Welcome back once again to the comic book corner. This week I’ll be covering another title from Image Comics by the name of Nocterra. I realize I’ve been doing a lot of Image books recently, so I’ll be trying to seek out some other publishers in the future.

Nocterra was created and written by Scott Snyder, known for his work on DC’s Dark Nights: Death Metal. Tony S. Daniel provides the artwork for the series with colors by Tomeu Morey. The series debuted in March of 2021 and is currently ongoing. Volume one collects the first six issues.

The story of Nocterra is set in a dystopian version of our world. One day the sun was blocked out by an unknown phenomenon referred to as “the Big PM,” which plunged the earth into eternal night. It was soon discovered that prolonged exposure to the darkness began to warp the landscape. Every living organism: from plants, animals, and even humans would eventually transform into a warped, violent shade of its former self. The only way to prevent this transformation is by using artificial light sources.

The main protagonist of this story is a young woman by the name of Val Riggs. Val is a ferryman, who provides transport for people and goods through the darkness using her eighteen-wheeler. It’s Val’s job to protect her cargo from assaulting shades using a variety of light-based weaponry manufactured for her by her adoptive brother, Emory. The main conflict of the story begins when Val is hired to transport an old man and his granddaughter to a supposed sanctuary that contains the last traces of real sunlight.

This world is very reminiscent of Mad Max, to say the least. There are lots of car chases and some solid world-building throughout this first volume. The character designs do a lot to sell the realism of the world and give it that memorable visual flair. Each character covers themselves with lights in some creative ways ensuring that there is always something visually interesting for your eyes most of the time. I also enjoyed seeing how everyday aspects of our world are twisted into nightmarish abominations by the Big PM; Daniel has the ability to make even the simplest of the shades appear suitably menacing using his artwork.

Although I enjoy the designs of the characters and shades, the rest of the artwork isn’t super impressive to me. It’s certainly not bad by any means, but it lacks a distinct visual style. Virtually, every current Marvel and DC book out right now has the same look as this story. As a result, I feel it is quite easy to pass over this story if you see it on the shelf. This is a shame as the overall writing and premise are well-constructed.

This story took some interesting turns that I wasn’t expecting and I was constantly engaged by the internal narration of Val. She makes for a decent protagonist with clear motivations and character development throughout the first six issues. Her spoken dialogue does come across as a bit excessively grim at times, as though Snyder is desperate to enforce just how hardened and confident his protagonist has become.

Another aspect of the narrative that I would like to praise is the villains. The main one explored here is a man by the name of Blacktop Bill. He is shrouded with mystery and his sadistic personality is both intriguing and memorable. I hope to learn more about him in future issues. Though overall, I am excited to see how this story will evolve. I’m expecting the plot will only increase in scale and complexity while continuing to deliver solid character writing. Pick up Nocterra if you like a good dystopian narrative.

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Nocterra Vol. 1

$9.99

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• Decent characters
• Developed world
• Exciting action

Cons

• Artwork lacks visually unique style