The monk does look very cool, but he was the class I least enjoyed in the beta. As to that, the Witch Doctor was wicked fun so that's what I plan on starting out as. It's also partly due to tradition, as the Necromancer was my first D2 character.
I will play through Normal solo so I can enjoy all the cutscenes and lore at my leisure, as well as spend the time to explore every nook and cranny without protest. But if anyone wants to hook up for Nightmare and beyond, shoot me a friend request! My tag is Gusterr#1254