. IN THE LEFT FOREGROUND, WE SEE THE DRIVER'S FACE: HE LOOKS LIKE HARRY DEAN STANTON, AND AROUND HIS

PAGE 3.
PANEL 3. (FROM OVER)
EYES HE WEARS A WIDE BLACK SCARF THAT HAS BEEN TIED INTO AN IMPENETRABLE BLINDFOLD, OBVIOUSLY PREVENTING HIM FROM SEEING. HE PROBABLY WEARS A BLACK SHIRT OR TUNIC WITH THE TIBETAN "OM" CHARACTER IN WHITE ON THE FRONT OF THIS, BUT WE CANT SEE MUCH OF THIS BECAUSE HE WEARS A FLEECY PADDED VEST/ WAISTCOAT OVER THE TOP OF THIS TO KEEP WARM. HIS LEATHERY HANDS GRIP THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE FOREGROUND. TOYBOX LOOKS AT HIM SORT OF NERVOUSLY AS SHE CLIMBS INTO THE REAR SEAT OF HIS CAB. MEANWHILE, HE STARES FIXEDLY AND BLINDLY INTO THE FOREGROUND TOWARDS US.
CAB DRIVER : Where we goin'. lady?
TOYBOX : Uh, I need to get to the Police PRECINCT HOUSE, on PIKE street?
I think that's Level FOUR...
TOYBOX : Excuse me, but, uh...that thing around your EYES: can you SEE?

PANEL 4.
NOW AN EXTERIOR SHOT OF THE CAB FROM THE REAR AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND IT AS IT PULLS AWAY FROM THE CURB IN A WILD SWERVE, STRAIGHT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. WE SEE A CYCLIST...A MIDDLE AGED GUY IN A CAPED COSTUME WITH BARE LEGS, REMINISCENT OF THE ORIGINAL DOLLMAN COSTUME BUT MAYBE GREEN INSTEAD OF BLUE...AS HE TURNS HIS BICYCLE AND RUNS IT INTO A COLLISION WITH THE SIDE OF A PARKED CAR RATHER THAN COLLIDE WITH THE CAB AS IT SWINGS DANGEROUSLY AWAY FROM THE CURB. COSTUMED PEDESTRIANS LOOK ON IN ALARM FROM THE SIDEWALK IN THE RIGHT FOREGROUND. ANY OTHER VEHICLES WE CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND SHOULD ALL LOOK, AS FAR AS IS POSSIBLE, LIKE ONE TIME SUPERHERO CARS, QUINJETS, TIME-BUBBLES OR WHATEVER, BUT CONVERTED INTO NORMAL CARS FOR NORMAL EVERYDAY USE AND COVERED IN DUMB BUMPER STICKERS AND ALL THAT OTHER EVERYDAY CRAP. THE CAB DRIVER'S BALLOONS ISSUE FROM INSIDE THE CAB AS IT PULLS AWAY FROM US. THE CYCLIST CRIES OUT IN PAIN AND ALARM AS HE'S FORCED TO SWERVE HIS BIKE INTO THE PARKED CARS TO AVOID THE CAB.
CAB DRIVER (OFF, FROM CAB): NAH, Got ZEN SENSES instead. I follow the
CAR, y'know? Where we end UP, that's where
I'm meant to BE! Bob ("BLINDSHOT")
Booker, that's me.
CAB DRIVER (OFF, FROM CAB) : Say, keep that BOX off the SEATS, willya? DOLLMAN CYCLIST : What the..?

PANEL 5.
BACK IN THE CAB, WITH THE BLINDFOLDED CAB DRIVER STILL FACING US IN THE LEFT FOREGROUND, HIS FACE IMPASSIVE AS HE STARES BLINDLY OUT AT US, HIS HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. IN THE BACK SEAT WE SEE TOYBOX, WHO IS SELF-CONSCIOUSLY PICKING HER

PAGE 3.
PANEL 5. (FROM OVER)
BOX UP FROM THE SEAT AND SETTLING 1T ONTO HER LAP. AT THE SAME TIME SHE IS LOOKING OUT OF THE CAB'S REAR WINDOW, WHERE WE CAN SEE THE DOLLMAN-CYCLIST AND HIS BIKE COLLAPSED IN A HEAP 1N THE STREET. THE CYCLIST RAISES HIS FIST AND SHAKES IT AT THE TAXI AS IT PULLS AWAY FROM HIM. TOYBOX LOOKS UNEASY AND CONCERNED. THE CAB DRIVER LOOKS COMPLETELY UNMOVED, POSSESSED BY A ZEN CALM.
CAB DRIVER : I mean, no OFFENCE, but I can smell you got oiled MACHINERY
in there, and this CAB, its my LIVIN', y'know?
TOYBOX : Uh, sure. I'll keep it on my LAP.
TOYBOX : This PRECINCT HOUSE ... is it FAR?

PANEL 6.
ANOTHER EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE CAB, THIS TIME FROM SLIGHTLY ABOVE IT AS IT SPEEDS ALONG THE STREET BELOW US, WITH THE BALLOONS OF THE HIDDEN AND OFF PANEL. CAR-DRIVER ISSUING FROM IT. AS THE CAB SPEEDS ALONG, WE SEE A TRUCK THAT HAS THE MISFORTUNE TO BE COMING THE OTHER WAY SWERVE TO ONE SIDE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAB, SMASHING ITSELF INTO THE ROADSIDE CRASH BARRIER AS IT DOES SO. THE TRUCK MAYBE HAS A LOGO ON THE SIDE READING "FLY-STRATE, Dry Cleaning & Pressing" WITH A LOGO OF A GENERIC SUPERHERO IN FLIGHT, HIS CAPE NEATLY PRESSED AND PLEATED. THESE ARE PROBABLY THE GUYS WHO DO SPAWN'S CAPE FOR HIM, OR THE MARSHALL ROGERS' BATMAN. PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
CAB DRIVER (OFF, FROM CAB) : Hey, all DISTANCE is as NOTHING in the
mind of the BUDDHA, know what I'm sayin'?
CAB DRIVER (OFF, FROM CAB) : We'll be there in about ten MINUTES,
dependin' on TRAFFIC.
TRUCK DRIVER (FROM TRUCK) : AAAGH! JESUS!

[icon_uk]

Same is true for Kevin O'Neill, Moore has commented how delighted he was when he found Kevin was adding in minor characters even HE had never heard of.

[captainbellman]

I don't want to insult history79 - only the comics he's been posting lately - but man oh man, at last we get a 'continuing series' post to which I can look forward. Dang.

[beyondthefringe]

Like what? I'm just curious, what would you look forward to?

[captainbellman]

The subtext of my comment is that I will look forward to more chapters of "Top 10" being posted here, as opposed to "Irredeemable", "Ruins", etc., which have mostly been pointless wastes of time and only really worth commenting upon in order to mock them mercilessly.

[beyondthefringe]

Oh good. I misread your tone and was afraid you didn't like this, and I was going to be seriously worried about you. :)

I enjoy reading (re-reading) some of these series in this community because it's a fun experienced to chat about them... and to look at them in retrospect.

I hope we'll get some more from America's Best Comics in here.

[lilacsigil]

Oh man, I love Top Ten! There's just so much in every panel.

[randyripoff]

For anyone interested, the series is lovingly annotated here .

[xakko]

i need to check this out - but was that first panel a Dirk Gently reference?

[icon_uk]

Probably not I'd say. Dick Gently trusts karma by following someone who look like they know where they are going.... Zen Cabbie drives blindfolded.

[zer0man]

I have to admit, when I first came across this the trades of this title in my local library, I didn't know what quite to expect. Granted, I knew Moore's work through more traditional fare (such as Watchman and his Swamp Thing stint) but coming across this was an unknown for me.

Well, after reading it, it became a personal favorite of mine... even if later issues dealt with rather skeevy topics that made my gut churn.

[laughing_tree]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the dozens-of-Easter Eggs-in-the-background aesthetic, whether in this or any other series? I find that kind of stuff distracting. It pulls me out of the immediate story. And the genuinely clever visual gags get lost in the noise of all the rest.

[icon_uk]

If it's done badly yes, but Top 10 always managed to make me interested in the main characters to the extent that the background easter egg aesthetic was something I could glance at at the time, and smile, and then come back later to explore more thoroughly and laugh out loud.