SANCTION #4, by Mad Cave Studios on 8/28/24, concludes the hunt for a killer but opens the door to a larger conspiracy when Pavel and Boris learn the killer’s capture is not good news for their superiors.
Credits:
- Writer: Ray Fawkes
- Artist: Antonio Fuso
- Colorist: Emilio Lecce
- Letterer: Dave Sharpe
- Cover Artist: Dan Panosian
- Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
- Release Date: August 28, 2024
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 24
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of SANCTION #4:
First Impressions:
It was pretty clear after the first few issues that something was fishy about a serial killer case. Now, Ray Fawkes dispels the suspicion in Sanction #4 by twisting the already-dark murder tale into a web of deceit and lies that will keep you guessing until the end. The biggest question that remains is how on Earth Ray Fawkes will tie up this miniseries in the next issue.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Detectives Boris Dimitrovich and Pavel Smirnoff in Sanction #3, luck and good detective work led the detectives to a cabin in the woods where the serial killer kept trophies of his kills. The issue ended with a tense standoff, and shots fired.
In Sanction #4, we pick up from the cliffhanger at the end of the last issue. Pavel and Boris are a bit worse for wear, but they’re alive, and the serial killer is incapacitated. The detectives take the killer in, and Boris wastes no time beginning the interrogation, which links the killer to murders stretching back decades.
Writer Ray Fawkes puts the readers’ minds at ease by keeping the killer in custody and not resorting to superhuman tricks to make the killer seem larger than life. However, Fawkes elevates the paranoid tension by using snippets of the killer’s confession to suggest that he had help or guidance, which puts Boris and Pavel on the defensive.
Later, Boris and Pavel meet with their superiors to receive the good news about commendations and more. However, Boris is enraged when he hears the killer will only be charged with two murders, confirming Boris’s suspicion that previous murders have been covered up. Pavel tries to warn Boris away from stirring up trouble, but Boris now knows Pavel enables the system of injustice, even if it is motivated by self-preservation.
For DC readers out there, Pavel and Boris are shaping up to be the Harvey Bullock and Jim Gordon of the 1980s Soviet Union. Boris is disgusted by Pavel’s corruption, but Pavel acknowledges he’s corrupt because he has to be, not because he wants to be. Although Boris is the true blue hero of the story, you feel a certain sympathy for Pavel’s situation.
The issue concludes with shadowy figures with murderous intent, a prison visit, and a slamming door.
Despite a somberly-paced start, Ray Fawkes Gorky Park-inspired thriller is picking up steam. Fawkes makes the prospect of a far-reaching government conspiracy seem more dangerous than a serial killer hiding in the woods, and this issue sets up an impossible-to-guess finale.
Artwork and Presentation:
Antonio Fuso’s stylistic art succeeds in capturing the austere oppressive of the Soviet Union in the 1980s as each scene is drab scenery, lifeless desolation, and a callous indifference that fits the tone of the script. That said, Fuso’s blocky, sketchy style for the characters may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Art Samples:
Final Thoughts:
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SANCTION #4 continues to increase the pace and the threat level when the serial killer’s capture is just the start of Boris and Pavel’s problems. Ray Fawkes expertly envelopes the reader in a dreading sense of paranoia concerning a potential conspiracy, and Antonio Fuso’s stylized art captures the spirit of cold isolation.
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