By Keigen Rea — No One’s Rose feels like it has perfect combination of elements to become a giant hit. An environmental focus while this generation faces the largest effects of climate change, riding the heat of the (arguably) hottest publisher in comics, sharing aesthetics with Krakoa without treading the same ground thematically — all of these are individually enough to make a story into a hit, but all three together seems like a recipe for a crossover sensation, even without having great execution. Fortunately for us, the execution of this comic matches the potential beautifully. 

This second issue brings us deeper into the problems of Tenn and Seren, with the dual narrative branching off and converging in interesting ways. The dual narrative will likely be my favorite tool in the series because it allows us to see more detail than if we were only following one of the characters. This issue balanced the two stories in a satisfying way, bouncing between both without clearly taking a side with either, and immersing us in The Green Zone. The dual narrative can prove to be a bit of a tightrope walk in general, and I’m very excited to see where it goes in future issues and if it can stick the landing. 

The real strength of this book is the world it has created, and much of that success lies with the art team. Artist Alberto Jimenez-Alburquerque has a similar style as Pepe Larraz, especially where the character acting and environments are concerned. Much of this issue is just crowds running around, and they always have a feeling of purpose behind them. Even with a bunch of characters present in a panel, they all have a distinct look and they all feel like individuals. Raul Angulo does much to make the same chase scene feel dynamic by using color to demonstrate depth of field in a really nice way, that is somewhat reminiscent of Marte Gracia’s outstanding work on HoXPoX, in the best way. 

Standout moments for the art are really all over the place, but my favorites are the effects of a hallucinatory caterpillar, the flow of the word balloons on the bottom of page 21, and a close up panel of a face on the last page. There are many other highlights, but those really stood out to me. 

Overall: Read this. No One’s Rose should be the crossover hit of 2020, not only because of its combination of notable pieces, but because the execution of it all is top shelf. 9/10

No One’s Rose #2
Writers: Emily Horn & Zac Thompson
Artist: Alberto Jimenez-Alburquerque 
Colorist: Raul Angulo
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Vault
Price: $3.99
In the chaotic aftermath of the parade, siblings Tenn and Seren are left to contemplate the future of The Green Zone. As the Eco-Utopia's precarious balance is exposed, Tenn's future as a bio-engineer is threatened, while Seren learns what it means to join "the symbiotic real.".
Release Date: June 10, 2020
Buy It Digitally: Click here!

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Keigen Rea is a behavioral assistant for students in grades K-8, and an online student who fears that the school he is at is a giant scam. He tweets about Star Wars, and comics @prince_organa on twitter.