No One Left To Fight #3 continues the stellar series from creators Aubrey Sitterson, Fico Ossio, and Taylor Esposito. Sitterson’s script is well-paced and direct, giving the stellar art from Ossio space to breathe. Esposito’s letters add character to and impact to the explosive battle scenes. Following up a knock out issue such as #2, there was worry that No One Left To Fight #3 would feel quieter: I was sorely mistaken.
No One Left To Fight #3 begins with Vâle’s response to Winda’s romantic proposal and deals with the repercussions of Vâle’s decision. It would be really for Winda to be portrayed as a one-note angry character in these circumstances, but Sitterson avoids these trappings expertly. Winda is understandably furious at Vâle, calling him a coward and decimating him with an energy attack, but in the end, she chooses not to severely hurt him physically anymore. Instead, she opts for attacking his psyche, claiming that he is choosing to be alone and miserable. It’s a character-defining move for Winda showing how much she does, in fact, care for and love Vâle.
It seems that Winda’s assertion that they are good for each other is correct as Sitterson flashes a glimpse at their future/parallel universe life together. Sitterson then flashes to the nightmare glimpse of the Hierophant coming to offer Vâle an exchange. In both Winda’s and the Hierophant’s conversation with Vâle, we get instances of Vâle admitting that something is wrong with him.
While Sitterson makes it seem that Vâle is suffering from a physical ailment or mysterious curse, I believe that Sitterson is setting up Vâle to be affected by something much more real. Vâle is suffering from Depression and Anxiety Disorders.
We are never told about Vâle’s training or his final fight that saved the world, but it’s implied that these tasks were extremely stressful and brutally physically demanding. Imagine the toll that would take on anyone, much less someone that is lacking the social and mental development of Vâle. All Vâle knows is to train for the upcoming fight, but the title of the story tells us there is literally No One Left To Fight. This entire story is kicked off because Vâle is anxious something horrifying is about to happen and then after being emotionally vulnerable with the one he loves and his maternal figure, he is incapable of reciprocating emotion with a potential romantic partner.
This is not even considering that the conversation with the Hierophant probably was not even real, considering no one else mentioned or made a comment of it despite hearing Vâle’s fight with Winda. The stress of the conversation with Winda could have even triggered a legitimate hallucination from Vâle! If this theory proves true, then Aubrey Sitterson has done a simply tremendous job of setting the reader up only to subvert their expectations.
Of course, Fico Ossio’s art is sensational in No One Left To Fight #3. He rarely experiments much with panel layout, but he does not need to because his positioning and character designs are simply phenomenal. The fight with Winda is a standout, and the initial energy blast from Winda steals the show. Taylor Esposito’s letters in this splash panel are equally exceptional, and the way they curve around the border of the explosion sells the damage Winda is doing.
Despite how stellar his fight scenes are, Ossio is equally as adept at displaying emotion through detail. Yes, Winda has glowing red eyes filled with anger and rage, but she also has tears streaming down her face emphasizing her heartbreak. A lot of the characterization and pain we get from Winda in this chapter is done through Ossio’s art, and the effect is evident.
No One Left To Fight #3 is hands-down must-watch television. But it’s a comic book. Aubrey Sitterson’s script is an accurate character study disguised as a Saturday night Shonen-style anime, and Fico Ossio’s art and Taylor Esposito’s letters jump off the page and punch the reader in the mouth. No One Left To Fight just became the book I recommend to everyone, comic book fan or not.
