By Larry Jorash — The darkness has returned. With Nocterra #7, this book is back from hiatus this week and the action is rolling (pun intended…sorry) quite heavily. Yes, once again we’re on the road with Val, Emory, and the rest, with trouble not far behind.

Our story finds us a few months removed from the events of Nocterra #6, and the convoy bearing our heroes is approaching a metropolis and fortress of light, codenamed Outpost 31. From an artistic standpoint, this very well may be penciller Tony S. Daniel’s best issue to date, Daniel who inks himself with some help as well from Sandu Florea. Particularly impressive is the shining city of flatscreens and tube television sets, the first real visual treat we get in this issue. It’s all brought to life with exceptional color work by Marcelo Maiolo.

Moving through several, non-stop action sequences in the book, Daniel presents high level work throughout, as we see a brutal assassination attempt and a wildly vivid nod to the Jurassic World franchise that made me verbally say, “Woahhh,” out loud…alone in my living room (see below).

The plot progression in this issue was a tad stale, while the tone mirrored that found in the first arc. The twist on the penultimate page is certainly intriguing, though I couldn’t help wanting for more excitement early on. Two new and not especially memorable characters are introduced here, fodder for the murderous chase cuts, and it’s become tough to believe much of anyone aside from the trio of protagonists and our diabolical villain, Blacktop Bill, will ever survive more than a handful of chapters.

Speaking of Blacktop Bill, the villain remains my favorite thing in Nocterra. While only present on a small number of the pages, Bill’s wicked presence is felt like a chill down the reader’s spine throughout. The dialogue is never crisper than when he’s present, and you can feel the horror in the voices of his terrified victims.

With the start of this second arc, Nocterra is as ever a fun, Mad Max-esque romp through the dark. The action sequences outweigh any complaints about slow plot velocity, and the cliffhanger is intriguing. I've subscribed to this series myself and find myself looking forward to every new issue.

Overall: Nocterra speeds into its second arc, with Nocterra #7. The art remains strong as ever, with the villainous Blacktop Bill ranking as my favorite thing in the series so far. 8/10

REVIEW: Nocterra #7

Nocterra #7
Writer: Scott Snyder 
Pencils: Tony S. Daniel
Inks: Daniel and Sandu Florea
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: AndWorld Design 
Publisher: Image Comics
“PEDAL TO THE METAL,” Part One
Lights, camera, action! SCOTT SNYDER and TONY S. DANIEL’s rip-roaring hit series returns as Val, Emory, Bailey, and the Ferrymen continue their mission to bring back the light. But with all-new shade variants around every corner, darkness will reign like never before. Meanwhile, Blacktop Bill meets some old friends.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Digitally: Nocterra #7

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Larry Jorash (He/Him) resides in Central Florida managing a comic book shop and coaching youth sports. In his spare time he enjoys ice hockey and reading. You will almost never find his hand vacant of coffee. Find him on twitter: (@theREALlarbear)