Quick Rating: Smashing
Where have you gone, Ambush Bug? The comics’ nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Whoo ooh ooh
Writer: Alan Moore
Pencils: Zander Cannon
Inks: Andrew Currie
Colors: Ben Dimagmaliw
Editor: Scott Dunbier
Asst. Editor: Kristy Quinn
Review: As you doubtless know, superhero comics emerged as a viable business entity in the late 1930s. Interestingly, nylon emerged as a functioning product in the middle 1930s. Hosiery, particularly women’s, transitioned from silk to nylon over the succeeding years. In their original incarnations, did Superman, Batman, et al, wear nylon or silk tights? I do not know, but this question may keep us all awake late into the night. Superman, as is often the case, is an exception to the silk or nylon debate. Since his inception, we have learned that his costume was fashioned by his adoptive mother from the blankets that were found in the rocket that transported him to Earth. What about Batman though? What about Captain Marvel and Captain America? Flash? Robin? Aquaman and Submariner? Bucky and Toro? Surely some of them surreptitiously shopped in ladies hosiery for that perfect color? Perhaps they dyed silk tights, but that would have been a tedious process (though that might explain the odd shades often found in older comics). Most importantly, did they wash their costumes frequently? I do not think that I would want to wear last night’s tights without some confidence that the criminal element would not smell me approaching. (“Nasty nostrils, Batman! Alfred did not wash our costumes!” “Do not be so harsh, my young ward. Alfred is a good servant. After all, he did lube the batmobile, cook all our meals, clean the mansion, impersonate me at a Wayne Foundation board meeting, and weed the front forty acres. We will simply circle around the block since the wind is at our backs and chafes our thighs.”) Let’s face it; the whole men-in-tights thing was probably more than a little amusing at the time.
Funny superhero comics go back at least as far as when Robin the Boy Wonder first tried to strike fear in the hearts of criminals while wearing green short-shorts. Popeye, arguably, was the original humerus strongman. Captain Marvel, among others, often included a nudge and a wink for older readers. Slapstick is prevalent throughout superhero comics. What super-speedster has not slipped on ice, bananas, oil, or grease? And who does not relish a quality static slapstick image? Did you know that SMaX is an acronym for Sign, Mark & X-ray, which are the suggested surgical rules for avoiding operating on the wrong part of a patient?
Top 10 has been compared to Hill Street Blues, a long-lived 80’s television series. The show was notable for a large ensemble cast and interesting interior camera movement. It was a high-quality show set in a police station and its surroundings. Top 10 transports the police station to a world of super-powered beings while maintaining the large cast of characters and flowing point-of-view. It should be noted that the Top 10 world of super-powered beings is not a world with super-powered beings. Rather, just about everyone in it has some sort of super-human abilities. The conceit is that almost all still have regular jobs and live in regular places. Top 10 is currently on hiatus, but the lull is filled with a Smax miniseries.
Smax is a large, blue officer on the Top 10 police force. He grew up on a parallel fantasy world, Earth 137, where he returns for his uncle’s funeral. He brings his young police force partner, Toybox, with him, mostly so that she can pretend to be his wife. Earth 137 is a third world planet in Smax’s view and he spends most of the first three issues in the series griping about returning home. Earth 137 is pretty much Middle Earth struggling with the modern world. Smax warns Toybox to beware if “[a]nybody offers you shapesharing arrangements, work in telepathy marketing or trips to the disappearing quarters… .” Much to his dismay, it transpires that Smax must go on a quest to face the dragon, Morningbright. This issue deals mostly with preparations and departure. The eyecandy and the barrage of jokes make this issue feel like anything but a placeholder though.
Alan Moore can be very funny. Zander Cannon has a lot of fun with all the possibilities presented by Earth 137. Many, many of the jokes are pop culture references, so you’ll probably get a good laugh. Some folks appreciate sarcasm. Other thoughtful sorts love satire. The experienced appreciate parody. Annoying people like bad puns. Can I have a bite of your sandwich? Perhaps this limited series spin-off smacks of a company trying to get more from their canon, but that is not necessarily the case here. Alan Moore has reached into his toy box and pulled out an embarrassment of humor.
October, 2003