[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Publisher:Â Image Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Tony S. Daniel
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters:
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
Positives
Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel…they are back in the kitchen with additional spices on both sides of the coin. One one side you get a variety of other “sun dogs” with an array of costumes.
Who does Black Top Bill report to? It’s clear that the collision course is being set up as someone or something is going to light this world up or immerse it quickly into darkness. There is still more back story to Bill’s motivations than meets the eye. The origin story didn’t satisfy, so I am hoping that Snyder and Daniel continue to fill in blanks!
Val arguably takes a back seat in this issue but it is very clear that she is a leader of this group…even though she attributes it to Bellweather. Snyder’s writing continues to prevail here where his work on Undiscovered Country has “jumped the shark”.
Tony Daniel’s pens come alive and what a great treasure hunt that he provides in the illuminated truck stop that is 100 percent cinematic art. Look at the movie screens and see if you can name all of the movie classics displayed on it!
Marcelo Maiolo colors this world in the face of Darkness. Coloring this book has to be a challenge, but you get the feeling you could read it in the dark under your covers without a flashlight! His work is just that good!
Positives 2.0
New characters abound. Snyder does a great job providing a bit of biography with each one as one is the driver and the other one is the ‘shot” …short for gunshot out of any of the old westerns. They are an eclectic bunch and it almost seems that Snyder and Daniel are playing the long ball with these characters for a movie. Or at least a Netflix event!
Subsequently, the three adversaries for Black Top Bill are as dark as he is. Tony S. Daniel provides some great shading and illumniation in drawing these three as well as Bill’s grin…that grin…whew!
While these characters are all a bit expendable as Val realizes that the entire Sun Dog team has to turn around and confront Bill, they do enrich the story quite a bit.
Negatives
None as we are back on track. The Black Top Bill Special issue by Image did not live up to the expectations. However, with Snyder and Daniel at the helm again for the new chapter in the Nocterra saga, this issue livens things back up with some new additions.
However, suspend reality as illuminated batwings and hotdogs on top of Semi Trucks seldom mean “speed”. The Sundogs are quite an unusual convoy!
Verdict
BUY THIS BOOK! We are already beginning the second story arc! In fact, go out and get the Full Throttle Dark story line in in Trade Paperback .  If you are not hooked yet, here is a link to the first issue. The cast is expanding as Snyder and Daniel are marching either towards light in the Great PM or further darkness. It’s a futuristic Stephen King type tale that keeps getting better and better.
