The end of Amazing Spider-Man is surely coming, so does this point-one issue build towards it or just distract from it?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

• As Doctor Octopus’ schemes take shape, MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE returns with a Vengenace!

• Will he be able to resist the siren song of blissful bloodsucking or will Spider-Man sling him straight back into the slammer?

• Your first look at next month’s all-new Morbius ongoing series.

Instead of delving directly into what’s currently going on with old webhead this bonus comic book shifts focus to the perspective of Michael Morbius.  ‘The living Vampire‘ has always had a rough go of it but lately he’s entered some very dark times.  And when he’s given a chance opportunity to escape his confinement this tortured soul is faced with a desperate but honest question: where will he go from here?

The writer of this issue, Joe Keatinge, with some help from series scribe Dan Slott finds a very refreshing voice that simply succeeds in beginning a proper exploration into this occasional villain.  He uses a hefty amount of inner-narration to give the audience a proper taste of this character’s history with a touch of somewhat reality.  The author enables the victim side of this long-lasting character to be highlighted just before the vampire comes out near the end.

Valentine De Landro does an outstanding job on the art.  The super thick lines and moody atmosphere echoes old tropes of horror while imbuing this world with a rather distinctive personality.  Each pencil stroke brings about an almost minimalist approach that does just enough to set the scene while exposing deeper visual layers.

Amazing Spider-Man #699.1 might as well have been called Morbius: The Living Vampire #0.1, nonetheless it was still an incredibly engaging read that succeeded in showing off the inherent strength of this forthcoming property.  Recommended.

4/5