Sanction #3: Murder Center Stage

Leningrad is a strange place to conduct a murder investigation–at least in the pages of Sanction. There’s no telling where it would be going without Detective Boris Dimitrovich. But the mystery keeps taking second place to other details. Is Sanction #3 going to finally change that trend.

Is Sofia in danger? Boris rushes to the pharmacy where she works in Sanction #3’s opening pages. He finds her safe inside but not necessarily untraumatized. She thinks she saw the murderer bring in the dead body of her boss. Detective Smirnoff, unsurprisingly, makes up some ridiculous story about what actually happened because “There’s very little violent crime in Leningrad.” In the wake of these events, Boris redoubles his efforts to find the killer, unaware that Detective Smirnoff might not be on his side as he does so.

Boris’ investigation advances more in Sanction #3 than in either of the previous issues. It finally feels integral to the series in a way that it didn’t before–which is not to say that the mystery was bad but that it was overshadowed by the overall details of the environment and its characters. It’s a welcome development, and ultimately leads to the series’ most shocking moment in the final pages.

Sanction’s penchant for absurdity continues here. It’s almost impossible not to laugh at Sanction #3’s opening pages as Detective Smirnoff rationalizes away Yuri’s murder as him having slipped and died and getting picked up by a helpful man (who in reality was his killer). But at the same time these world building story points play into the corruption that grows more significant with each issue. The aftermath of Smirnoff’s report turns him into a more threatening character. Under these conditions it’s hard to know where anyone stands at any given time, and that added complication benefits the story.

The opening sequence between Sofia and Boris starts Sanction #3 on a strong emotional note. Fawkes included humanizing moments in the first two issues. But the strong connection between the husband and wife in an emotionally charged moment adds stakes to Boris’ situation later in the issue.

Sofia’s pharmacy is covered in blood when Boris arrives. It’s on the shelves and all their items. The floor is awash with it. In an environment that Lecce has largely colored with oppressively cold light blues and hints of gray and white, the red blood is almost startling. Even compared to the few warmer settings in the previous issues, the blood stands out for its intensity.

Lecce makes a noteworthy choice late in Sanction #3 when Boris travels well outside the city to a frozen lake and snow covered surroundings. The blues that Lecce employs in Leningrad are nowhere to be found. The sky is a richer blue, lightened only around the sun. The snow and frozen lake are white unlike the many city buildings. The surrounding trees are the result of heavy shading and create a stark contrast with the ground and the lake. The environment looks natural in a way that Leningrad never does.

Detective Smirnoff’s attitude is subject to change in every issue depending on the situation he’s in. He has wavered between caring about the murder investigation and not caring, acting serious about crime in Leningrad and laughing it off as nonexistent, and so forth. All of these attitudes come with their own set of facial expressions corresponding to what he expresses in dialogue. But this issue is the first time Smirnoff has looked sinister. Fuso accomplishes it with detail around the eyes, especially with shading that accentuates his expression in close ups and extra lines when he is more distant. Smirnoff’s appearance adds to the story’s general suggestion that Boris could be in danger from anyone.