Nocterra Val Special
A story from Val’s past sheds light on her future in Nocterra: Val Special, by writers Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel, artist Francis Manapul, and letters by AndWorld Design. This is a cool flashback story, one that shows an important part of Val’s past that says a lot about her.
The story jumps between the past and the present, where Val currently finds Diggs and takes him with her, asking for the coordinates to Eos. They make their way to the ferrymen’s station and are attacked by shade serpents, with Diggs telling her to throw him to the shades, which is why he thinks she saved him. In the flashback, Val goes on a run to a laser factory called Denton with her mentor Royce, a boisterous man who wants to help everyone. Val discovers the truth: that Denton has been eating the people that pass through. She and Royce are attacked but escape. Royce is badly wounded, but before he dies, he asks Val not to take revenge, just to spread the truth about Denton and hope they change. Val and Em return to Denton later, but instead of having mercy, Val takes revenge. In the present, Val lets Diggs live, showing she’s changed over the years.
Nocterra coming back is a joy. Snyder and Daniel give readers an interesting story, one that shows a pivotal moment in Val’s past. In some ways, it’s rather cliche. There’s the connect-the-world narrative that feels like it was taken from Death Stranding. There’s Royce, a character who seems like a saint but reveals his sinful nature before his death. Denton is a cannibal outpost, Val and Royce escape, but Royce dies. It’s all by the numbers, but a lot of Nocterra has been so far.
However, Snyder and Daniel do an amazing job of making the story matter to Nocterra’s lore. Val has been through a lot of changes, with her new shadow skin making her more sinister than ever. However, the writers juxtapose her actions in the present with the past. In the past, she took revenge, ignoring the word of her mentor. In the present, she spares Diggs, a man who helped create the Nocturnes because he was a coward who just wanted to live, like the people who lived in Denton. The story might be cliche, but it hits the right emotional notes, which is the most important part.
Manapul is brilliant. This isn’t a controversial opinion. The man hasn’t done any art that is less than fantastic in years. This issue is no different. His figure work is wonderful, and his page layout makes everything about the script hit harder. His colors are especially good, keeping things bright while still giving readers the feeling that they’re in a world of darkness. His shades are perfect. Daniel draws some nice shades, but Manapul’s are the best the series has seen so far.
Nocterra: Val Special is a cliche story that still hits hard. Snyder and Daniel take a plot that every horror story has done but use it to show readers how Val has changed since her younger days. Manapul’s art is terrific, and that’s all there is to it. This is a great comic and whets the appetite for the return of Nocterra.
