Top 10 Season One (TPB #1 & 2)
June 21st, 2008 by MartinI absolutely loved these comics. So dense and full of interesting visuals. Each panel (seemingly) had some kind of illustrated punchline, whether it was a superhero caricature, or just hilarious signage in the background, you are never at a loss for some fascinating detail to absorb. So too, the characters are extremely well thought out and detailed, these superhero police officers that make up the 10th precinct in a world populated by extra-humans.
Alan Moore does a great job here, and with such brilliant accompanying artwork, it’s really hard to go wrong reading these. All this gushing having been said, I was actually a bit disappointed at the ending of the first trade. I loved how we were getting there, but I wasn’t sure it was going anywhere. And really, it wasn’t going anywhere special. These are the day-to-day activities of these police. I guess this is the “Cops” of Neopolis (the name of the city in Top 10). We basically just follow these characters around, and sure they solve a crime here or there, catch the criminals, but there is no big revelation, really. Not until the second book.
In the second book, things get even better, I think. I read it faster, anyway. Not necessarily because I was in a hurry, but because it was so good. And this time when I got to the end, I wasn’t disappointed. I liked it just fine. Not necessarily because there was a big conclusion, (although there was), but maybe also because I’d finally got the pacing down. I was finally used to this world, and what we were going to get out of it. (And perhaps not get out of it.)
Notice the girl’s shirt on the front there? I tried to figure out which came first, the tee-shirt, or our local comic shop, but so far I have no idea. Top 10 isn’t all that old, only since 2000, but I don’t know exactly when Big Brain Comics opened it’s doors in downtown Minneapolis. Perhaps before that? Would Alan Moore (or Gene Ha, the artist) really have made a reference to that shop?!? I will find out and report back.
In unrelated news, Jason, Florence, Mike and I are all piling into a car tomorrow to head to Chicago for the big Wizard World comic convention. If you’re going to be there, and you want us to come say hi, leave a comment, or drop us an email at readcomics.org (doesn’t matter what the address is, we should get it).
Maybe I’ll find the Smax trade (next in the Top 10 series) while I’m there!
Tags: Alen Moore, big brain comics, Gene Ha, Minneapolis, Top 10, Wizard World
June 21st, 2008 at 7:59 am
Big Brain Comics opened in 1996. Next to the stores old location above what is now Hell’s Kitchen were a bunch of artist studios. Gene Ha and Zander Cannon had studio spaces in that building. A lot of the work on Top 10 was done in those studios and a lot of hanging out was done at Big Brain. So that is the simple answer about the t-shirt.
June 21st, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Big Brain Comics Est. 1996
Zander Cannon and Gene Ha each had studio space in the building next to our old location.
In fact many of the scripts for Top Ten were faxed to the store’s machine.
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 am
I’d totally forgotten that Big Brain used to be in that location! Right around the corner from Let It Be Records. Seems like such a long time ago.