Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

Morbius The Living Vampire #1 Review

By Andy Frisk
January 13, 2013 - 19:50

Fresh from his brief appearance in Amazing Spider-Man (in issue #699.1), Morbius is free from prison and is convinced by a friend to get out of Manhattan and take up residence somewhere where "superheroes for the most part never even heard of," like Brownsville. It suspiciously sounds like Brownsville could use a superhero though, so maybe that's why Morbius is referred there? Time will tell, but when Morbius does attempt to do some do-gooding in the city, he is met with a lethal response...

Eschewing just about every characteristic of the ever popular and seemingly never ending pop culture fascination with vampires and vampire fiction, writer Joe Keatinge introduces the first Marvel Comics comic book to star a vampiric character in quite some time. With I, Vampire doing pretty well over at the Distinguished Competition, it really wasn't going to be long before Marvel Comics rolled out Morbius again. The comic book reading public is treated to a story about a vampire (vampire-like in Morbius' case) that is unlike any of the other comic book vampire tales out there right now. Morbius is homeless, downtrodden, the only one of his kind, and already in serious condition medically by the end of his first issue, and that's just for starters. No sparkling over emotional romanticism, bare chested and shadowy going ons in the night, or vampire's life of opulence graces this vampire tale, and that's awesome.

Series artist Richard Elson also delivers pencil and ink work, as well as imagery, more suited to the usual superhero fare than the dark, romantic, or gothic vampire tales that are popping up everywhere else around the sequential art world. Crisp and clear lines, well colored and lit pages, and excellent anatomy, fight choreography, and body language are the norm here. Not weird out of shape or faintly formed images.

Finally, a readable version of a vampire(-like) superhero comic book comes amongst us. This will be one to watch this year. 

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12