For a comic seven years in the making, I was surprised to see a typo on the first page and part of the special transcript in the back duplicated on two pages by mistake. Seems like seven years would have been long enough to get those kinks out. Aside from that, I found this to be a pleasant opening to this event. We're given the stakes early on, and we see the participants and where they stand. And we get yet another comic that ends with Captain America on the last page ready to fight. For those of us who have been reading Marvel titles such as Thor, New Avengers, Dark Avengers, and Invincible Iron Man, much of this book was repetitive. Loki and Norman are working together; Norman is loosing it; the Dark Avengers are ready to revolt; etc. And yet, I thought for all the hype this event has gotten, this was a suitable opening - I understand that Bendis has to initiate those who may not have been following everything in Dark Reign with this issue. My standards for the next issue, however, are going to be much higher.