No/One has quickly become one of the best comic books to follow. Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato’s approach to having a companion in-universe podcast, “Who Is No/One,” is a unique approach to expanding on events we see take place after each issue. It is a new way to get readers more involved in the story beyond just reading each new comic book issue. With the last issue’s developments, Higgins and Buccellato must cover a lot with the fallout. Find out how that goes with our advance review of No/One #3.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato
Artist: Geraldo Borges
Colorist: Mark Englert
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
SYNOPSIS
“As Julia finds herself unexpectedly caught up in another case, Ben’s quest for the truth leads him down a dangerous path—and to the one lead he never thought he’d follow. PLUS! The story continues in “Who is No/One,” a monthly companion podcast starring RACHAEL LEIGH COOK (She’s All That) and PATTON OSWALT (Netflix’s The Sandman, Minor Threats, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.)!NO/ONE is a Massive-Verse series.” – Image Comics
REVIEW
As with the first two issues, No/One #3 shines with the various relationships we see explored throughout the issue. Now three issues in we see how Ben Kern and Julia Paige are the heart of the series in their own individual ways. Their narratives are strengthened with a greater presence by our title character, No/One, in the third issue.
Throughout the first two issues and the podcast series Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato have done well in keeping the mystery of No/One at the forefront. That has been done while treating No/One as a legend similar to Batman during his early years. That is where Ben and Julia’s part of the story is given greater importance. They are the shepherds for us through this world. As we see in this issue, it is their interactions and characters in their respective orbits that drive that mystery.
Because of all that, No/One #3 starts providing insight into our title character while keeping the mystery of who they are and why they’ve taken what they have thus far. The success of having No/One have more of a presence while maintaining their legendary figure is a credit to Higgins and Buccellato’s storytelling. They make sure he is enough of a presence without feeling overexposed. That makes his physical appearance have a special quality when they happen.
This also speaks to how Ben and Julia are fully realized characters. Both characters give us a look at all the politics that are going on in Pittsburgh. The case involving No/One seems to have been the final push needed to open the doors to all the tension that has been contained up to this point. And we get that from how the fallout of Ben’s retirement has a ripple effect on different political agendas. While Julia’s part in the story provides more insight into how the media is handling things.
With dialogue heavy No/One continues to be artist Geraldo Borges and colorist Mark Englert continue to deliver on how much weight the words spoken carry. There is tension felt with each discussion to a varying degree. The character reactions specifically help in complimenting the dialogue as the excitement, anger, exasperation, and every other emotion is conveyed in the way characters are drawn from panel to panel. The brief bits of action we do get once again teases us with what possibilities there are when Borges and Englert are able to draw a longer action set piece in No/One.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Like a great HBO drama, the creative team for No/One have you captivated in finding out how the decisions each character makes cause a ripple effect in everything going on in this series. No/One #3 ramps up things up to create a more significant investment in the characters and world. It all makes the brief moments when we do get action in this series resonate even more. This in turn makes the next issue and companion podcast for No/One something you look forward to getting experience.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10