No/One #1 (of 10)

COMICON

Writers Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato do help the reader out, eventually. They place a wiki page, a timeline and a dramatis personae at the end of the book to help explain some of what you just read. But reading this title clearly requires an extra level of attention. And that is a very good thing, because No/One is a blockbuster. From the opening few pages, the mystery grabs you. And the layers upon layers of strong storytelling keeps the reader engaged until the end of the oversized first issue. The artwork by Geraldo Borges, with colors by Mark Englert, is consistently strong. They have captured the feel, if not the exact look, of Pittsburgh – a city challenged with more overcast days than sun. It’s the perfect place to set this kind of story. In a clever bit of life imitating art, there is an extended conversation in a newspaper conference room in which editors and marketers try to convince a reporter to expand her coverage through a podcast. While initially reluctant, the reporter, Julia Page, finally relents. At the back of the issue, readers learn they can subscribe to the real-life monthly podcast, Who Is No/One, which is voiced by Rachel Leigh Cook and Patton Oswalt. No/One has the makings of a blockbuster series. If it can maintain its momentum, it will be an early contender for a top series of 2023.

Lyles Movie Files

Writers Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato have a tremendous sense on how to layout the mystery slowly rolling out the characters, potential suspects and unlikely victims. Higgins is incorporating No/One into his Massive-Verse brand. Geraldo Borges delivers exquisite art providing plenty of personality to the characters. The issue doesn’t have a ton of action, but Borges makes basic conversations dramatic and compelling. Colorist Mark Englert utilizes a toned down color palette that fits this mysterious nature of the story. Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou cleverly lays out the locations characters visit in a very cinematic style. There’s a cool meta aspect to the series as a major subplot involves reporter Julia Page, who chronicled the Richard Roe murders, who’s recruited by her paper to head a podcast series. Readers can actually listen to the podcast starring Rachel Leigh Cook (She’s All That). No/One gets off to a fantastic start and seems like it’s going to be the next great Image mystery saga for 2023.

The Super Powered Fancast

The Story: Higgins and Buccellato craft and engaging and entertaining first issue that creates a wonderful narrative world for its characters while also creating interesting characters to follow and interesting relationships to explore. There are some complicated dynamics going on between characters, but all of them are engaging. I felt immersed in the world of these characters and their struggles and I look forward to seeing where this intriguing mystery goes next. The Art: Borges crafts some beautiful imagery throughout the issue. I love the mixture of superhero moments from rooftops paired with detective noir moments and how they blend together visually.

AIPT

In the year since its inception, Image Comics’ Massiveverse has grown to include all manner of superhero stories. Radiant Black is an updated version of Power Rangers. Rogue Sun deals with magic, monsters, and a teenager inheriting a legacy he never wanted from a father he never knew. And Inferno Girl Red is a coming-of-age story that just happens to feature a teenage superhero with dragon wings. The trend continues with No/One #1 this week, which plays out more like a noir story than your usual capes-and-cowls adventure. (...) Befitting a superhero story about true crime, No/One #1 also comes with a few extras. There will be a podcast accompanying each issue, with Rachel Leigh Cook voicing Gaines. There’s also a timeline depicting the rise of No/One, which helps give some context to the issue’s events. Elements like these elevate the Massiveverse books from being just another superhero universe to a truly unique storytelling experience, and I’m glad it’s running throughout all the books. No/One #1 proves that the Massiveverse isn’t running out of steam any time soon, delivering a visually stunning and tightly-wound superhero noir thriller. It’s a great reminder of everything I love about comics, as well as a glimpse of what they can be.

Comic Watch

NO/ONE #1 is fun and shows a lot of promise, but finds itself sometimes buckling under its narrative ambitions. In a desire for a transmedia experience, the issue loses focus on its characters, choosing to establish the plot and tone, while leaving players on the most surface level. Higgins and Buccellato’s script remains lean in light of this, moving between beats without any drag which comes in a large part thanks to Borges’s concise compositions and strong inking. Those elements feed the noir aesthetic of the book and allow style to overtake the cracks of the book. Englert and Otsmane-Elhaou’s work on the coloring and lettering respectively reinforce those noir elements, playing up the hacker elements along with hard-hitting reporting. NO/ONE #1 and its accompanying podcast Who is NO/ONE is a fun read, and an even more compelling listen, that scratches an itch for street-level, noir-themed superhero mystery.

Multiversity Comics

“No/One” #1 is an ambitious start the story. There are moments where it feels like it could topple over its weight, but it always manages to stick the landing. We’re hoping “No/One” continues to stand tall, because this is a mighty story to tell. If you’re looking for a truly impressive feat of storytelling, “No/One” #1 should be on your pull list. (...) High caliber, ambitious, and stone cold, “No/One” should satisfy any fan looking for the intersection of intellectual crime noir and sleek superhero dram

Comic Book Revolution

No/One #1 wasted no time as the reader is placed right in the middle of a murder mystery that involves a greater plot going on in Pittsburgh. As the first issue moves forward creative team Kyle Higgins, Brian Buccellato, and Geraldo Borges reveal more about the history of this world through the character interactions. This creates a story that is organically told in a living and breathing world. Taking this approach allowed there to be a sense of discovery to the story being told in No/One #1. You are more engaged with what each character is saying. Through the conversations you learn more about what has happened before the events of No/One #1. In the process the mystery around the murder investigation that opens this issue is given greater importance. Helping the narrative is that there is not just one protagonist we are viewing everything from. The story is structured in a way where we follow the murder mystery story through multiple perspectives. The family dynamic utilized by Higgins and Buccellato provide a lot of needed context that gives the reader a good sense of the history of this world. It’s all written in a way where as the reader you feel you are discovering the layers of the story the deeper you get into reading No/One #1.

ComicBook.com

While its jarring opening takes a few beats to really start going, the debut issue of No/One proves to be a dense, compelling first chapter. The issue outlines the surprising cast of characters in the orbit of a serial killer hacktivist — or, possibly, his latest copycat. While some elements are still a little convoluted, Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato's script manages to pack a wallop of intriguing, well-paced elements into a single installment, with Geraldo Borges' art creating a matter-of-fact vibe along with it. While not perfect, this is definitely an engrossing debut issue, and I'm curious to see what else the book has in store.