• No One #1 cover
    No/One #1
    Writer:
    Kyle Higgins, Brian Buccellato
    Artist:
    Geraldo Borges
    Letterer:
    Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
    Cover Artist:
    Geraldo Borges
    Publisher:
    Image Comics
    Price:
    $3.99
    Release Date:
    2023-03-15
    Colorist:
    Mark Englert

No/One is the latest series in Image Comics' ever-expanding Massive-Verse universe. Starting with Radiant Black, the universe has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, adding new spin-offs and one-shots. Each new title explores its own corner of the Massive-Verse and can be read insularly, but they all work to deepen the mythology of the universe. With No/One, the Massive-Verse adds a superhero crime drama to its ranks. The upcoming No/One #1, written by Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato with art by Geraldo Borges, colors by Mark Englert, letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and design by Michael Busuttil, presents a captivating start to an engrossing new murder mystery.

Ten months ago, the Richard Roe murders shocked the city of Pittsburgh. In the months since, copycat killings and a masked vigilante --referring to themselves as No/One -- have plagued the city. No/One originally released data drops designed to bring the corruption of high-ranking city officials and businessmen to light. Two of the four persons No/One ousted were murdered, and No/One intervened in the attempted murder of the third. The first issue of this series picks up with the murder of the fourth person of interest, Louis Capel.

No One #1 preview page 1

No/One #1 thrusts readers into the thick of the drama. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but as the issue unfolds, more pieces to the puzzle click into place. The authors juggle so much information and so many different points of view concisely. There are a lot of key players involved in this narrative, and Higgins and Buccellato carve out enough time for each of them to feel like fully realized people. The mystery is instantly engaging, tackling corruption, vigilantism, and journalism. With so many threads woven throughout, revisiting the issue is sure to be rewarding for readers looking to pick up more clues.

Borges' art is outstanding from cover to cover. The issue uses a classic nine-panel grid. Sometimes rows of panels will be combined to create larger images, but the spacing is generally consistent with the nine-panel grid. This creative decision gives the issue a methodical, rhythmic structure to it. There is an incredible amount of detail on each page, and the pacing is clearly thought out and well-executed. The art conveys a wealth of emotions, from smaller intimate panels to large action-packed images.

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No One #1 preview page 2

Englert's colors bring the world of No/One to life. From the lights of police cars shining brightly at a crime scene, illuminating the setting, to a muzzle flash exploding onto the page, disrupting the world around it, every sequence has the perfect tone. Otsmane-Elhaou's lettering is as expressive as any other element of this book. Whispers and shouts are conveyed with subtly different speech bubbles. Those same bubbles will oftentimes find themselves spilling into the gutters, giving the page more breathing room and the panel more personality. The design of this book is crucial to the story it's telling. There are multiple in-universe webpages featured in the back matter that illuminate events referenced throughout the issue. It's an inventive way to get readers engaged in the story.

This book takes things to another level of engagement with the launch of an in-universe podcast that readers can check out wherever they listen to podcasts. Who Is No/One, starring Rachel Leigh Cook and Patton Oswalt, is from the perspective of two of the series' investigative journalists as they chronicle the events transpiring in the comic. The podcast is a full-scale production and an ingenious way to embrace the genre it's operating within. True-crime podcasts are extremely popular, and launching one that will accompany each issue of No/One is an inspired bit of transmedia storytelling. With No/One #1, Higgins, Buccellato, and the rest of the creative team deliver an inventive and compelling addition to the Massive-Verse.