Nocterra, Vol. 3: No Brakes

Nocterra #11.5, 12-16

by Scott Snyder (Writer), Tony S. Daniel (Writer/Illustrator), Francis Manapul (Illustrator)

Desperate to find Eos before the shades bring it down, Sundog Convoy is locked in a race against time as they barrel across the country to the unknown. Their mission - deliver the equation and bring back the light. But what they find might just be the most terrifying darkness of all. Don't miss the thrilling conclusion of NOCTERRA's first cycle!

Legendary creators Scott Snyder (Dark Knights: Death Metal, Wytches) and Tony S. Daniel (Batman, Deathstroke) keep the scares going in the next arc of their pulse-pounding hit ongoing series. Plus, discover the thrilling origin of Val Riggs and the Ferrymen, illustrated by Francis Manapul (Justice League, Clear).

Collects NOCTERRA #12-16 & NOCTERRA: VAL SPECIAL

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Action, Fantasy, Fiction

185 pages, ebook

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

Scott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 79% | Good
Notes: Hard to click, corral or stick, a correlation operation: metaphor and flashback core mean triple-layered plot narration.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Val Special–Issue #12 ◦ Issues #13-15 ◦ Nemesis Special–Issue #16

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty big disappointment for a series that started strong for me. Never a good sign when a title switches its main artist for the penultimate issue, felt like a real ripoff.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was like when a 52 ft. Trailer gets sideways on some black ice and never recovers and caused a 60 car pileup on the highway.

I have minimal idea the point of the narrative, and I'm having plenty of trouble following along after kind of skimming the last 25% it seems I didn't miss out much except its dialed up to an even louder volume. The art and presentation is still strong but I'm just so bored.

Kind of disappointing since I enjoyed Volume 1 and 2

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. If this story ended here, I’d give it a 4. But I think there will be more Nocterra in the future. I loved the shift in focus on Emory in this book. His struggles and his past revisited and his hope drove these issues in a way better than I’ve seen anything done from this series to this point.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ughhh the previous two Nocterra volumes weren't exactly good, but at least they were intriguing. This one crashes and burns (or blacks out?). The good guy gang makes it Heaven or whatever, and the angel people are all like "oh we can't really turn the lights back on." Surprise!

Endless hand-wavey vague science conversations ensue, along with many scenes of characters yelling as they battle the Man in Black and his shadow minions. it's all quite biblical, but less like Revelations and more like Genesis where they list out who begat who.

The conclusion is big and dumb ("just shine the brightest light at the thing!") and offers almost zero explanation for what was going on all along. Scott Snyder is probably still writing bad voiceovers for this volume somewhere, there were so many of them.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problem with reading things as digital floppies is that some details get lost to my memory over time. While some might view this as the concluding volume, and at the rate issues are coming out that is not unfair, there is a good deal of closure. Yes, Snyder is promising more stories, but who knows when.

And, there is a lot of character development for Em. Before this Val and the other Ferrymen, even Bill were more developed than Em. Em seemed the bright kid, touched by the Dark that took over the world. Now, the reader knows he is not only a very bright young man, but that he is genuinely loved by his adopted sister and the family by choice that they have formed.

This volume is very much Em's story from his birth to his present day. All his doubts, and to a degree his intelligence are well developed.

Yes, there is storyline movement for Eos and the Dark. But, what really sold me on this volume is Em, and two volumes ago I couldn't have cared less what happened to him.

[Will Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciate the attention of the story shifting back to the core brother/sister duo, the internal monologues are so dense and preachy (you know it’s bad when even *I* think it’s preachy) that I ended up skipping the bulk of the narration in favor of focusing on the action and spoken dialogue. Snyder’s wordiness got the better of him again here, and if that drives you up the wall like me, you’re better off buying something else.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
The story ends (or at least progresses into a new era of the story, if it continues) here in Volume 3. Sundog Convoy makes it to Eos, but they accidentally bring Bill and almost cause the end. A battle between Lux and Nox (Light and Dark Gods) only ends when the humans can work together to destroy the light.
The story has excellent pacing, and the art is fantastic... but I think the idea ran its course in my head. Please pick this up (and the previous 2 Volumes!) and judge for yourself.
Recommend.

[Koen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It sure was quite the excitement, but also quite a difficult read though.. Normally I can finish without re-reading.. This time in order to follow all the different twists and angles and meaning, I had to go back and give it another try.. Not a fan of doing that, so that's why I'm marking this a bit less then its predecessor.

[Connor Blackmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good end to the trilogy and a great villain. A cool focus on Emory but I do wish we had more of Val! She was the coolest character in my opinion but I do like what they did here.
If it was to end here I'd be happy but wouldn't object to more in the future!

[Xroldx · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of Nocterra for now and Snyder and Daniel did a very good job wrapping everything up in 3 volumes.

[Shawn Ingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series.

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the second volume, my enthusiasm for Nocterra was dissipating and this volume did little to change that. What potential this series had and instead, it got mired in a bad story direction that was too cliche. I don't remember feeling this way with the first volume but Nocterra as a whole was too wordy for its own good and it drags down the action sometimes. I also could tell that Scott Snyder loves Blacktop Bill as a character but I find him to be bland and uninteresting. A serial killer that loves the post-apocalypse because they can do whatever they want is not terribly original, especially if you remove the apocalypse part. In the end, he's just a meaner and more violent version of comic book villain that you've seen many times before. The book started off feeling very post-apocalyptic (in a good way) and in the end, its more of a Lovecraft story than anything else, which I would have never guessed.

Its a shame as I was really high on this series for one volume but clearly am disappointed in it, in the end. If you're looking for a good post-apocalypse story in comic book form, The Walking Dead or better yet, Geiger, is the better choice.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sundog Convoy has one last shot at ending the permanent darkness and the dangers that plague them, but the truth behind the dark may be even stranger than they realised.

The framing device for the main issues here, Val's brother Emory going through the five stages of discovery, is really quite neat, and the comparatively low stakes flashbacks intermingle nicely with the end of the world madness going on in the main story. While this is very clearly the end of one story and the beginning of another, it's nice that the creative team are able to find this happy medium so we're not constantly waiting to find out what happens next.

Daniel's artwork remains top notch, and the addition of Francis Manapul and Liam Sharp on the two one-shot specials isn't anything to turn your nose up at either.

Scott Snyder and Tony Daniel bring Nocterra's first cycle to a satisfying close as the series goes on indefinite hiatus.

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This volume is all about Emory and "science", and to me feels like it certainly was a teenager who stopped taking science classes (because of the apocalypse, you know) but still rambles on about it. Sure, it's good to see kids excited for the joys of science and an interest in the world, but I wouldn't want them as the world' top scientist trying to save everyone. I don't much trust them. At times Daniel or Sharp's art actually starts to look kind of interesting then Snyder's narration jumps in to ruin it all. 'maybe the missing function in this equation was PEOPLE' sounds like a parody someone wrote about Scott Snyder's writing tendencies but that's how it all works, I guess.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Snyder and Tony Daniel's amazing post apocalyptic adventure through darkness, Nocterra, ends here. This was my least favorite of the the three volumes but taken as a whole this series was impressive as hell. Here, all the shit hits the fan. Snyder leans heavy into the exposition here as the book might have needed another volume to be paced properly. I loved that this volume focused on Emory and his back story and the conclusion was satisfying if a bit mystifying. The art, predominantly by Daniel, was spectacular. Overall, action packed book and dynamic series.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Snyders writing and Daniels art was a huge selling point for this series. That being said I definitely lost my interest in this series halfway through, it all just started slowing down and it wasn't till the last few issues it peaked my interest a bit again. I am glad they got to a good stopping point and the characters are getting a bit of rest and can actually relax in the sun. That is until the next event comes along. I love Sundog and wish I could give her a hug.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler alert, I was right in my review of vol 2. I always wonder what art would look like if everyone wasn't trying to be the next big thing. If every singer didn't want to be a famous actor, if every actor didn't want to be a famous business person, every comic book writer didn't want to have a movie deal...etc. the human condition states "why enjoy what you have, when you can have more."

[Bus · Rating 4 out of 5]

no entiendo las valoraciones negativas. me ha parecido una epopeya super imaginativa. una idea de ciencia ficción brillante con un desarrollo muy entretenido. es palomitero, si, pero inteligente y deja poso. los personajes tienen fuerza y se hacen querer y eso lleva a algo que para mí es clave. me importa la historia y lo que suceda con ellos. mención aparte para el dibujo. espectacular

[Jason Holtzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this final volume! Overall it feels a little rushed, but it ties together the story nicely and think was worth the read. This was a fun series overall, and even if I felt the final message came across a little less subtle than it could have been delivered, I still think its important.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great art. Interesting characters. High stakes. I really liked the new scientific method that was introduced and substantiated.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably about as good as this series is going to get. The story seems pretty well wrapped-up here by the end. The art is very strong throughout.

[Joshua]

First up on my October jaunt through recent Scott Snyder books in order of perceived spookiness.

This one? Some very, very light spookiness.

[Eldon Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry into this series!!

[Evan Boyette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels rushed

[Luke John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nailed landing is a beautiful thing.

[Trevor ComicFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

75

Man, this series became more and more just okay. Each trade got a lower score and the art seemed to be more rushed as the issues went on.

No need to reread this one.

Overall series rating: 84

[Simon Traschinsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

It ties up all lose ends, but not without draggging a bit unfortunately.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

It kind of falters at the end but still a great concept created.