Review – The Fix #2 (Image Comics)

Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Nick Spencer
Art: Steve Lieber
Release Date: 11th May 2016

If Miami Vice were relocated to California, rewritten by Shane Black and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the resulting piece of artistic perfection would be The Fix. Following two corrupt police officers, Roy and Mac, as they beg, borrow and steal their daily bread in order to make ends meet, they are constantly chasing the next payload in order to get rid of accumulated debt from their nefarious lifestyle.

Steve Lieber’s clean lines and wholesome illustrations – aided by Ryan Hill’s warm, bright block colours – present a satirical play on the American dream. With Nick Spencer’s clever dialogue and darker, violent touches to the comic, the result is an unsettling American nightmare.

Spencer has created some fascinating characters that, much in the vein of the cinematic masterpiece that is The Sopranos, the reader can’t help but vouch for despite their ethics. The ensemble characters are all shades of grey; there are no easily drawn lines when it comes to good and evil, as can be seen in the corruption that trickles through all departments in the police force. Even Internal Affairs officers investigating our protagonists can be bought.

Despite their shortcomings, bumbling mistakes and moral fibre, Roy and Mac have a camaraderie and genuine warmth that, when added to their murky natures, is utterly compelling. The second issue of the series is focused completely on Roy, as he convinces Mac to carry out a plan in which they will usurp a beloved colleague, Pete, from his position of power in order for Mac to take his place.

The storytelling here, in which we see two projections of Pete’s character from Roy, provides a fascinating insight into Roy’s character as the events of the issue unfold.

The Fix is top-notch storytelling and stunning to look at. It’s clever and self-referential, with some truly ingenious touches of dialogue that knowingly wink at the reader via jokes that centre on pop culture references.

Rating: 5/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK
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