Top Ten, Book 1

I've reviewed a lot of highly regarded comic series; Ex Machina, Irredeemable, Astro City etc. My general pattern is to offer praise and then talk about where the series falls somewhat short. In the case of "Top 10" Alan Moore has made my job difficult because I have not a single complaint. Actually I think the inking is a bit too heavy but that has nothing to do with Moore. "Top 10" may not have the emotional impact of V for Vendetta or Watchmen but that doesn't make it any less spectacular. Alan Moore absolutely cuts loose in this series where every one in the world possesses a super power, costume and heroic (or villainous) name. "Top 10" refers to the police force whose job it is to protect precinct 10 from super powered criminals, aliens and various Gods. This is Alan Moore at his absolute funniest and cleverest. American readers may be so used to associating Alan Moore with works like Swamp Thing and From Hell that they don't realize he got his start writing hilarious series like "D.R. and Quinch". I would go so far as to say that Alan Moore is the funniest comic book writer I have ever read.Sometimes when I'm reading a comic I might fantasize about being a writer myself and contemplate the stories I could write. I might even imagine that with years of practice I would write something to compete with Kurt Busiek, Geoff Johns or Grant Morrison but Alan Moore, Nope. Moore is simply on a whole other plane. I could never write anything to compare. When Moore wants to write intensity it's intense, when Moore wants to write action it's action packed and in this case when Moore wants to write humor it's incredibly funny. I would not change a single paragraph, sentence or period in this collection. If it sounds like this review is nothing more than shameless slobbering that's because it's exactly that. My only regret is that I waited nearly a decade before picking up the TPB and "Top 10" vol II is already in my shopping cart.Do no hesitate, get "Top 10" get "Tom Strong" get "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". The only reason a series like "Top 10" slips through the cracks is because near perfection is just assumed from Alan Moore. "Top 10" did get an Eisner award in 2001 for best continuing series and Moore received some best writer awards while he was writing it but it still feels like there's very little attention paid to the series these days. Don't make the mistake of letting this one pass by. You'll thank me for it.

This is what would happen if everyone had a power. This is the sort of "Law and Order" or "NYPD Blue" you'd get. Only funnier. It reminds me of the new online game "City of Heroes" in a way, except I doubt the game has anything as useless as swelling up like a balloon as a power, or producing lots of sand all over the place.Ok, so it's not gonna win any "Most Dramatic New Comic of the Year" awards. It's not grim, depressing, real, or awe-inspiring. It's fun and funny and tough and cool, and I loved it. It's well written, and well drawn, and a little bit raunchy (there are lots of hookers so it kind of has to be).It's also totally accessable to almost everyone, which some of Moore's other work isn't. It uses the sort of TV style we're all familiar with to make it seem closer to us. I like it a lot. So it won't stay with me and haunt me like some of Moore's other stuff... but not everything has to haunt you to be good.

This was very enjoyable. To bad it wasn’t still ongoing.

It will crack you up and still keep you interested in the dramatic story. A great cop story and an unbeatable satire on superhero comics. I laughed out loud a number of times. The background jokes alone are worth the cost of the book.Think of a smarter, funnier NYPD Blue policing a city where everyone is a super-hero, robot, movie monster, god, or mad scientist.Dense, rewarding, and as funny as any comic you'll ever read.My only complaint is to the publisher. Top Ten should be released in one volume, not two. It is ONE story. Duh! Do you want this to have the kind of shelf life Watchmen has or not?

like most children ,i liked superman when i was a kid,untouchable ,invincible and faster than a speeding bullet.but when i grew up,i relized how bogus and unreal he was,him and the rest of the flashy glittery and holier than thou superheros-except for some, like tim burton's batman and azrael-so you can imagine the sweet revenge feeling i had reading this book.you have superheros who are bums,politicians,pizza delivery boys,prostitutes,pornqueens,policemen and sex offenders.and that's their real identity.the story follows neopolis-the superhero city-daily life,nypd blue with superhero cops.too bad their is a book 2,i wish if they could release it in one book ,like watchmen.alan moore rules!

The author's mind must be out there a little. This is a witty premise populated with interesting characters and situations. Love the sentient dog and the color blind joke. After all the superhero publications over the past 50 years, and how deeply they are intermixed with our popular culture now, it's fun to read a "What if?" story about a world where everyone has super powers, and the extraordinary is mundane. Definitely worth the time and money.

Good

As creative as you would expect from Alan Moore but lighter and more fun to read than most of his other works.

In Neopolis leben Superhelden, Roboter und Fabelwesen Tür an Tür und das nicht unbedingt immer friedlich. Genau aus diesem Grund existiert Top 10, das örtliche Polizeirevier, unter dessen Dach sich ein nicht minder schräger Haufen versammelt hat, um in der überquellenden Metropole für Recht und Ordnung zu Sorgen.Und es scheint sich auch einiges anzusammeln, geschehen doch drei Morde in kurzer Zeit, von denen einer einen besonders alten, sogar mythologischen Hintergrund hat.,,Top 10'', von keinem anderen geschrieben als Comicgott Alan Moore, erzählt im Verlauf seiner ersten ,,Staffel'' mehrere kleinere Geschichten, die wie Folgen einer Polizeiserie aufgebaut sind. Daraus zieht die Serie, neben ihren Konzept dass alle Polizisten wie ihre Schutzbefohlenen ebenfalls Superhelden sind ( darunter eine Frau namens Irma, ein Panzer auf zwei Beinen, die mit ihrem Kampfpanzer tatsächlich atomare Sprengköpfe abschießen kann), ihren größten Reiz, unter anderem da man als Leser auf Grund der großen Auswahl an Charakteren, sich einen ganz persönlichen Liebling rausziehen und mit ihm oder ihr mitfiebern kann.Ein weiterer Plus ist der abgefahrene Humor, der vor allem in diesem Sammelband die eine oder andere Lachträne hervorrufen wird. Größtenteils wird sich hier natürlich über das Superheldengenre lustig gemacht, aber auch Nichtkennern wird hier einiges geboten, wenn zum Beispiel Mäuse mit Superkräften die Wohnung der Mutter eines Hauptcharakters in Beschlag nehmen und dort einen Konflikt (mikro-)kosmischen Ausmaßen austragen.Auch in den ( wirklich großartigen) Zeichnungen Gene Has, sind viele Hintergrundgags versteckt, wenn man nur genau hinsieht (so bestehlen Zigarre rauchende Schlümpfe den Türsteher einer Bar, in der die Götter aus allen möglichen Pantheons aus und eingehen, um einen der weniger subtilen Witze zu erwähnen. Die Bar selbst ist übrigens der Schauplatz einer der drei weiter oben erwähnten Morde) und auch sonst ist der Band eine bunte und detailreiche Augenweide. Jeder der Charaktere hat tatsächlich seinen individuellen Stil, keiner sieht dem anderen ähnlich (etwas, was bei weitem nicht jeder Zeichner hinbekommt) und Neopolis selbst ist eine farbenprächtige Kulisse, voller Wunder und düsterer Orte, wodurch was die Serie zu einer der schönsten Serien aller Zeiten macht.Der erste Band der englischen Ausgabe vereint die ersten sieben Hefte und ist ein sehr guter Einstieg, in eine spaßig lockere Serie, die ihre Qualität hoffentlich auch im zweiten Band beibehält.

Alan Moore is a master story teller. And the graphics supplied by Gene Ha and Zander Cannon are great. The concept is good as it really shows that superheroes are human(?) too. The plot line pulls a lot of different strands together. The illustration is so rich, with many hidden jokes in the background, it's always worthwhile re-reading this several times over. It's a shame that Top Ten only stretched to the 2 volumes. More Top Ten I say.

excellent

The lovespuds of the canine