It’s all led to this. After three volumes in three years, Nocterra is having its epic conclusion. Nox has come and the sky is falling. Not to mention, we are in the final stage of Emory’s scientific hypothesis, so things are coming to a close. And with all good stories, it’s best to start at the beginning before we come to an end. Now the question is, does this finale, both of arc and season (but with room to come back, per Scott Snyder) live up to the buildup? Short answer: of course it does!
I’ve been reading Nocterra since it first came out and, like many, have come to understand how the Sundog Convoy is a family. Maybe a rag-tag one, but a family nonetheless. Seeing this cast grow over time has helped give the world much more depth than expected. Granted, Val, Emory, and Bill have been the shining stars of the series; and thus, were given the most development that moved the story along. But the small idiosyncrasies helped fill in the gaps and give others more life. Often, comics focus on two, maybe three, characters in a series, but Nocterra gave enough people center stage to make me wonder if this is a team book. Obviously, it’s not by nature, but the necessity of the cast is without a doubt one of its strongest features. In this issue, each character gets their own sendoff, whether in a big or small way, and it’s obvious when it’s their turn to bow out. Through these moments, the conclusion feels more satisfying and genuine than an overdramatic closer might.
Scott Snyder is a prolific writer, and Nocterra was one of his more advantageous projects, given its release format and timing. But all the pieces fell into play starting back at its inception to now. In many of his projects, Snyder inserts an overarching theme similar to a lesson given by a professor. Batman talked a lot about life and death, Justice League had a strong focus on opposing forces of good and evil, and Nocterra was a vehicle of light and darkness. The first part was truly about mileage, the second about math, and this one about science. This has created a fulfilling series where each arc has brought about a satisfying conclusion to both theme and story. In issue #16, all parts of the story are masterfully rounded up and properly combined for a truly epic conclusion to this arc.
It goes without saying that artist Tony S. Daniel is every bit as instrumental in the series’ success as Scott Snyder is. This issue is another great work, and I think the second to last page might be one of my favorite pieces of his. In this issue, colorist Marcelo Maiolo balances the visuals quite well. This issue has its fair share of extremes as far as colors are concerned, and Maiolo manages this quite well. Altogether, this issue is a beautiful conclusion to the arc and this part of the series.
Overall, this is a great issue in a similarly great series that has remained rather captivating as the story progressed. Additionally, this issue does a stellar job tying up many loose threads while leaving a lot of potential for future adventures. While this isn’t the end of the series forever, readers will have to wait a bit longer to find out how the Sundog Convoy reacts to the massive changes brought to the world. Nocterra #16 is a very strong issue that ends in a fulfilling manner.
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