After the brilliance and power of Top 10: The Forty-Niners original graphic novel a couple of weeks ago, there was no way this new limited series had a chance of looking good. Di Filippo's and Ordway's efforts don't come close to capturing the strength of Top 10 as well as the property's creators, Alan Moore and Gene Ha. But even if one sets the comparisons aside, this debut issue is lacking in a key element: plot. This issue focuses on introducing new characters and re-introducing the familiar ones and how their lives have changed. It feels as though absolutely nothing happens in this first issue -- which isn't the case, but nobody reacts to anything that does happen -- and as a result, one walks away from this first issue feeling rather unsatisfied.
As the officers of Neopolis's Precinct 10 gather for their annual summer picnic, a number of new members of the force get to know their fellow law-enforcement officials. With new officers come new partnerships, as the rookies are paired up with more seasoned members. There are plenty of other new developments as well, from new rides for the precinct to a new mayor with which Captain Steve Traynor must liaison. Meanwhile, a new download drug is making its way through the robotic community, and a dramatic -- and perhaps cataclysmic -- side effect is discovered.
Ordway's style is radically different from that of Gene Ha's, and while Ordway's art boasts a high level of detail, it just doesn't have the gravity needed for this bizarre collection of pop culture characters to come off straight. The opening two-page splash looks cluttered rather than dense detailed. His work later in the issue is stronger, such as the reveal of the new police cruisers, but again, he's trying to include so much detail in the backgrounds -- just as Ha has in previous Top 10 comics -- that the panels look cramped.
Though efforts are made to make the script accessible, there are just so many characters running around in this book that it's difficult to keep score. It doesn't help that the story doesn't seem to be about any particular character, or any particular event. If anything, the issue suffers from too much balance, as each character -- new or old -- is given just as much time in the spotlight. Furthermore, I think the writer overestimates the audience's familiarity with the established characters. It's been a lonnnng time since Top 10 was published. I did enjoy picking out various comics and pop-culture references in the backgrounds, which is part of the fun of a Top 10 comic.
Two key events occur in this first issue. The first is the appearance of a monstrous vision in the sky over Neopolis, a vision seen by all, including the officers of Precinct 10. The vision stops everyone dead in their tracks, and then... it's the next day, and it's barely mentioned. It's as though the writer abandoned the plot in the middle of the issue. The other significant development comes in the final panel of the issue, but the cliffhanger is so sudden, it feels almost like an afterthought. It lacks impact as a result of it coming from out of nowhere. 5/10
