Notes to Top 10: Beyond the Farthest Precinct #3

by Jess Nevins

The text here, except where otherwise credited, is © copyright 2005 Jess Nevins, and may not be duplicated, in part or in whole, without my permission.
Politely-phrased additions and corrections are welcome at jjnevins@ix.netcom.com.

Updated 20 Oct. Updates in blue.


Page 1. Presumably the figure in the upper left is a reference to Hello Kitty and Badtz Maru (thanks to Paul Di Filippo, hereafter PDF, for the correction).

Joshua Stratton and Jonathan Carter point out Stan Lee's signature in the lower left.

Page 6. Panel 5. "Advanced Inertialess Motors" is likely a reference to Marvel's "Advanced Idea Mechanics," a.k.a. A.I.M.

Page 7. Panel 1. Jonathan Carter notes, "In this context, "jaunt" means teleport. The term was created by Alfred Bester in his book The Stars My DestinationTiger! Tiger!). (a.k.a.

Page 8. Panel 5. The corpulent policeman eating donuts in the lower left viewscreen is DC's Harvey Bullock. Joshua Stratton and Jonathan Carter point out the presence of Wolverine and Professor X in the viewscreen in the upper left.

Page 10. Panel 1. PDF points out that the robot in the middle is similar to HUEY from Silent Running.

Panel 2. Joshua Stratton says, "The bipedal robot on the left looks like the Iron Giant." Jonathan Carter echoes that and notes that the female robot is from the film Metropolis.

Page 11. Panel 1. The large building is Braniac's spaceship.

Joshua Stratton (echoed by Jonathan Carter) says, "There's an ED-209 robot (from Robocop) in the lower left."

Page 12. Panel 2. The robot on the left is Alkhema, a robot mate for Marvel's Ultron. The robot on the right is a Dalek. (Jonathan Carter rightly notes that Daleks aren't, strictly speaking, robots).

Panel 4. Argh. Should have gotten this one. PDF notes that the robot is L. Frank Baum's Tik-Tok.

Panel 5. "Grace Hopper" was a pioneer in computer science.

Page 13. Panel 1. "Clean Line Cafe" is a reference to the art style of many of the characters seen here.

On the far left is...can't remember the character's name--the Red Devil? He's eating Kirby Dots candy.

Sitting at the table is Herge's Tintin and his dog Snowy. PDF notes that sitting with Tintin is Sweep, Dina, and Freddy from Yves Chaland's "Freddy Lombard."

The billboard in the background is a reference to Alec Holland, DC's Swamp Thing.

On the far right are three characters, all named Manhunter, and all from DC.

Joshua Stratton points out the presence of Thor in the background.

Panel 3. The figure on the Subliminal Kid's headscreen is Marvel's Black Bolt, who has an explosive voice and so never speaks.

Page 14. Panel 1. Warren Ellis' Spider Jerusalem is lounging on the mattress in the background. Steve Ditko's The Question is in the foreground, reading a book entitled The Answer. PDF identifies the black character as The Anarchist (from Peter Milligan's X-Statik).

The bottle on the left is "Purple Man Pine," a reference to Marvel's Purple Man.  

Joshua Stratton says, "The 'No Logos' poster is a good indication that the Naomi K Brigade is named after Naomi Klein, author of the book No Logo."

Panel 5. "Schuiten Street" is a reference to Belgian comics creator François Schuiten.

Joshua Stratton says, "The closeup of the Subliminal Kid's shoulder reveals that his jacket has a TV static pattern."

Page 15. Panel 1. Doctor Doom and the Thing are walking in background left. The "Snikt, Thwip, and Bamf Attorneys at Law" is a reference tot he sound effects associated with, respectively, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Nightcrawler. 

The rental agent with Smax is Funky Flashman.

Joshua Stratton says, "Radioactive Man is visible behind Funky."

Panel 3. That would appear to be Captain america waving his fist at Smax and Funky Flashman.

Panel 4. The house they are looking at is the original headquarters of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Page 16. Panel 2. The car in the background is a reference to the David Westheimer novel, Von Ryan's Express, and the subsequent film.

Panel 4. The speaker is Zeus.

 The Essenes were a Jewish sect active around Year 0.

Page 17. Panel 1. PDF points out that the character with his fists raised is "depicted like Neal Adams' Son O'God."

Panel 3.  "Babalawo" is the highest rank of priesthood in the Santeria religion.

Panel 6. Holding a drink on the right is the Marvel version of Loki.

Page 18. Panel 6. Beneath Kemlo is an early version of Iron Man.

Panel 7.  In the foreground left is one of the Goons who Popeye fought. PDF points out that standing next to him is Eric Powell's The Goon. On the right side of the panel is the Phantom walking his wolf Devil. Joshua Stratton adds, "Batman is one of the trolley riders. Deadman's Alley is in San Francisco. The trolley car, apart from appearing to hover, is the same kind used in that city." Drahmiel notes, "  On the trolley are Batman and Robin, Sue Richards and Franklin, and what looks like a few incarnations of Death on the other side."

If "Deadman's Alley" is a reference to anything in particular I'm unaware of it.

Page 19. Panel 1. The Danvers Orphanage is a reference to "Linda Danvers," DC's Supergirl, who was an orphan. "Frank's White Castle" is a reference to the White Castle restaurant chain and to Frank Castle, Marvel's Punisher.

Panel 2. In the upper left  of the panel are Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck, the nephews of Donald Duck. Sitting in front of them is Baby Huey. PDF points out that sitting opposite Baby Huey are Morty Mouse and Ferdy Mouse, the nephews of Mickey Mouse. To the right of Baby Huey is Herbie the Fat Fury. Below him are Sugar and Spike. PDF points out that Dondi sits to their left, and that to Dondi's left is "Wonder Woman in her Wonder Tot incarnation" and "Superman in his Superbaby incarnation." (With them is an infant Batman, although I'm unaware of a Bat-baby). PDF notes that in front of the young JLA are the cast of Brian K. Vaughan's Runaways.

Above and to the right of Kemlo are Nancy and Sluggo. To their right are Little Dot (thanks to PDF for the correction) and a child version of Archie. Beneath them, sitting at the desk, is Granny Goodness.

I don't know who that is that Annette is looking at, to her right.

Panel 3. The person running the orphanage is Mary Worth (in a superhero costume, as seen in panel 5).

Panel 5. If "Cynothia Cephali" is a reference to anything in particular ("cephali" for head, obviously, but "cynothia?") I'm unaware of it. PDF responded that when her name is shortened to "Cyno Cephali" it means, literally, "dog-headed."

Panel 6. Cynothia's head is that of the Egyptian god Anubis.

Page 21. Panel 1. "Zelazny and Sons, Baitmen Since 1851" is a reference to science fiction Roger Zelazny and his story "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth," whose original title was "Baitmen."

Panel 3. Argh. Should have caught this one. PDF notes that the Baitmen is Abe Sapiens from Hellboy.

Panel 4. That's Popeye in the background.

Panel 5. In the foreground are Captain Haddock (from Tintin) and Zatanna and Black Canary. (I'd thought this too obvious to note, but apparently not: Zatanna and Black Canary are wearing fishnet stockings and fishing with a net--it's a visual pun).


Thanks to: Alicia, of course; Paul Di Filippo; Joshua Stratton, Jonathan Carter, Drahmiel,