Writers: Scott Snyder & Tony S. Daniel
Artist: Denys Cowan
Inker: Kent Williams
Color Artist: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Andworld Design
Cover Artist: Tony S. Daniel
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
When the skies went dark, the Earth plunged into darkness and everything changed forever. Val, aka Sundog, and her brother were truck couriers making their way until a new job brought them in contact with the menacing enigma called Blacktop Bill. Now this one-shot Nocterra: Blacktop Bill Special #1 gives the inside look of who this walking pitch black silhouette was.
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Review:
So, Nocterra wrapped up its first major story arc with issue #6 but despite expectations, Val and company didn’t have some big face-off with Blacktop Bill, quite the opposite. However, this meant that it was only the beginning as Blacktop Bill is on the hunt for them, but this comic takes a look at what kind of person he was like before the big PM.
This comic is what it says on the cover: it’s Blacktop Bill’s origin. Sort of. The comic works in Blacktop Bill’s origin from the angle of people talking about stories of Bill, not from the man himself. This shows what people know about the villain versus the man just telling the entire story. Now, Scott Snyder doesn’t give Bill a groundbreaking origin or anything, but he does make it feel natural to Blacktop Bill. It gives weight to his violent nature and shows just what kind of monster he was and still is in the present.
Now the comic doesn’t give everything away about Blacktop Bill, like how he got the pitch black suit or anything. The comic doesn’t provide all the big answers about Bill or the organization he works for in the present. This comic is an inside look into the demented and dangerous man that is Blacktop Bill. It highlights the nature and driving motivation Blacktop Bill has for hurting and killing others before and after his current job. Everything you see Bill do in his life is an escalation of his character getting more and more monstrous until the end.
A major point to mention is the change of interior artist for this book from Tony S. Daniel to Denys Cowan. While this was a setback at first for me, Cowans’ art rubbed off on me while reading the comic. cowan’s artwork and the colors by Chris Sotomayor brought a gruff tone to Blacktop Bill and the entire comic. It highlights the contrast of the true nature of Blacktop Bill slowly creeping forward as he becomes more of the marauder we recognize from the main story.
Final Thoughts:
Nocterra: Blacktop Bill Special #1 gives an inside look into the nature of Blacktop Bill. It doesn’t give any big answers for Nocterra’s main story, it just shows what makes Blacktop Bill tick. The pacing, dialogue, and narration mixed with the art makes this book a rough but fun ride to read as it highlights what kind of character Blacktop Bill is and what fans can expect in the main series.