Review by Frank Plowright

The apocalypse has arrived for a future where sunlight no longer shines on Earth. As if overcoming constant darkness wasn’t a great enough handicap, the darkness also acts as a disease, with people who can’t access any form of light gradually transforming into feral beasts. There is hope of reversal if this process is caught soon enough, but once the darkness has spread past the gums, transformation is inevitable. Civilisation has devolved into small communities utterly dependent on being able to maintain some form of light.

In the decade since the darkness fell, Val Riggs has grown up and become a truck driver. Taking goods and people between communities is a dangerous occupation, yet still dependent on her being given contracts. As there are unanswered questions hanging over her, a new mission isn’t forthcoming, so she takes a chance on an old man and his granddaughter who promise a sanctuary where there’s enough light that sunburn is still possible. There’s then a killer ending to the opening chapter.

Scott Snyder builds his world to captivate, and Tony S. Daniel is a full process artist sparing no effort in bringing that world to life. He’s a veteran storyteller, and there’s no faulting his designs, imagination or workrate. Primary villain Blacktop Bill is an audacious visual creation as a human silhouette, but Daniel filters the experience of years into Nocterra, and in Tomeu Morey he’s paired with a colourist who adds a sparkle to the art. The premise is a colourist’s gift with the need for light illuminating the darkness, and Morey makes good on that.

Val seems at first to be very much the cliché of the girl who has to be tough to survive, and that’s part of her make-up, but despite a convincing background, it’s a while before something that makes her much more interesting is revealed. Snyder’s imagination ensures her journey is a terrifying road trip, and as she faces threats in the present, the past is also turned over. In addition to the sparingly used monsters Nocterra features a constant emotional threat that’s even more terrifying, accompanied by the possibility that Val may have signed up for a fool’s errand.

Nocterra continues into Pedal to the Metal, so a lot remains unresolved, but a fair amount is also covered. Over six chapters Snyder and Daniel deliver a thriller where the pedal is to the metal all the way through. The set-up is great, surprises are frequent, and don’t become complacent and believe you know everything there is to know about someone.