Comic Book Review - Nocterra #5

Rob reviews Nocterra #5...

Its been a long journey for Val, Emory, and Bailey. Not only have they had to contend with Em's transformation, but they're also being relentlessly hunted by the ever mysterious "Blacktop Bill". So when the reality of a sanctuary against the encroaching darkness is found - you'd surely take it, right? 

Nocterra #5 is good at foreshadowing what's to come within its now staple flashback scene. With Emory and Val sort of safe within a refugee centre, the siblings are reassured that their infected parents would soon be cursed. Of course, this is an outright lie and you don't need to be a massive sci-fi fan to realise that they're either being dissected or are long dead. Anway, with past events still fresh we also know that this "sanctuary" isn't going to be a haven for long. 

Nocterra #5 then flashes back to the present as we're introduced to a somewhat familiar scene. The trio has reached the Prism and Emory is close to being "cured" with this coming from a mysterious light source. The person in charge of this haven is none other than the charismatic Tiberius McCray - Bailey's uncle. As such the trio are offered a place within the Prism which Val eagerly accepts. With Prism seemingly an idyllic haven just what's stirring within its shadows? 

Much like past events we all know that the group isn't going to be safe for long. Well equipped safe havens are a staple of horror comics and we've all seen them fall just as quick as the safety they offer. Yet Scott Snyder uses his haven to not only drive the story forward but also uses it to highlight a much larger threat. That's what's also made Nocterra quite a compelling series. On the surface, Nocterra is a story about finding the light within this dark world, yet the two can't exist without each other. It's that coexistence of both light and dark that pushes the story forward in quite a unique way. This is just as much a story about Blacktop Bill than it is about Val.

The artwork is just as great here as it's been throughout this opening arc. Tony S. Daniel and Tomeu Morey work well in bringing sci-fi to life in between all the "real world" influences. In this issue, this is mainly seen via Prism with its sleek futuristic architecture that's thrown into a destroyed and decaying world. We also get to see Morey mix up the colour palette too as Nocterra #5 features more light than dark. It's a welcome change that also highlights this somewhat haven. 

What started as a somewhat slow-burner has sped up over the last couple of issues. With some of the plot threads now starting to conclude, Snyder throws one almighty spanner into the works as this issue concludes. It's certainly not looking good for Val and the team - however, it's going to make one awesome comic! 

Rating 8/10 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev