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Top 10 #1-4
Absolute Top 10
A New York Times Bestseller!
The massive, multilayered city of Neopolis, built shortly after World War II, was designed as a home for the expanding population of science-heroes, heroines and villains that had ballooned into existance in the previous decade. Bringing these powered beings together solved some problems but created others - turning Neopolis into a pressure cooker that normal policing methods
could never contain.
Join rookie cop Robyn Singer, alter ego "Toybox," as she hits the streets for the first time along with a colorful crew of fellow officers, each having the required training to deal with science-villains and super-crimes. You'll never look at powers, or police work, the same way again!
This volume Top 10 #1-2, Top 10: The Forty-niners, Smax #1-5 and a story from America's Best Comics Special #1.
Bonus Material Character sketches and designs, page layouts and notes from the artists.
The massive, multilayered city of Neopolis, built shortly after World War II, was designed as a home for the expanding population of science-heroes, heroines and villains that had ballooned into existance in the previous decade. Bringing these powered beings together solved some problems but created others - turning Neopolis into a pressure cooker that normal policing methods
could never contain.
Join rookie cop Robyn Singer, alter ego "Toybox," as she hits the streets for the first time along with a colorful crew of fellow officers, each having the required training to deal with science-villains and super-crimes. You'll never look at powers, or police work, the same way again!
This volume Top 10 #1-2, Top 10: The Forty-niners, Smax #1-5 and a story from America's Best Comics Special #1.
Bonus Material Character sketches and designs, page layouts and notes from the artists.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2004
6 people are currently reading
297 people want to read
About the author
Alan Moore
1,578 books21.7k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 3, 2018
a good friend and I were talking about how to get to sleep after a long, stressful day. she's a schoolteacher yet for some reason, after staring at the ceiling while trying to ignore her husband's snores, she usually eventually falls asleep while mentally going over the next day's lesson plan. yikes! I told her that work, much as a I loved it, was certainly the last thing I'd be contemplating if I wanted to fall asleep. "Well then, what is?" was her understandable reply. after some hesitation and a little embarrassment, I told her that thinking about superheroes was a highly pleasant go-to for me - ever since I was a kid. my version of counting sheep. I count superheroes, I guess, ones I've made up in my head, a whole city of them, a whole world of them. what would they be like in this era or that era, how would they interact, what would their powers be, what would their day-to-day life be like, what kinds of personalities would they have, how would they all fit in together and into the world. she thought that was amusing and cute but also a hallmark of my basic emotional immaturity. so be it! but I love living in my head.
Absolute Top 10 seems like it was born in my head. so many ideas and people and adventures, busting the seams of the narrative. it contains three equally wonderful and happily lengthy stories: a modern police procedural full of chaos and mystery, a fantasy adventure full of laughter and terror, and the story of a shiny new city being built after a war - one of the most winsome paeans to the past that I've ever read. everyone is someone in these fabulous tales. the writing is knowing and sardonic and sometimes pitch black and always full of love for the genre(s). the stories twist and turn and never fail to be moving. friendship and comraderie is always centralized. and, as ever, Moore pushes at boundaries when it comes to the topic of Love - which lead to several unusual yet heartwarming endings that shouldn't have surprised me but did. the art changes its style radically per story and artists Gene Ha and Zander Cannon consistently work wonders: the full palette for the police procedural, with panels often crammed with detail and characters made both iconic and realistic; vivid, cartoony primary colors for the fantasy that alternately inspired dread and delight; hauntingly muted and shadowy colors for the retro adventure that made that world seem like a waking dream. the whole world itself, past and future and alternate versions, everything, is one I've been living in since before it was even created - but now it's all on the page! in an impressive luxury edition that's well worth saving up for. it's everything I think about before slipping into dreams. minus the consensual bestiality and twincest, of course.
Absolute Top 10 seems like it was born in my head. so many ideas and people and adventures, busting the seams of the narrative. it contains three equally wonderful and happily lengthy stories: a modern police procedural full of chaos and mystery, a fantasy adventure full of laughter and terror, and the story of a shiny new city being built after a war - one of the most winsome paeans to the past that I've ever read. everyone is someone in these fabulous tales. the writing is knowing and sardonic and sometimes pitch black and always full of love for the genre(s). the stories twist and turn and never fail to be moving. friendship and comraderie is always centralized. and, as ever, Moore pushes at boundaries when it comes to the topic of Love - which lead to several unusual yet heartwarming endings that shouldn't have surprised me but did. the art changes its style radically per story and artists Gene Ha and Zander Cannon consistently work wonders: the full palette for the police procedural, with panels often crammed with detail and characters made both iconic and realistic; vivid, cartoony primary colors for the fantasy that alternately inspired dread and delight; hauntingly muted and shadowy colors for the retro adventure that made that world seem like a waking dream. the whole world itself, past and future and alternate versions, everything, is one I've been living in since before it was even created - but now it's all on the page! in an impressive luxury edition that's well worth saving up for. it's everything I think about before slipping into dreams. minus the consensual bestiality and twincest, of course.
May 26, 2021
Say what you will, but this might be my favorite thing Alan Moore's done. It may not be as earth shattering as Watchmen or Swamp Thing, but this is the series I always find myself revisiting. Moore has created this fantastic police procedural set in a city of superheroes. He walks this fine line of playing the series straight while in the background throwing little in-jokes about the comic industry. I love when Dust Devil's mom's house is invaded by Ultramice and they have their own Crisis. Then there's fantastic issues like the traffic accident involving teleporters.
Gene Ha and Zander Cannon's art is fantastic. It's packed with so much detail and little easter eggs to other characters, live Wendy and Marv from the Super Friends of a car load of characters with stretching powers like Plastic Man and Mr. Fantastic. I get a kick out of the Green Apple Green Grocer (Green Arrow Green Lantern) every time. Every time I read this I find some new details I missed in previous reads. This time it was Sipowicz and Sorenson from NYPD Blue as superheroes.
Gene Ha and Zander Cannon's art is fantastic. It's packed with so much detail and little easter eggs to other characters, live Wendy and Marv from the Super Friends of a car load of characters with stretching powers like Plastic Man and Mr. Fantastic. I get a kick out of the Green Apple Green Grocer (Green Arrow Green Lantern) every time. Every time I read this I find some new details I missed in previous reads. This time it was Sipowicz and Sorenson from NYPD Blue as superheroes.
December 25, 2017
[NOTE: Copious Background Info of Questionable Relevance... Scroll Down for Something Resembling a Review.]
It's interesting that Alan Moore, who absolutely hated DC and Marvel and professed utter boredom with superheroes in general, decided to create another superhero comic when he launched ABC almost 15 years ago. While he comes across as a crotchety old bastard, his feelings toward DC were entirely justified. Way back in the early 80's, after blowing the minds of comic geeks with his brilliant and definitive take on 'Swamp Thing', DC was excited to put their young British genius to work on a superhero title. Moores' proposal for an epic restructuring of the DC universe scared the hell out of them, however, so they compromised. Instead of traumatizing Green Lantern and Wonder Woman fans, he could inflict whatever indignities he liked upon a long-forgotten world of characters created for Charlton comics in the 40's, 50's & 60's.
From 'Watchmen' [Dave Gibbons] and 'A Small Killing' [Oscar Zarate]:
DC had purchased Charlton to acquire specific properties, but the titles Moore was given Carte Blanche with were afterthoughts. The characters in Watchmen bear little resemblance to the original Charlton heroes, and the story that unfolded over 12 issues was the pure, concentrated genius that resides in the mighty beard of Alan Moore. Watchmen became the consensus No.1 superhero comic of all time; some list Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns' as a close competitor for the top spot, and Miller is great, but... c'mon. Really? Anyway, the unprecedented success of Watchmen, both initially and to this very day, with multiple editions in print for almost 30 years, with a massive multi-volume 'Before Watchmen' series of prequels, and with a feature film adaptation with a huge budget and '300' director Zach Snyder at the helm, Moore received little more than a pittance... his initial payment for writing 'Watchmen' would be his last, and he was given no further creative input.
From 'Lost Girls' [Melinda Gebbie], a still of Moore's odd Simpsons guest stint with Dan Clowes and Art Spiegelman, and 'From Hell' [Eddie Campbell]:
He left DC, outraged by their utter disrespect for his abilities as a writer, treating every employee as faceless, replaceable, certainly not like artists. He devoted himself to various projects for independent publishers, most of which are lesser known masterpieces -- A Small Killing, Lost Girls, Big Numbers (his legendary failed collaboration with Bill Sienkiewicz), and of course, From Hell. After showing his support for the artists who had quit Marvel and DC to form Image by guest-writing a few of their terrible, godawful comics, he took one of the worst of them, Supreme, a blatant Superman ripoff, and launched a thoroughly brilliant run; thus, Moore became a true comic-book alchemist, able to turn crap into gold(*). It was after Supreme wrapped up it's storyline that Moore began talks with former X-men artist fan-favorite and Image co-founder Jim Lee, about masterminding an entire line of books, to be called America's Best Comics.
From 'League of Extraordinary Gentleman' [Kevin O'Neill]:
Immediately after finalizing his deal to create ABC for Jim Lee's Wildstorm -- at that point published by Image -- DC swooped in and made Lee an offer he couldn't refuse. They purchased the artist-superstars' line of mostly mediocre titles, for the sole purpose of acquiring lucrative rights and forcing Moore into a partnership with the company who had already screwed him out of millions of dollars(**). Despite Lee's promise to act as a buffer between Moore and the army of lawyers, editors and vice-presidents at DC, they still found ways to drive him insane; most notably (and despicably) by trying to ensure his docile compliance by hiring the writers' old friend Steve Moore (no relation), in dire need of a paying job, and suggesting that his future at DC was in Alan's hands. They then pushed him further by nitpicking over inconsequential details in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (The Black Dossier most of all), and turning what is Moore's third greatest masterpiece -- after Watchmen and From Hell -- into one of the worst film adaptations of all time. The proverbial insult that followed the injury was the ludicrous, infuriating and hurtful accusation that Moore (conspiring with DC) stole the idea for LOEG from an abysmal screen-writer(***). While DC owned the movie rights, Moore retained ownership and creative control of LOEG. Once again disgusted with the company, he decided to shut down ABC and take LOEG to independent Top Shelf, where he has enjoyed total autonomy, publishing the collected LOEG: Vol. III - Century, as well as three hardcover 'Nemo' books.
From Absolute Top 10 - Top 10, Art by Alex Ross and Gene Ha:
What was saddest about the whole debacle is that the ABC titles were uniformly excellent. Perhaps the best of the four titles was Top Ten. Moore's police procedural, set in a city inhabited by millions of costumed superheroes, supervillains, aliens, robots and gods, is a densely layered drama packed with unforgettable characters. So many scenes stand out it's hard to narrow them down:
One story, involving a teleport station used not just by beings from our world (or our galaxy), but also Extra-Dimensional Entities navigating endless Multiversal levels, is especially poignant: A horrible teleportation accident involving an elderly superhero couple and a Horse-headed Alien Giant, late for his cosmic chess-game, leaves both parties fused together, slowly dying, involving the reader in the emotional agony of both the victims and the investigators, searching for answers as they wait, helpless, for the doomed individuals to expire (See the third pic below).
An alien serial killer is killing prostitutes, and super-powered cops apparently aren't enough to stop the murders; not only is the killer freakishly good at ending lives, SHE has friends in high places.
A supposedly friendly cross-precinct cop exchange with an alternate-universe-Top Ten -- this one a Global Roman Empire, ruled directly by capricious and familiar gods -- turns out to actually be a brutal gladiatorial contest. Involving Top Ten members from Precincts across the Multiverse, Detective Corbeau, aka King Peacock, will have to call upon all his Satanic powers in order to survive. A 70-ft tall woman made of marble is one thing, but fighting his brand-new pal is another... even if he is a robotic Velociraptor of gleaming steel (See below).
From Absolute Top 10 - Top 10, Art by Gene Ha:
The entire series is collected in one massive Absolute edition, along with the two mini-series that were written by Moore. Despite all the ill will that has tainted his relationship with the Big Two companies, and though Moore denies it, there remains an affinity for the superhero genre, evident throughout every beautiful page of this book. Never mind the hundreds of terribly written, terribly drawn juvenile power fantasies churned out on a monthly basis. Moore once again points the way for comics done right, packing this 632-page (not the 576 pages it's listed as, making it one of the biggest of the Absolute Editions), 9" x 13" volume with all the cool ideas it can safely contain without spontaneously combusting. The artwork of Gene Ha and Zander Cannon, however, is the real reason that an Absolute Edition is so welcome and long overdue. These two artists are responsible for every panel of art in this volume, with Cannon doing layouts and Ha focusing on his meticulous dry-brush finishes. For the 'Through-the Looking-Glass' trip into the unexpectedly cuddly world that is the setting for the 5-issue series based on Top Ten bad-ass 'Smax', Cannon took the reins, managing the tightrope between realism and cartoonish effectively, a skilfully stylized art that can handle both humor and tragedy. It reminds me of Sfar and Trondheim's epic 'Donjon', in many ways.
From Absolute Top 10 - Smax, art by Zander Cannon:
For the Top Ten prequel 'The 49ers', Gene Ha returns, utilizing the Ink-wash method used by artists like Lee Bermejo & J.H.Williams III, creating finely wrought gradations of light, shadow and texture in grey-tones. After computer-coloring is applied, the finished results are near indestinguishable from watercolors, making 'The 49ers' one of the most beautiful American comics of its' time, similar to Euro-comics in both its strong linework & fully painted colors. The retro-futuristic architecture of Neopolis is rendered in a level of detail that is remarkable, making excellent use of the oversized format. While I'm not the biggest fan of superhero comics, and I think that many of the books given the Absolute treatment don't merit the luxury edition, Top Ten is one of the best mainstream comics of the last two decades, and this book is definitely worth the asking price. Considering the narrative and artistic density packed into this truly complete Absolute Edition... that Top Ten is likely Moore's last and best superhero comic after Watchmen... and that his return to DC to revive America's Best Comics is about as likely as seeing him do a writing stint for 'My Little Pony'... make this is a true 'Must Have' book. If you've considered picking up an Absolute edition, I recommend 'Absolute Top 10' absolutely.
From Absolute Top 10 - The 49ers, art by Gene Ha:
(*Supreme was created by the borderline retarded Rob Liefeld, who has had the ridiculous good luck to have ONE of his dopey creations rebooted and made great by Alan Moore, and a SECOND, Prophet, rebooted and made great by Brandon Graham, Farel Dalrymple and a couple other super-talented kids way too bright to be playing in Liefelds' pissy, stinking sandbox.)
(**In all fairness to DC, screwing writers and artists out of money was standard practice in the industry; Marvel tried to prevent an aged and destitute Jack Kirby, co-creator of the X-men, Capt. America, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, etc., from selling original art of his signature creations. Despite the reverence fans felt for Kirby, despite the fact that the superheroes making them hundreds of millions of dollars had been created while Kirby was being paid a few lousy dollars per page, Marvel still begrudged him a meager profit in exchange for everything he'd done for them. This would be one of the catalysts sparking the debate about creators' rights in comics.)
(***Perhaps the most spirit-crushing development of all came when a third-rate screen-writer launched a lawsuit against DC and Time-Warner, alleging that League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was based on his screenplay, that Moore had been commissioned by DC to write the comic, basing it on this screenplay, so they could use it as a defense, a smokescreen, to steal this morons' ideas for his crappy movie. The fact that Moore's LOEG had been in development long before his forced return to DC, that the evolution of the idea can be clearly traced back to the 1980's and 'Lost Girls', which starred the female main characters from literary classics Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz, way before this idiot had shopped his script, seems like proof enough. But the most convincing point, the point that likely never made it's way into evidence, is that Moore's LOEG is a masterpiece, a work of genius. Whereas the movie, and the lousy script, are garbage that don't deserve to be associated with the comic. This insulting, maddening episode signaled Moore's break with any film adaptations of his comics. On both V for Vendetta and Watchmen, he demanded his name not appear anywhere in the those films' credits or advertising.)
More Art-book Reviews
More Comic-book Reviews
More Novel Reviews
It's interesting that Alan Moore, who absolutely hated DC and Marvel and professed utter boredom with superheroes in general, decided to create another superhero comic when he launched ABC almost 15 years ago. While he comes across as a crotchety old bastard, his feelings toward DC were entirely justified. Way back in the early 80's, after blowing the minds of comic geeks with his brilliant and definitive take on 'Swamp Thing', DC was excited to put their young British genius to work on a superhero title. Moores' proposal for an epic restructuring of the DC universe scared the hell out of them, however, so they compromised. Instead of traumatizing Green Lantern and Wonder Woman fans, he could inflict whatever indignities he liked upon a long-forgotten world of characters created for Charlton comics in the 40's, 50's & 60's.
From 'Watchmen' [Dave Gibbons] and 'A Small Killing' [Oscar Zarate]:
DC had purchased Charlton to acquire specific properties, but the titles Moore was given Carte Blanche with were afterthoughts. The characters in Watchmen bear little resemblance to the original Charlton heroes, and the story that unfolded over 12 issues was the pure, concentrated genius that resides in the mighty beard of Alan Moore. Watchmen became the consensus No.1 superhero comic of all time; some list Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns' as a close competitor for the top spot, and Miller is great, but... c'mon. Really? Anyway, the unprecedented success of Watchmen, both initially and to this very day, with multiple editions in print for almost 30 years, with a massive multi-volume 'Before Watchmen' series of prequels, and with a feature film adaptation with a huge budget and '300' director Zach Snyder at the helm, Moore received little more than a pittance... his initial payment for writing 'Watchmen' would be his last, and he was given no further creative input.
From 'Lost Girls' [Melinda Gebbie], a still of Moore's odd Simpsons guest stint with Dan Clowes and Art Spiegelman, and 'From Hell' [Eddie Campbell]:
He left DC, outraged by their utter disrespect for his abilities as a writer, treating every employee as faceless, replaceable, certainly not like artists. He devoted himself to various projects for independent publishers, most of which are lesser known masterpieces -- A Small Killing, Lost Girls, Big Numbers (his legendary failed collaboration with Bill Sienkiewicz), and of course, From Hell. After showing his support for the artists who had quit Marvel and DC to form Image by guest-writing a few of their terrible, godawful comics, he took one of the worst of them, Supreme, a blatant Superman ripoff, and launched a thoroughly brilliant run; thus, Moore became a true comic-book alchemist, able to turn crap into gold(*). It was after Supreme wrapped up it's storyline that Moore began talks with former X-men artist fan-favorite and Image co-founder Jim Lee, about masterminding an entire line of books, to be called America's Best Comics.
From 'League of Extraordinary Gentleman' [Kevin O'Neill]:
Immediately after finalizing his deal to create ABC for Jim Lee's Wildstorm -- at that point published by Image -- DC swooped in and made Lee an offer he couldn't refuse. They purchased the artist-superstars' line of mostly mediocre titles, for the sole purpose of acquiring lucrative rights and forcing Moore into a partnership with the company who had already screwed him out of millions of dollars(**). Despite Lee's promise to act as a buffer between Moore and the army of lawyers, editors and vice-presidents at DC, they still found ways to drive him insane; most notably (and despicably) by trying to ensure his docile compliance by hiring the writers' old friend Steve Moore (no relation), in dire need of a paying job, and suggesting that his future at DC was in Alan's hands. They then pushed him further by nitpicking over inconsequential details in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (The Black Dossier most of all), and turning what is Moore's third greatest masterpiece -- after Watchmen and From Hell -- into one of the worst film adaptations of all time. The proverbial insult that followed the injury was the ludicrous, infuriating and hurtful accusation that Moore (conspiring with DC) stole the idea for LOEG from an abysmal screen-writer(***). While DC owned the movie rights, Moore retained ownership and creative control of LOEG. Once again disgusted with the company, he decided to shut down ABC and take LOEG to independent Top Shelf, where he has enjoyed total autonomy, publishing the collected LOEG: Vol. III - Century, as well as three hardcover 'Nemo' books.
From Absolute Top 10 - Top 10, Art by Alex Ross and Gene Ha:
What was saddest about the whole debacle is that the ABC titles were uniformly excellent. Perhaps the best of the four titles was Top Ten. Moore's police procedural, set in a city inhabited by millions of costumed superheroes, supervillains, aliens, robots and gods, is a densely layered drama packed with unforgettable characters. So many scenes stand out it's hard to narrow them down:
One story, involving a teleport station used not just by beings from our world (or our galaxy), but also Extra-Dimensional Entities navigating endless Multiversal levels, is especially poignant: A horrible teleportation accident involving an elderly superhero couple and a Horse-headed Alien Giant, late for his cosmic chess-game, leaves both parties fused together, slowly dying, involving the reader in the emotional agony of both the victims and the investigators, searching for answers as they wait, helpless, for the doomed individuals to expire (See the third pic below).
An alien serial killer is killing prostitutes, and super-powered cops apparently aren't enough to stop the murders; not only is the killer freakishly good at ending lives, SHE has friends in high places.
A supposedly friendly cross-precinct cop exchange with an alternate-universe-Top Ten -- this one a Global Roman Empire, ruled directly by capricious and familiar gods -- turns out to actually be a brutal gladiatorial contest. Involving Top Ten members from Precincts across the Multiverse, Detective Corbeau, aka King Peacock, will have to call upon all his Satanic powers in order to survive. A 70-ft tall woman made of marble is one thing, but fighting his brand-new pal is another... even if he is a robotic Velociraptor of gleaming steel (See below).
From Absolute Top 10 - Top 10, Art by Gene Ha:
The entire series is collected in one massive Absolute edition, along with the two mini-series that were written by Moore. Despite all the ill will that has tainted his relationship with the Big Two companies, and though Moore denies it, there remains an affinity for the superhero genre, evident throughout every beautiful page of this book. Never mind the hundreds of terribly written, terribly drawn juvenile power fantasies churned out on a monthly basis. Moore once again points the way for comics done right, packing this 632-page (not the 576 pages it's listed as, making it one of the biggest of the Absolute Editions), 9" x 13" volume with all the cool ideas it can safely contain without spontaneously combusting. The artwork of Gene Ha and Zander Cannon, however, is the real reason that an Absolute Edition is so welcome and long overdue. These two artists are responsible for every panel of art in this volume, with Cannon doing layouts and Ha focusing on his meticulous dry-brush finishes. For the 'Through-the Looking-Glass' trip into the unexpectedly cuddly world that is the setting for the 5-issue series based on Top Ten bad-ass 'Smax', Cannon took the reins, managing the tightrope between realism and cartoonish effectively, a skilfully stylized art that can handle both humor and tragedy. It reminds me of Sfar and Trondheim's epic 'Donjon', in many ways.
From Absolute Top 10 - Smax, art by Zander Cannon:
For the Top Ten prequel 'The 49ers', Gene Ha returns, utilizing the Ink-wash method used by artists like Lee Bermejo & J.H.Williams III, creating finely wrought gradations of light, shadow and texture in grey-tones. After computer-coloring is applied, the finished results are near indestinguishable from watercolors, making 'The 49ers' one of the most beautiful American comics of its' time, similar to Euro-comics in both its strong linework & fully painted colors. The retro-futuristic architecture of Neopolis is rendered in a level of detail that is remarkable, making excellent use of the oversized format. While I'm not the biggest fan of superhero comics, and I think that many of the books given the Absolute treatment don't merit the luxury edition, Top Ten is one of the best mainstream comics of the last two decades, and this book is definitely worth the asking price. Considering the narrative and artistic density packed into this truly complete Absolute Edition... that Top Ten is likely Moore's last and best superhero comic after Watchmen... and that his return to DC to revive America's Best Comics is about as likely as seeing him do a writing stint for 'My Little Pony'... make this is a true 'Must Have' book. If you've considered picking up an Absolute edition, I recommend 'Absolute Top 10' absolutely.
From Absolute Top 10 - The 49ers, art by Gene Ha:
(*Supreme was created by the borderline retarded Rob Liefeld, who has had the ridiculous good luck to have ONE of his dopey creations rebooted and made great by Alan Moore, and a SECOND, Prophet, rebooted and made great by Brandon Graham, Farel Dalrymple and a couple other super-talented kids way too bright to be playing in Liefelds' pissy, stinking sandbox.)
(**In all fairness to DC, screwing writers and artists out of money was standard practice in the industry; Marvel tried to prevent an aged and destitute Jack Kirby, co-creator of the X-men, Capt. America, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, etc., from selling original art of his signature creations. Despite the reverence fans felt for Kirby, despite the fact that the superheroes making them hundreds of millions of dollars had been created while Kirby was being paid a few lousy dollars per page, Marvel still begrudged him a meager profit in exchange for everything he'd done for them. This would be one of the catalysts sparking the debate about creators' rights in comics.)
(***Perhaps the most spirit-crushing development of all came when a third-rate screen-writer launched a lawsuit against DC and Time-Warner, alleging that League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was based on his screenplay, that Moore had been commissioned by DC to write the comic, basing it on this screenplay, so they could use it as a defense, a smokescreen, to steal this morons' ideas for his crappy movie. The fact that Moore's LOEG had been in development long before his forced return to DC, that the evolution of the idea can be clearly traced back to the 1980's and 'Lost Girls', which starred the female main characters from literary classics Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz, way before this idiot had shopped his script, seems like proof enough. But the most convincing point, the point that likely never made it's way into evidence, is that Moore's LOEG is a masterpiece, a work of genius. Whereas the movie, and the lousy script, are garbage that don't deserve to be associated with the comic. This insulting, maddening episode signaled Moore's break with any film adaptations of his comics. On both V for Vendetta and Watchmen, he demanded his name not appear anywhere in the those films' credits or advertising.)
More Art-book Reviews
More Comic-book Reviews
More Novel Reviews
August 28, 2014
A beautiful collected binding for a highly praised graphic novel collection, Absolute Top 10 collects the original superhero police procedural arc, the Smax fantasy spoof spin off, the Deadfellas one-shot and the truly sublime 49ers prequel novel. I read them all as they came out and distinctly recall comic shop geeks doing a lot of gnashing and wailing over Alan Moore refusing to write any more issues beyond what is contained within. And I would say rightly so.
Top 10 is set in a world populated with science-heroes, sentient machines, aliens, fantasy creatures and more, all living and interacting with each other and all policed by a motley crew of violent, intelligent, considerate, loving, wild souls with their own special abilities. Moore tells the tale of multiple crimes, investigated by multiple cops, over a series of weeks initially through the eyes of a rookie to the force but slowly expanding to incorporate the full spectrum of the Neopolis police force. It's full of sly observations on the nature of superheroes and humanity, wonderfully inventive and fully realised characters brought to life with really quite great artwork. The Smax storyline is a bit of fun I suppose if you like spoofs of fantasy and humour in your graphic novels but it is the prequel novel that really reimburses the reader who invested so much time in discovering the series, it's a fascinating "origin" storyline loaded with breathtaking imagery from start to finish. I'd recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in crime comics.
Top 10 is set in a world populated with science-heroes, sentient machines, aliens, fantasy creatures and more, all living and interacting with each other and all policed by a motley crew of violent, intelligent, considerate, loving, wild souls with their own special abilities. Moore tells the tale of multiple crimes, investigated by multiple cops, over a series of weeks initially through the eyes of a rookie to the force but slowly expanding to incorporate the full spectrum of the Neopolis police force. It's full of sly observations on the nature of superheroes and humanity, wonderfully inventive and fully realised characters brought to life with really quite great artwork. The Smax storyline is a bit of fun I suppose if you like spoofs of fantasy and humour in your graphic novels but it is the prequel novel that really reimburses the reader who invested so much time in discovering the series, it's a fascinating "origin" storyline loaded with breathtaking imagery from start to finish. I'd recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in crime comics.
June 28, 2021
This is all 4 of 'Moores TOP 10 TPBs including the main 2 volumes,The mini series ‘TOP 10 the 49ers’ prequal to the main 2 books,the brilliant off-shoot mini series of the fantasy parody ‘SMAX’ & the one shot,one & done comic 'Deadfellas'.If I was on a desert island and I could only take 1 of my books this would be it not simply because of the sheer amount of product here but also because all the books collected are among the top tier of Alan Moore writing.While Moores Watchmen is rightly held up as the greatest 'superhero' story ever it was also one of the most pesimistic take on human/superhumans nature,this on the other hand has a love for the genre I didn't even know 'Moore had.The amount of fun 'Moore,Gene ha & Zandor Cannon had writing/drawing this book translates absolutely while reading & in awe of a great deal of the artwork(especially 'Has work on the 49ers)which Gene Ha & Zander Cannon use for countless background sight gags & these Easter eggs are a lot easier to spot in the over sized Absolute edition.This is the best ABSOLUTE EDITION I own and I own quite a few including V for Venndetta & Watchmen which are my top 2 'Moore storys(From Hell & vol1-6of Swampthing on a diffrent day would take they spots)but the sheer bang for your buck here along with the quality of it can't be denied!ps.I'm not even a huge superhero fan but that didn't matter.The storys are about so much more than tights & fights(there’s only really two 'big battle' scenes in the main story of the original 2 volumes of TOP 10)It is 'Moore at the top of his game with a love & passion for the super powered/mutated & robotic characters pouring out of every panel & page,GET IT & LOVE IT!
June 16, 2021
Alan Moore at some of its most unambitious, but honestly, that's fine. He didn't have anything to proof by this point. When you have multiple medium-defining works under your belt you can afford to do pretty much anything.
But this is not "anything", it's Alan Moore giving us superheroes and then taking them back again from us by making them the least interesting element in the picture. It has little touches that might remind you of Transmetropolitan, Sandman... honestly, it's not a wonder I loved this, it was essentially made for me.
Would recommend it for virtually every type of comic book reader, all issues here should please all kinds of fans anyway, but they're preferably read in order of course.
But this is not "anything", it's Alan Moore giving us superheroes and then taking them back again from us by making them the least interesting element in the picture. It has little touches that might remind you of Transmetropolitan, Sandman... honestly, it's not a wonder I loved this, it was essentially made for me.
Would recommend it for virtually every type of comic book reader, all issues here should please all kinds of fans anyway, but they're preferably read in order of course.
October 25, 2013
It's a fantastic collection. Like all of Alan Moore's work, I felt improved after I finished it. If you want a caring, warm, and entertaining look at superhero comics history through the lens of a brilliant writer who has nothing but love for the medium of comics as a whole, this is what you need. More than anything else he's ever written, this book feels like the truest answer to Watchmen from Moore. It's not a refutation of his original deconstruction, though. It's simply an alternative viewpoint, a perspective that loves and relishes the adolescent ridiculousness that is superhero comicbooks.
July 13, 2018
Everyone in Neopolis is superheroes. Everyone. However, being a vigilante is still illegal. So is the usual assortment of crime, whether aliens, fae creatures, or science guys are the villains. In this book, we follow the police officers of the Top 10 precinct. Powers are not optional, but morality might be a little relative in some places.
This is Alan Moore, so it gets weird in places, pushes uncomfortable sexual taboos, and has lots of pictures of naked old men. That said, this is Alan Moore, so it's never boring.
I definitely recommend this book for mature readers.
This is Alan Moore, so it gets weird in places, pushes uncomfortable sexual taboos, and has lots of pictures of naked old men. That said, this is Alan Moore, so it's never boring.
I definitely recommend this book for mature readers.
August 30, 2015
I've read this before but its been awhile. The art sells this book. Every panel is just pure eye candy. I loved the visual puns that pop up. Gene Ha is amazing.
February 17, 2020
Muy interesante. Original, divertido, lleno de referencias y detallitos. Cuando Moore se pone, se pone.
October 14, 2023
Besides the great stories the amount of detail that went into background artwork and Easter eggs deserves it's own recognition.
February 20, 2020
I've been rereading a lot of Alan Moore over the last few years, because he's so re-readable and head and shoulders above almost everyone else in the field, and Top 10 is a great example of that. There's just so much going on here in terms of information density, easter eggs, mystery beats, social commentary, super heroes and police procedurals that it's almost impossible how well Moore, Cannon and Ha pull this off.
I'm including the un-collected Top Ten Season 2, a 5 issue series that DC as Wildstorm as ABC abandoned before we could really see where it went. That was Cannon and Ha working independently from Moore and they absolutely nailed the visuals and the concept of the Top 10 universe. The plotline with the "Premise Keepers" self actualization grifters for supers who were losing contact with the alternate identities was spot on, for example. But good as it was, you can see how it just wasn't 100% there - it lacked Moores understanding of humanity and how to translate it into language. They're well worth finding if you can get them, and they are solid poor of how much Moore's collaborators bring their own ideas and tone to any series he does. For all that we praise Moore, he's never a one man show, and it's important to remember how much Ha and Cannon made this series work.
I'm including the un-collected Top Ten Season 2, a 5 issue series that DC as Wildstorm as ABC abandoned before we could really see where it went. That was Cannon and Ha working independently from Moore and they absolutely nailed the visuals and the concept of the Top 10 universe. The plotline with the "Premise Keepers" self actualization grifters for supers who were losing contact with the alternate identities was spot on, for example. But good as it was, you can see how it just wasn't 100% there - it lacked Moores understanding of humanity and how to translate it into language. They're well worth finding if you can get them, and they are solid poor of how much Moore's collaborators bring their own ideas and tone to any series he does. For all that we praise Moore, he's never a one man show, and it's important to remember how much Ha and Cannon made this series work.
May 21, 2022
During the 90's, the world of American superhero comics became saturated with stories that imitated in a wrong and poorly way what had been done in previous years by authors such as Alan Moore and Frank Miller, among others. Somewhat in response to this, at the end of the aforementioned decade, Moore and a great team of artists created the ABC publishing label within Wildstorm. A fresh and renewing look with the following titles: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Tom Strong, Promethea, Tomorrow Stories and the work in question Top 10.
I remember that in the beginning this was one of the works that aroused the least attention in me. How wrong I was. Moore and his team give us a fascinating world in the city of Neopolis: we have action, suspense, romance and comedy, something that Moore handles very well. And as can't be different from the other works of the Bard of Northampton, we have a finely tuned look at society, the norms we set for ourselves, crime and authority figures.
Recommended for those who enjoy cop thrillers and good humor.
I remember that in the beginning this was one of the works that aroused the least attention in me. How wrong I was. Moore and his team give us a fascinating world in the city of Neopolis: we have action, suspense, romance and comedy, something that Moore handles very well. And as can't be different from the other works of the Bard of Northampton, we have a finely tuned look at society, the norms we set for ourselves, crime and authority figures.
Recommended for those who enjoy cop thrillers and good humor.
December 7, 2023
I've read a fair bit of Alan Moore, but this is quite different from everything else I've read in that it feels much more like a traditional stories in a super-hero universe, rather than something mostly self-contained. As always with Moore the writing and plotting is very good, and despite it being in theory a rather silly concept he manages to explore some serious themes with a fair amount of nuance. The world itself that he and Gene Ha created is interesting, and stands out as a particularly good example of the 90s/early 2000s non-DC/Marvel creator-owned superhero universe boom. Speaking of Gene Ha, the art is very good throughout as well. It doesn't feel like it reaches the heights of literature that Alan Moore is capable of, but still, a very good series.
I did try the non Moore/Ha sequel comics, but gave up a few pages in since it was so immediately obvious that the writing/art was considerably worse (the previously nuanced and well written lesbian character starting saying things like "thank Sappho", I mean come on).
I did try the non Moore/Ha sequel comics, but gave up a few pages in since it was so immediately obvious that the writing/art was considerably worse (the previously nuanced and well written lesbian character starting saying things like "thank Sappho", I mean come on).
December 3, 2025
Todos os trabalhos de Alan Moore para a linha American's Best Comics são ótimos. Mas TOP10 é o creme de la creme. Trata-se de uma divisão de polícia responsável por crimes ocorridos em Neópolis, uma cidade dedicada aos superseres. Neste encadernado temos quatro partes bem definidas. O primeiro e o segundo arco entrelaçam diversos casos policiais, sempre com a genialidade e referencialidade de Moore. Depois temos a minissérie de Smax, o bárbaro da divisão de polícia, revelando mais sobre seu passado. Por fim, o mais interessante de todos é o especial The Forty Niners, com arte de Gene Ha, que conta a gênese da cidade de Neópolis, no final dos anos 1940, depois da Segunda Guerra Mundial, algo que se relaciona com a história dos super-heróis. O interessante deste encadernado é que as histórias vão ficando mais e mais interessantes à medida que vamos lendo e descobrindo desse universo, mas nos envolvemos em seus mistérios e queremos resolver eles juntos com os policiais do TOP10. Uma ótima leitura, superrecomendada.
April 6, 2024
This book is dense. It’s hard to get into. But I am so glad I stuck it out. It is the story of a city where everyone has superpowers and it’s also a gritty cop story. Every single thing is an inside joke or Easter egg. Every crime unraveled a new layer to the web of conspiracy. I’m so happy I got to read this in such a large format because you need to spend 20 mins on each page to catch each reference.
December 29, 2021
In spite of the richness of world building that Alan Moore brings to any story, this odd group of cops and their adventures did not fully capture my interest. There seems to be more focus in describing how each character is a freak in its own way than creating enjoyable stories.
July 5, 2025
Très très cool, j'ai eu un peu de mal avec les dessins et le foisonnement des cases au début (format Nomad n'aimait peut-être pas ?) mais on s'y fait.
Niveau scénario, Alan Moore a-t-il déjà râté une œuvre ? En tout cas c'est ultra réussi
Niveau scénario, Alan Moore a-t-il déjà râté une œuvre ? En tout cas c'est ultra réussi
July 19, 2018
WOW! What a great title. I'd love to see this as a tv series. Such a dense and interesting world!
July 6, 2020
if the wire had a comedic and superhero twist
December 29, 2013
Pre-face: I bought this large and expensive book without knowing anything about the comic. Mainly because it was Alan Moore and because I like large hardcover books.
Review: It did not disappoint. It was, as expected, interesting, creative, and entertaining. I loved the artwork. I did not give it a five as I just didn't care about much of the story. The initial story in Neopolis did not suck me in, and I found myself an outsider watching great artists doing great work. Based on Moore's other writing I expeccted deeper stuff. The issue here is my expectations, not Moore's writing (which is great.)
However...after the "main" story concludes the artwork changes to a simplistic videogame type toon style and two main characters are transported to a Zelda-like world. This is a world filled with Fantasy cliches from books and video games and it really cracked me up (as it will any Fantasy/videogame nerd).
And last and best is a prequal to the initial story. It is painted in a comic version of noir and I enjoyed this story much more than the main story.
To conclude...I was unfamiliar with the comic but still liked the book overall. People that already read, and enjoyed, the comic would probably appreciate the large and glossy pages. People that no NOTHING of the comic are taking a gamble. If you are a Moore fan then buy it and you probably won't be disappointed. If you are not a Moore fan then you should probably buy a cheaper book and see if you like it.
Review: It did not disappoint. It was, as expected, interesting, creative, and entertaining. I loved the artwork. I did not give it a five as I just didn't care about much of the story. The initial story in Neopolis did not suck me in, and I found myself an outsider watching great artists doing great work. Based on Moore's other writing I expeccted deeper stuff. The issue here is my expectations, not Moore's writing (which is great.)
However...after the "main" story concludes the artwork changes to a simplistic videogame type toon style and two main characters are transported to a Zelda-like world. This is a world filled with Fantasy cliches from books and video games and it really cracked me up (as it will any Fantasy/videogame nerd).
And last and best is a prequal to the initial story. It is painted in a comic version of noir and I enjoyed this story much more than the main story.
To conclude...I was unfamiliar with the comic but still liked the book overall. People that already read, and enjoyed, the comic would probably appreciate the large and glossy pages. People that no NOTHING of the comic are taking a gamble. If you are a Moore fan then buy it and you probably won't be disappointed. If you are not a Moore fan then you should probably buy a cheaper book and see if you like it.
November 29, 2016
This is quite possibly a masterpiece of THE collection of the graphic novels of the Top 10 written by Alan Moore, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed when I finished it that there wasn't any more, the same could be said about the Hellblazer series. I was lucky to find a copy on ebay for £50 as it's £175-200+ on Amazon.
November 10, 2023
Read this one back in 2013.
The line that stuck out to me the most was the Gundam/Mazinger-looking rookie chastising a vending machine for being like a hooker, having strange men reach into her from the bottom like that, to the flustering of the shock-power cop who was just reaching for a soda, and the laughter of his coworkers.
The line that stuck out to me the most was the Gundam/Mazinger-looking rookie chastising a vending machine for being like a hooker, having strange men reach into her from the bottom like that, to the flustering of the shock-power cop who was just reaching for a soda, and the laughter of his coworkers.
February 7, 2018
Алан Мур и его крутая полицейская драма в мире, где все вокруг - супергерои.
Первый день на службе вчерашней курсантки; убийство какого-то мелкого дилера, за которым потенциально скрывается серьёзный заговор; трущобы, где заправляют банды, а полиции туда лучше не соваться; таксист, водящий машину с завязанными глазами; серийный убийца проституток с именем, отсылающим к "Зодиаку"; страшная авария на телепорт-магистрали; самые разнообразные расовые и половые трения, личные трагедии и столкновения характеров; Who watches the Simpsons?.. словом, богатая, захватывающая жизнь большого города, умело вписанные комедийные элементы и ни одной минуты покоя.
В целом суперклассная серия, которая по духу больше всего напомнила мне футуристический мегаполис Transmetropolitan'а, только там с разными сложными социальными вопросами сталкивался брызжущий желчью политический обозреватель, а тут - разношёрстная, довольно трогательная команда офицеров полиции. Ну и всё это на фоне кучи местами совершенно гениальных, местами ненавязчивых отсылок ко всему на свете.
P.S. Спиноффы достаточно неплохие. Остроумная фентези-фантасмагория "Smax (2003)", послевоенный нуар "The Forty-Niners (2005)" о становлении Неополиса. А вот короткое прямое продолжение Top 10 под названием "Beyond the Farthest Precinct (2005)" (от другого сценариста) годится лишь в качестве наглядного пособия того, чем хороший писатель отличается от автора посредственного фанфика, где происходит полная хрень, а все герои вместо своих собственных уникальных голосов сливаются в какой-то безмозгло-фальшивый Looney Toons.
Первый день на службе вчерашней курсантки; убийство какого-то мелкого дилера, за которым потенциально скрывается серьёзный заговор; трущобы, где заправляют банды, а полиции туда лучше не соваться; таксист, водящий машину с завязанными глазами; серийный убийца проституток с именем, отсылающим к "Зодиаку"; страшная авария на телепорт-магистрали; самые разнообразные расовые и половые трения, личные трагедии и столкновения характеров; Who watches the Simpsons?.. словом, богатая, захватывающая жизнь большого города, умело вписанные комедийные элементы и ни одной минуты покоя.
В целом суперклассная серия, которая по духу больше всего напомнила мне футуристический мегаполис Transmetropolitan'а, только там с разными сложными социальными вопросами сталкивался брызжущий желчью политический обозреватель, а тут - разношёрстная, довольно трогательная команда офицеров полиции. Ну и всё это на фоне кучи местами совершенно гениальных, местами ненавязчивых отсылок ко всему на свете.
P.S. Спиноффы достаточно неплохие. Остроумная фентези-фантасмагория "Smax (2003)", послевоенный нуар "The Forty-Niners (2005)" о становлении Неополиса. А вот короткое прямое продолжение Top 10 под названием "Beyond the Farthest Precinct (2005)" (от другого сценариста) годится лишь в качестве наглядного пособия того, чем хороший писатель отличается от автора посредственного фанфика, где происходит полная хрень, а все герои вместо своих собственных уникальных голосов сливаются в какой-то безмозгло-фальшивый Looney Toons.
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