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Top 10: Vol. 1

TOP 10: VOL. 1

Alan Moore (Author), Gene Ha and Zander Cannon (Illustrators)

DC Comics (Publisher)

Alan Moore is one of the most well-known and well-respected creators in the world of graphic fiction, and mostly for his more brutal, realistic, violent, searing, deconstructive, and introspective works like Watchmen and From Hell. What many don’t realize is that the English curmudgeon can also be witty and funny with the same verve, and this is where a book like Top 10 enters the scene. Part sitcom, part police procedural, Top 10 gives us a tour of the city of Neopolis, where everyone is a superhero, from the cabby who drives through the power of Zen, to the no-nonsense police officer Smax who is big, blue, and can blast a bright light from his chest. One of the most fun parts of reading Top 10, however, is literally found in the art. Artists Gene Ha and Zander Cannon, aside from being master storytellers, pack every single page with lush backgrounds and figures that, when inspected closely, reveal pop culture references to things like the 1966 Batmobile or the Incredible Hulk, making the reader spend more time on each page, finding the little Easter eggs. It’s not all fun and games though, as Moore, Ha, and Cannon are able to craft three-dimensional characters in this world that, in the hands of lesser craftsmen, would be a one-note joke or string of absurdities. If you’ve only ever read Watchmen or just want a new and different super hero story, Top 10 should be at the top of your list.

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