It is dark, but what if there is no dawn to come? See the shadow of a horrific world in “Nocterra” #3!
Written by Scott SnyderCover by Tony S. Daniel and Tomeu Morey
Illustrated by Tony S. Daniel
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Lettered by Andworld Design“FULL THROTTLE DARK,” Part Three Know the signs: black gums, gnarled bones, and haunting yellow eyes. When you spot a human shade out there in the endless night…run.
On its face, “Nocterra” #3 is a bit of a mixture in terms of how enticing it is from one piece to another. As ever, Scott Snyder excels at creating a terrifying world that seems hopeless, as he has done in various other works from DC Comics to creator-owned projects, so the question becomes less about what level of quality he demonstrates and more about how he can pull off this particular tale. In general, the feeling appears to be that the overall story is… okay, and at least good enough to keep readers going.
In terms of the concept, Snyder’s dark world seems interesting, with a quasi-zombie apocalypse that seems based in darkness, not unlike the Taken in the video game Alan Wake. Their presentation ranges from slightly creepy to extremely disturbing, with the way they talk, their expressions (or lack thereof), and the sheer inhumanity they exhibit as they metamorphose into their new, alternative forms. The way the story describes them enhanced the feeling of despair even further, pushing forth a creeping dread in a similar vein to “Wytches” for the most part, despite some action closer to some stories of “American Vampire.” On the whole, there seems to be a general feeling of not only hopelessness, but also mystery of what is actually happening and how to stop or limit it.
The protagonist’s narration is a bit odd, and may not be entirely necessary, with the monologue about a “language of love” being a bit odd and seemingly unnecessary as contrasted against the more prudent examinations of what is actually currently going on. In general, those “language” asides appear to more be present to fill space than add much. On the other hand, talk about whst people mean when talking about how they “love [a person or thing] with all their heart” does add a sizable amount to how creepy the entire story can be on the whole.
One point in Snyder’s favor for “Nocterra” #3 is its newcomer-friendly nature. The story of “Nocterra” #3 may be complex, but everything that a reader would absolutely need to know for the plot fits neatly within its pages, with no prior knowledge being entirely necessary. It would probably help to read others to gain insight into the world, it’s characters, and some abbreviations, but beyond that the story on the whole could, on some level, almost just start right in “Nocterra” #3.
Tony S. Daniel seems an odd choice for the artwork of a horror book, just looking at his DC and Marvel books. However, he proves that he can provide his own kind of action-focused style to such a book with “Nocterra” #3, not the first time he has dealt with monsters (as shown with his work on “The Tenth” for Dark Horse and Image). The style is very animated, working well both in the car chase scene and the more unsettling experience with children’s parents. Using foreground, middle ground, and background in concert, Daniel crafts an action-packed scene at one point, a terrifying creeping sensation another, and unsettling calm in moments of relative peace, the structure of each scene visually helping to produce the overall tone.
The high levels of detail in Daniel’s artwork helps to distinguish rather potently between the relative beauty of individual people and the utter monstrosity of those who have “shaded out.” In some ways, the good looks of the various human beings might detract from the terror, making them seem a bit too perfect, more fitting into superhero books than horror books, but it is possible to look beyond that potential problem without much of an issue, with the concentration on emotions of anger, sadness, terror, and shock or wonder working well on the whole. On the other hand, the turn toward utter monstrosity and uncanny horror leaves quite an impression.
Continued belowTomeu Morey is, as ever, an excellent colorist. In this case, his choices of colors tend toward gloom and doom, further enhancing the already hopeless, despairing atmosphere of this sunless world. Unearthly glows come out from shaded individuals, and even when they do not, the all-encompassing black hole that is the prominent shaded individual of “Nocterra” #3 adds his own kind of menace in how difficult it is to see him.
Different tones still allow Morey to lead down into a metaphorical pit. Cooler hues may cause readers to shiver in fear or hood on to the only light they can find in the absence of a sun, such as a large, neon sign. Even the warmer colors from Morey do not provide comfort, but rather violence, from harsh reds to blazing yellows. The sole exception comes in a quiet moment inside a cave, where a soft, orange glow gives an overall impression of safety that itself is subversive. Even the lack of light, as in the case of a prominent shaded individual, helps to set tone by giving a pitiless, almost featureless visage but for the disturbing teeth of a close-up on a mouth.
Final Verdict: 7.0– Though not particularly special, “Nocterra” #3 seems interesting enough for newcomers.
