Any 10-part series is bound to hit a rough spot or two. For No/One, it happens in issue #3.
The story has always been a complicated one, and readers have been thrown into the action with only their wits, a wiki entry at the end of each issue and an associated podcast, which they may or may not listen to. But with a serial killer on the loose, lots of killings and a vigilante running around, the story has been intriguing.
This chapter, though, gets really talky. Writers Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato doubtless have a master plan that they are peeling like an onion. It’s just that this layer isn’t at the same quality level as the previous ones. We find out about a big retirement. One of the main characters has a mother she’s not fond of, which may help explain some of her motivations. There’s politics at the police department. Not the most gripping litany of events for a comic book.
There’s a little action at the end when we see No/One again – and we do learn that the vigilante has a sophisticated eavesdropping system. Still, we could have learned that in just a few panels instead of an entire issue.
Predictably, that doesn’t leave artist Geraldo Borges with much to do except drawing faces. And some of those faces, while stylized, are off. Some are fine and recognizable, while others seem over the top, or worse not conveying any feelings at all. Borges is more talented as a landscape artist. But when an issue is this focused on dialogue. He needs to focus more on realistic expressions.
Every long limited series deserves a chance to slow down and catch its breath while the onion is getting peeled. This is No/One’s. But if the title is going to live up to its potential and its strong start, it needs to be the last one.
No/One #3 is available to purchase at your local comics shop.
Any 10-part series is bound to hit a rough spot or two. For No/One, it happens in issue #3. TheCOMICONRead More