February
5 A Monolithic Debut

The Monolith #1

DC

Creators: writers, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray; artist, Phil Winslade

$3.50; 32 pages

So? Contemporizing and expanding on the legend of the Golem, Palmiotti and Gray have created an engrossing tale that looks to take the hero definition to a different level.

Alice, a drug-addicted girl living on the streets (possibly a prostitute, or at least associating with them) inherits a house, money and something more from her recently murdered grandma. The first issue introduces the Monolith as a beast that was created for retribution, avenging a crime perpetrated in 1932. Seems that the Monolith has been dormant, but Alice will have need of his services when local thug/pimp Princeton comes for her.

As introductions go, the story has a lot of potential. Redemption for a downtrodden girl, possibly heroic implications (if there's any interaction with the rest of the DC universe, it will be interesting - but the current story is set in Brooklyn and the real NYC, not Gotham City or Metropolis, so who knows), and a street-level, crimefighting storyline that should appeal to the "Bat-family fans" (German link) out there. Winslade's art is understated but fits perfectly with the tone and themes of the book. This isn't a slick story, and doesn't require a slick look. Grade: B+