Im hoping for a long run of this title. A very long run. Monolith will need time to develop and tease out all the story potential inherent in the concept of the character, an embodiment of New York City fighting to redress the injustices besetting the citys underclasses. Palmiotti and Gray have a huge palette to work with, and Winslade appears more than able to provide the visual brush-strokes. With this review I hope to encourage readers and retailers alike to support this book whilst it is being offered for pre-order in Previews. And tell your friends, too. Monolith is going to be a huge storytelling experience.

Consider this book an appetizer. It has a simple brief and executes it well (no pun intended!)

Tony Harris is a wonderful artist when it comes to capturing the real life elements that are proving to be ever so important to this book's success, and the best example of this that I can point to in this issue in the final panel of the 1977 flashback, as Mitch's face as he asks his ever so important question about Superman perfectly captures the essence of the character. The art also manages to deftly play up the humour of the moment where Mayor Hundred comes to realize that he's been handed a potentially embarrassing case, as his reaction shot after the case is laid out made me smile. There's also a number of solid little visual moments in this issue from the parallel panels where we see both the defence and prosecution declare the Mayor the ideal juror while keeping their poker faces in place, to the ever ominous quality of that final page, as we see Mitch prepares to take action, and one is left to question if the hostage taker was actually right about his rather radical take on M

As I mention above this book opens with a nice little bit of zombie humour, and while I didn't figure out why the zombie fell down until a closer second inspection of the panels I have to say I enjoyed the reaction of the zombie by the fence. The art also does a nice job of selling the little character moments, from Carol hurt expression when Tyreese tells her that he's not ready to leave, to the cute little bit where we see the dead body in the library springs to life. The big scene where we see a character falls victim to a zombie was also well played, as one is left with little doubt that the character is doomed, and the expressions of the other two character as they realize this are nicely conveyed by the art. The last page is also solid visual to end the issue on as one is left to consider the implications of this discovery. I also have to finally give Tony Moore credit for his work on the covers, as he's does an amazing job of selling a single idea, as Lori's growing sense of iso

I do believe my only previous exposure to John Severin's work before this issue was his work on "Cracked", as back in my teen I was a loyal reader of that magazine, while my best friend was a loyal "Mad" reader, and we would swap magazines after we had finished reading them. In any event John Severin really knocks it out of the park on this issue, from the amazing double-page spread shot of the battle that opens the story, to the sheer intensity of that final page as we see the massive army advancing on our young hero, as how can one not be impressed by the expression on his face in that final panel. I also enjoy the level of attention on the little details, like the puffed up appearance of the con-artist who is using the helm to sell the idea that he's a great warrior, to the sorry state of the blade that the mother gives to her son. Bruce Timm also turns in some solid work on the second story, as while he's not the type of artist who jumps to mind when I think of Conan, he does a lov

Pat Lee's art is equal parts impressive and frustrating, as while there are visuals in this issue that leave me blown away by the level of detail that he's put on the page, there are also moments where I find myself disappointed that the material was delivered in a manner that invites confusion rather than excitement. There are some moments in this issue where Pat Lee looks to be the perfect artist for Iron Man, as he does a wonderful job delivering the high technology on display. However, the opening sequence where Tony is in the midst of heated combat had several moments where I found myself a little disappointed that the action wasn't presented in a clearer fashion, such as the big attack that brought the battle to an end as it never gives the reader a good look at what was used to defeat Tony. The same holds true for Tony's final page battle with the Sentinels, as there's some visual confusion regarding where Tony's father is in relation to the battle. Still, Iron Man fans are p

The art is pretty solid, as Andrea Divito has a pretty good eye when it comes to delivering the story in a visually exciting manner, and the big impact visuals pack a nice punch, as there's a great opening shot where we see the devastation that has been visited on Asgard. There's also some solid action shots like the sequence where Captain America's shield shows up to rescue Thor from the gaping jaws of Fenris. The delight on Loki's face is also well presented, as there's some great shots where the character looks downright evil.

While the last eight pages of this issue make this issue a must read for Spider-Man fans, the opening thirteen pages devote their energies to showing the readers Norman Osborn's view of the confrontation that we got at the end of the last issue. Now sure it's a unique point of view, and Brian Michael Bendis does a pretty convincing job conveying the idea that Norman is serious messed up in the head when he's in his Green Goblin form. However, other than getting a closer look at how Norman is keeping his son from putting two & two together, these pages feels a bit superfluous. I mean, five pages to show us that Norman is operating in his own little world, and that everything Spider-Man said to him was lost in the big mass of voices inside Norman's head, struck me as excessive. It also doesn't help matters much that three more pages simply duplicate scenes from last issue, while another two are wasted on a rather low key transformation sequence.