Top 10 #12
Story:
Art:

Written by Alan Moore
Pencils & Inks by Gene Ha
Layouts by Zander Cannon
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Letters by Todd Klein

Published by DC/Wildstorm/America's Best Comics.
Price: $3.50

Notes: The final issue of "season one."

My Verdict: Worthy ending for now.

The first season comes to end with a bang that I promise you you didn't see coming. Everything from the Libra Killer to Duane's mom's supermice problems gets wrapped up in this one.

Top 10 has always been one of my favorite ABC books. It's Hill Street Blues with superpowers. It's got twelve main characters who all have distinct personalities and yet the book doesn't feel crowded. Many nice little in-joke references to comic lore--but the book doesn't feel goofy. Great dialogue, some actual death--wow, this...oh, it says Alan Moore on the cover, no wonder.

The new star of the book these days is Joe Pi, who's essentially a Shogun Warrior-looking robot with a great sense of humor. He gets ALL the best lines. But all the characters are rich, hence my non-surprise at Alan Moore's kicking ass with the pen. Kemlo (the intelligent dog who walks upright in an exoskeleton) is trying to figure out his relationship with a human woman; Smax is trying to figure out his relationship with...well, everybody, since he's so damn anti-social, but especially with Robyn "Toy Box", his partner; and we get to see Duane do his stuff--first time I can remember, but hey, it was a long time getting through twelve issues.

Now, I said above that you wouldn't see the main thrust of this issue coming. But even when you're in the thick of it, you still don't see some of the twists coming. Because this isn't your standard superhero comic book, you don't get your standard superhero slugfest as a result of the apprehension of this issue's perps. Instead, you get...well, something you might see on NYPD Blue--a bust with some interesting (and disturbed) twists.

All in all, it's a very worthy "season finale," and I can't wait to see the second season of issues come out. Until then, the Smax limited series will have to suffice. But no worries.