Deep Characterization and Great Action Sequences

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	• Checkmate Vol. 1: A King's Game (DC Comics) Greg Rucka DC Comics, 2007 - 168 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A thinking person's comic

I really like the way they take former heroes and villains and put them in an espionage setting. They have to make difficult moral choices because lives are at stake. Best comic of this type since Suicide Squad. Welcome back Amanda Wall

Deep Characterization and Great Action Sequences

Readers that have been following my reviews on a regular basis know I'm a fan of action novels, espionage fiction, and superhero comic books. I'm just omnivorous that way. One of my favorite writers, Greg Rucka, also has an interest in those things. He's written the Atticus Kodiak bodyguard novel series, the Queen & Country comics and novels, and nearly every major superhero character you can name. His run on WONDER WOMAN was fantastic, and the pairing of Batman and Wonder Woman in THE HIKETEIA was amazing.

In the wake of the latest crisis in the DC universe, Checkmate was created. The organization has its basis in another old comic book back-up feature starring a spy. Rucka gutted a lot of the old idea but kept the best parts for this new series. The new Checkmate agency consists of humans and metahumans, perfectly balanced - maybe - to deal with emerging political threats that may involve metahuman (read: supervillain, super-terrorists, etc.).

I thought the idea was good and definitely interesting. Given that Rucka has written several dozen issues of QUEEN & COUNTRY, the comic he created that focuses on British intelligence agents with a license to kill, I figured he'd be a natural at this kind of storytelling. He is.

However, the comic title can be somewhat daunting. Rucka doesn't pull any punches. He doesn't just write about a superspy or even a team of superspies. He writes about the whole enchilada: espionage of the James Bond type, super-powered espionage, as well as political threats within the organization and international frictions.

His stories don't just revolve around missions and the agents that go on them. The stories also delineate what goes on back at mission control, all the mistrust, the jockeying for control, the desire of some of the key players to keep certain ops or assets to themselves. I found myself getting just as involved in the bickering, secrets, and political maneuvering within the Checkmate organization as I did with the actions of the agents in the field.

Jesus Saiz's art is tremendous and suits Rucka's storytelling perfectly. The first few frames of the Checkmate operatives rising from the sea immediately brought up great memories of DR. NO, the lead movie in the long-running James Bond franchise. Saiz moves back and forth from the physical action to the cerebral action, from the battleground to the headquarters posturing, without missing a beat. The action, on both fronts, is tense and reflects the story easily. Saiz's women are sexy and his warriors are fierce. The technology looks great and it's easy to lose the frame sequencing and sink into the movie this book would so effortlessly make.

Long-time DC Comics readers will relish seeing some of the old characters (like King Farraday) come out of mothballs and join in the action. This is a perfect venue for the spies that first appeared in various SHOWCASE issues.

This first graphic novels sets the tone for the rest of the series. The focus is on an illegal and clandestine weapons development center being hidden from the rest of the world. That particular mission requires bloodshed, political brinksmanship, and eventually the direct involvement of a hero that costs him his position within Checkmate. Despite the superheroes and the fantasy technology involved, the story feels like it could have been ripped from the pages of TIME or NEWSWEEK.

The second part of the graphic novel shows the recruitment of a new Bishop for the Checkmate ranks. And the final couple issues collected in this first graphic novel focuses on the return of one of comicdom's favorite teams: the Suicide Squad.

This first CHECKMATE graphic novel is a steal and offers some of the best storytelling and art out there today. Superheroes and secret agents just don't get any better than this.

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Great start, but it will get better.

A very political book, but I knew that coming in. Some good plot twists, like the white king's firing and the relationship implications of Mr. Terrific's impending coronation. Kobra feels generic as the villain, and seven comics isn't enough to keep track of so many characters. However, a few stand out - Fire, the Swiss girl, Vertigo. A good first volume of a series that takes a while to pick up momentum.

Check out Checkmate

'Checkmate' is an international organization that deals with metahuman threats in a political and covert manner. The book is not a standard beat-'em-up, and readers with particularly short attention spans may find it not to their liking. But everyone else should definitely check out 'Checkmate'.

The characters are intriguing, and while I can't say they mesh well, it's that friction that creates some great drama in the series. There are the agents that come from strong military backgrounds, who aren't afraid to kill. They are at odds with the agents who come from traditionally superheroic backgrounds, who are never okay with it. The book doesn't get preachy either way, taking a definitive stance on this issue or any other - instead, it lets the characters words and actions speak for themselves.

The dialogue is crisp and, for the most part, sharp, and the same can be said of the art, making this one of the most well put-together titles DC has going for them right now.

If you have ever wanted a more international approach to superheroic fiction, check out Checkmate. If you have ever wanted a comic that dealt seriously and without judgement about political issues and games, check out Checkmate. If you just want an interesting, fun, well-written book, check out Checkmate.

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Excellent

I think I must have forgotten just how good a writer Greg Rucka is, which is maybe why I was so generally surprised after reading the first TPB of Checkmate. Taking place after the events of OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis in particular, the covert government operation known as Checkmate is reassembled and rebooted with some new blood at the helm. Justice Society of America teammates Mr. Teriffic and original Green Lantern Alan Scott are among them, as are former Batman flame and former OMAC tool Sasha Bordeux, and the seemingly always scheming Amanda Waller. Without giving too much away, the first collected volume of Checkmate revolves around the new direction and purpose laid before them, which is made even better by Rucka's underlining political and social commentary that while somewhat slight, is present. Rucka's OMAC Project partner Jesus Saiz provides excellent artwork as usual as well, and as a whole, Checkmate becomes addicting and satisfying comic reading that is loaded with twists, turns, action, espionage, intelligence, and some nice surprises. There has been a good amount of acclaim laid down on Checkmate, and if you haven't checked it out yet, believe the hype and see for yourself.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Acclaimed novelist Greg Rucka (A Fistful of Rain) and artist Jesus Saiz, the creative team behind THE OMAC PROJECT, reunite to tell the tale of Checkmate, a covert organization that exists to keep the super-powered factions in the DC Universe "in check" regardless of national boundary, affiliation or agenda.

After the explosive events of INFINITE CRISIS and THE OMAC PROJECT, the United Nations formed this new agency to bring down heroes and villains that get out of line in a world that's more dangerous than ever. Now Checkmate uses unique abilities to deputize human and metahuman forces throughout the world.

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