Top 10
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Top 10 is a superhero comic book series published by the America's Best Comics imprint of DC comics. Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Gene Ha and Zander Cannon, the series details the lives and work of the police force of Neopolis, a city in which everyone, from the police and criminals to civilians, children and even pets, has super-powers, colourful costumes and secret identities. Its deadpan tone allows it to range from farce and black humour to touching emotional scenes.
The series is noted for its meticulous attention to detail and dedication to the premise of millions of super-beings sharing a single city. For example, a caped streetcorner watch vendor seen in one panel uses a cardboard sign advertising "signal watches", and a hotdog vendor cooks his wares with heat vision. One plotline involves a boy-band called Sidekix whose hit single is called "Holy Broken Hearts". Likewise, all other advertising, signage and graffiti in the Top 10 universe contains references to the world of comic books and super powers, as does nearly every line of dialogue.
Cast
The following characters are officers and civilians employed at Precinct Ten.
- Captain Steve Traynor, aka Jetman (formerly Jetlad)
- Lieutenant Cathy Colby, aka Peregrine
- Detective John Corbeau, aka King Peacock, a follower of the Yezidi religion
- Detective Synaesthesia Jackson, a synaesthetic
- Sergeant Jackie Kowalski, aka Jack Phantom, a lonely lesbian with the ability to turn insubstantial
- Sergeant Kemlo Caesar, aka Hyperdog, a talking dog in a man-shaped robotic exo-skeleton
- Sergeant Hector Lopez, aka Monsoon
- S.W.A.T. Team Leader Bill Bailey, aka the Wolfspider
- Hostage Negotiator Harry Lovelace, aka the Word, who has a voice that compels obedience
- Officer Robyn Slinger, aka Toybox, who is aided by her army of mechanical "toys"
- Officer Jeff Smax, a surly, sarcastic, invulnerable blue thug
- Officer Irma Wornow, aka Irma Geddon, a middle-aged woman in a nuclear-armed battlesuit
- Officer Sung Li, aka Girl One, a living video game character
- Officer Duane Bodine, aka Dust Devil, a "techno-cowboy"
- Officer Peter Cheney, aka Shock-Headed Peter, who has electric shock powers and a bad attitude towards Neopolis's robot minority
- Officer Alexei Glushko, aka the Spaceman, a telepath
- Officer Jenny McCambridge, aka Multi-Woman
- Officer Joe Pi, a robot (although he prefers to be called "post-organic" or "ferro-American")
- The Rumor (identity and rank unknown)
- Doctor Sally-Jo Jessell, aka Micro-Maid, the precinct's pathologist, who uses her shrinking powers to closely examine bodies
- Dispatcher Linda "Janus" Burnett, who has two faces
Spin-offs
The comical 2003 mini-series Smax, by Alan Moore and Zander Cannon, took 'Smax', accompanied by his partner, 'Toybox', back to his home dimension, a world based on the conventions and cliché's of fantasy.
Top 10: The Forty Niners, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Gene Ha detailing the origins of Neopolis and the first officers of Top 10, is to be released on July 13th 2005.
Collections
The Top 10 series has so far been collected in:
- Top 10: Book One (issues 1-7)
- Hardcover edition (ISBN 1840231963)
- Paperback editions (ISBN 1563896680 & ISBN 1840232757)
- Top 10: Book Two (issues 8-12)
- Hardcover editions (ISBN 1563898764 & ISBN 1840234822)
- Paperback editions (ISBN 1563899663 & ISBN 1840235187)
- Smax (issues 1-5)
- Hardcover edition:
- Paperback edition:
- Top 10: The Forty-Niners
- Hardcover edition:
- Paperback edition: