Nocterra #6
Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel left Val and readers hanging big time at the end of Nocterra #5. Thankfully, Nocterra #6 picks up right where last issue left off, leading to some major moments. Not only did those moments bring the first arc to an end, Snyder also set the table for the second arc perfectly.
Image Comics
Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Tony S. Daniel
Colors by: Tomeu Morey
Letters by: Andworld Design
Val, Em and Piper have a new direction. A new layer was added to Blacktop Bill, and now it seems there’s a lot more to unpack there. He gave off the vibe that he’s been a villain for so long that it’s impossible to imagine he was once a normal person.
Not only should we get more from him here, but there’s also a Blacktop Bill special issue on the way.
But again, the success of this issue isn’t just the table setting for the second arc of Nocterra. Snyder and Daniel make good on their cliffhanger from last issue, providing perhaps the most action we’ve gotten so far in this series. Moreover, the few pages provide a very interesting moment with Val. For everything that happened this issue, that moment and the stuff with Blacktop Bill are what jumped out the most.
(WARNING: Spoilers for Nocterra #6 ahead.)
Blacktop Bill wanting to learn the language of the Shades is feeding into a suspicion I’ve had about the character. But it’s still too early to confirm anything. I definitely need more of him in Nocterra’s second arc.
For those who couldn’t pinpoint the moment with Val I alluded to in the non-spoiler section, it’s when she pulled the trigger on Tiberius. That felt like a character-defining moment we’ve seen with so many before. In just a few panels, we learned quite a bit about Val.
Score: 9
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