SANCTION #3 – New Comic Review

SANCTION #3, by Mad Cave Studios on 7/31/24, escalates the official pressure on Dimitrovich to close his serial killer case as fiction until a lucky break puts Dimitrovich and Smirnoff in a killer’s sights.

Credits:

• Writer: Ray Fawkes
• Artist: Antonio Fuso
• Colorist: Emilio Lecce
• Letterer: Dave Sharpe
• Cover Artist: Dan Panosian
• Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
• Release Date: July 31, 2024
• Comic Rating: Mature
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 24
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

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Analysis of SANCTION #3:

First Impressions:

Crime thrillers involving conspiracies and conflicting motives regularly run the risk of becoming boring. Sanction #3 starts to trend in that direction with a lot of bureaucratic developments that take a little longer than they should, but once Dimitrovich stumbles upon a clue, the issue becomes anything but boring.

Plot Analysis:

When last we left Detectives Dimitrovich and Smirnoff in issue #2, the killer’s intentions hit close to home for one of them. Dimitrovich ignored pleas to close the case as a suicide when he learned the murder victim, Irina, was having an affair with someone who had access to the black market. Smirnoff’s desire to stay away from the case changes as soon as the detectives receive word that the pharmacy where Dimitrovich’s wife works is attacked.

In Sanction #3, Dimitrovich and Smirnoff franticly race to Sofia’s pharmacy to find her unharmed. Sofia called in the report, and she recounts how she saw a huge man enter the pharmacy, wreck the place, brutally beat her boss, Yuri, and leave with Yuri in tow. Sofia is fine but shaken, and Dimitrovich escorts her home. Smirnoff stays behind to quickly concoct a story that reframes the incident as an unfortunate accident.

The reason behind the stellar record of Leningrad’s finest becomes abundantly clear in Ray Fawkes’s opening scene. Crime is down because crime is rarely reported accurately. Smirnoff is as corrupt as he needs to be to maintain his record, even if he does have a soft spot for Dimitrovich’s dogmatic focus on justice.

Later, Dimitrovich begins mapping out years’ worth of case file information that suggests a serial killer is on the loose. His research rubs everyone the wrong way because any discoveries he makes would make his fellow detectives look bad. When Smirnoff sees that Dimitrovich is close to uncovering a pattern of deaths, Smirnoff drags him out into the cold street to warn him away from stirring up trouble.

Here, we see the conflicts of interest start to boil over. Dimitrovich is anxious to maintain his record so that he can be considered for promotion, but Dimitrovich’s investigation threatens to undermine the history of the department’s efforts. As noted above, the issue may start to lose some readers as the opening half is little more than tedious legwork and interoffice bickering.

Dimitrovich’s fortunes (and the issue’s energy) quickly change when he notices one of the case files that fit the killer’s pattern has an odd discrepancy, prompting Dimitrovich to search the woods surrounding Lake Ladoga. Near the spot where bodies were found, Dimitrovich finds a suspicious cabin. Meanwhile, word of the investigation reaches the unhappy ears of the police department’s senior officials, who discuss the possibility of relieving the detective for “the greater good.”

The issue ends with the discovery of trophies, inadequate backup, and a dangerous standoff.

Overall, Sanction #3 starts slow, but once Dimitrovich’s investigation yields fruit, the intrigue and energy escalate considerably. Let’s hope Fawkes can keep the same momentum through the next issue and beyond.

Artwork and Presentation:

Antonio Fuso’s artwork excels at capturing the frozen desolation of the Soviet Union in winter, reflecting the frozen isolation Dimitrovich feels from all directions as the lone detective unwilling to give up on the killer’s victims. In fairness, Fuso’s pencils stop just short of being loose sketches, and the details in characters’ faces are sorely lacking, but Fuso delivers the structure of each panel with a cinematic eye.

Art Samples:

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Final Thoughts:

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SANCTION #3 starts slow by focusing heavily on interoffice politics and the shenanigans of mildly corrupt cops, but once Dimitrovich discovers a clue, the issue quickly swings into a tense crime thriller. Fawkes has a winner on his hands if he can keep the pace and energy up heading into the next issue. Likewise, Fuso’s artwork lacks details, but the visual aesthetic successfully captures the cold isolation of the setting and characters.

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