Tranquility Is Disturbed As Vale’s Troubles Catch Up In No One Left to Fight #4

Vale’s round trip down memory lane continues. The next stop is the Arboreal Sanctum for some rest along the way. The sanctuary this place offers is short lived as Vale’s problems have followed him. Of course, his enemies will have to get in line behind his friends if they want a piece of him.

I am continually astonished by how much is implied in No One Left to Fight. These characters have a long and storied history between them and while we don’t know the full extent of that, you can glean a lot from how they look at and interact with each other.
One very telling sequence comes in the opening pages of this issue where Vale reassures Krysta with a gentle hand on her shoulder that she quickly shrugs off. Artist Fico Ossio makes the looks on both of their faces speak volumes. There is clearly something there and Vale hopes it can be rekindled, although he would probably never act on it. Krysta is another matter. She has made her decision and is firmly with Timor.

Speaking of Timor, he is quickly becoming my favorite character. Sure, Vale is the main protagonist and the story revolves around him, but Timor’s tale is just plain fascinating. He was there during all of Vale’s great accomplishments, but he’s little more than a footnote in history. He feels he’s just as good if not better than Vale, but he can’t get over this. The thing is though, Timor has the life Vale yearns for and he doesn’t even realize it. If he could come to grips with this fact, he’d probably feel a whole lot better about his station.
Other people realize this shortcoming in Timor and use it to poke fun at him. Writer Aubrey Sitterson adds just the right amount of humor here, especially when they’re getting set up with their lodgings at the Sanctum. If this was an anime, you’d hear Timor’s low growl as he grit his teeth, stopping himself from blasting this guy through a wall and out into space.

The Arboreal Sanctum is a warm, welcoming place. You can feel the peace and tranquility that permeates through this area. It’s no wonder it’s been kept hidden from prying eyes for so long. Ossio, aided by Raciel Avila keeps the colors bright and vibrant, as with the rest of the book, but adds more Fall shades to create a nice atmosphere.
That feeling is shattered by the end of No One Left to Fight #4 as an enemy returns. The entire tone of the issue changes, going from inviting to terrifying in the blink of an eye. Letterer Taylor Esposito adds to this with a set of menacingly dark word balloons and some powerful, frightening sound effects that take over the page. You instantly understand the severity of the situation.

Again, much is implied here in terms of the lore and history of these characters. While we don’t know all the details, it is still just as riveting as stories we’ve been following for decades. That’s the real strength of this book. While I’d love to see its extensive background explored in an ongoing series that runs forever, I feel like we already know most of it intuitively. It speaks to tropes, concepts, and traits that have stood out over the course of generations, adding to them to make a comic that stands on its own as something truly special. Bottom line: If you’re not reading No One Left to Fight, you are missing out.
No One Left to Fight #4 from Dark Horse Comics is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.