After Turn’s release, a murder occurs-and it’s almost identical to the one he was convicted of committing. To protect his job and his reputation, Detective Christopher will have to defy his captain and Internal Affairs in order to prove that Turn Washington is guilty. But was it luck that brought him to the evidence that ties Turn Washington to the new murder scene-or something else?

Much improved over the first issue, Vindication #2 still doesn’t deliver on the promise of exploring the broken police and judicial systems. Writer MD Marie dives deeper into Detective Christopher’s past showing us his corruption, or lack of, and the situations that got him on the radar of Internal Affairs. We’re presented with a cop corrupted by his racist partner and unwilling to stand up. While there’s an interesting story to be told there, instead we get Christopher as a semi-sympathetic character. If the goal of the series is to create a lot of grey, than this works.

On the other side, we learn a bit more about Turn Washington and whether or not he’s innocent. There, moments will have you screaming at the page irritated by choices made. Washington doesn’t present a strong enough case for the choices he makes and route he takes making him look like a fool more than someone else to sympathize with.

The art by Carlos Miko with ink by Dema Jr., color by Thiago Goncalves, and lettering by Troy Peteri is improved. There’s still an issue with some characters looking too similar, overall though there’s a better flow to the story and pages. While there’s not a lot of action, there’s still some interesting visuals.

The issue still doesn’t have the series living up to its pitch but as a crime story, it’s improved from the first issue. The characters are a bit more interesting in their own various ways. There’s an issue with too many connections and people knowing each other too much but it adds a bit of dramatic flair. Better than the first issue but still not great, Vindication feels like this’ll be a series that can best be judged when the whole is done.

Created: Matt Hawkins and MD Marie Story: MD Marie
Art: Carlos Miko Ink: Dema Jr.
Color: Thiago Goncalves Letterer: Troy Peteri
Story: 6.0 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.25 Recommendation: Pass

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

The return of True Detective has given audiences everywhere quite a complex view of what police officers have to go through in solving cases. We’re taken to three different timelines of two police officers on one particular case. This new season is its most socially relevant as well as its most layered. We get to see how race and the evil men do have intertwined in some of America’s most forgotten corridors.

As in today’s news, the relationship between the police and black communities are just as volatile as it has ever been. The only difference today is the ingenuity of social media and the speed of how fast news is delivered to the world. In the new series from Image Comics, Vindication, we meet one detective who walks the blue line, as he must investigate one suspect which pushes those boundaries.

We meet Turn Washington, an ex-con who served ten years for a crime he may not have committed. We also meet Detective Chip Christopher, the police officer who put him behind bars, and who is determined to see him back there for good and is put with a new partner, Detective Maggie Cruz, who may have her own agenda. As the new partners are called to a murder scene, they find out the victim was a juror on Turn’s case, as Turn is instantly a suspect for this murder because of this. By issue’s end, Chip becomes the focal point of an Internal Affairs investigation, one where he will he walking on egg shells just when he may have evidence implicating Turn.

Overall, an interesting crime procedural story that speaks to the relevant issues of today, especially the police force and the black community. The story by MD Marie feels like an episode of Law & Order. The art by Dema Jr. and Carlos Miko is lucid and vibrant. Altogether, one of the most interesting books to come from this Maverick company as they show that they also can speak to relevant issues.

Story: MD Marie Art: Dema Jr and Carlos Miko
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

In turbulent times, when cops are often portrayed as the enemy of the people, Detective Chip Christopher maneuvers the blurred blue line between racism and due diligence in order to do his job. And right now it’s his job to investigate Turn, a young black man with a sketchy past-who was previously exonerated of a similar murder.

Vindication #1 is an interesting comic and one I’ve been looking forward to reading. In the real world, there’s absolutely issues with systemic racism and bigotry in our policing and the judicial system. Vindication seemed like a comic attempting to address this and in some ways it does but in doing so delivers a comic that’s not all that entertaining.

The focus of the issue is Detective Chip Christopher who is early on presented as an asshole. This isn’t a cop balancing the line attempting to do the right thing at all. Throughout the issue, this is a corrupt officer who will do whatever he has to to convict a person, even if they really are innocent. This is exactly what is wrong with the justice system and as presented, writer MD Marie focuses the comic on a character that’s completely unlikeable.

It’d be one thing if this was a story where a cop was being pressured by those above and they slowly come around but as presented everyone else seems to be on the up and up, it’s just Christopher that’s the corrupt one. Not only is that unlikely with the LAPD (recent news backs this up). It’s a very odd focus and start for the series that leaves us with no character to identify with or like.

The art too has issues. Carlos Miko‘s pencils, the ink by Dema Jr., color by Thiago Goncalves just doesn’t feel like the crisp quality we’d expect from a Top Cow comic. Art at times is unclear, details in facial expressions are off, the overall package just doesn’t look like a comic I’d expect from this publisher. Add in the fact that characters at times look too similar and it creates an overall package that’s a bit forgettable. You can see the issues with the cover that features hands that look like they were designed in MS Paint.

The concept is odd. The art is lower quality. This is a comic that feels like it’s more concept than execution. It wants to be relevant and feels a bit rushed out to be so. The story itself is choppy at time, drags at other points, and overall gives us no characters that we should like at all. Vindication had an opportunity to be a comic that was socially relevant and has something to say, instead it feels like a cash in, making money off of real world issues.

Created: Matt Hawkins and MD Marie
Story: MD Marie Art: Carlos Miko
Ink: Dema Jr. Color: Thiago Goncalves
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Story: 5.0 Art: 6.0 Overall: 5.0 Recommendation: Pass

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review