The Greatest Superhero Story Ever Told!
Revenge of the Living Monolith should be required reading for anybody who reads and writes comic books. It's Good Comics 101. It has everything present that is required for an exciting comic book superhero adventure.
Great heroes?
You bet! This story features prominent roles by Captain America, Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, and the Invisible Woman. It also features a small, but significant, role for Thor.
Great villian?
Again, most definitely. It was billed as a "creature that ate New York" type of story, and choosing Ahmet Abdol from Egypt gave the story a very worldly feel, especially with him attacking the USA. The ties he already had to X-Men lore just enhance this Marvel Universe adventure even more.
Great writing?
When has David Michelinie NOT delivered on the story end? Perhaps the most consistantly good writer I have ever read. He nails each character, and produced an incredibly memorable scene between Captain America and J. Jonah Jameson. It's a "creature that ate New York" story at it's finest, with great character, great action, and a great resolution.
Great art?
This was Marc Silvestri's arrival. It was this work that convinced me that he was already a superstar, but nobody had noticed yet. The art is dynamic, the storytelling is clear, the visual style jumps out, and the draftsmen skills are obviously good. It's absolutely perfect superhero artwork.
I still read this story once a year, even now, some 24 years after I first saw it on the shelf at my local comic shop. Up 'til then, I had only read a bit about it in a Marvel Age interview and saw some nice Silvestri Spider-Man panels. I still remember buying it and having great anticipation to get home and read it right away, and when I did, I realized immediately that it was one of those special stories that I would always be fond of. It's the perfect superhero adventure to read on a rainy Saturday.