The Deal: It’s the latest issue of Checkmate, DC’s resident espionage comic. This book spun out of the company’s weekly series 52 and features a strange mix of characters from across the DC Universe. The stars of Checkmate, however, seem to be former Bruce Wayne bodyguard Sasha Bordeaux and Justice Society of America member Mr. Terrific.
The Good: I didn’t want to like this comic. Honestly, I’ve been a little pissed since Checkmate launched because the book seemed to steal Mr. Terrific and Green Lantern Alan Scott away from my favorite comic book, Justice Society of America. As a result, it took me 23 issues to get past my anger and actually pick up the damn comic. Well, I’m glad I worked out my personal issues because Checkmate is one entertaining comic — especially if you like spy stories (and I do). Rucka and Trautmann have created this rich world built on a large cast of complex characters who all have their own reasons for working for the agency Checkmate. And as much as I initially hated the fact that characters from other books were being co-opted in Checkmate, the writers seem to present superheroes — and, this issue, even the villains — in a more real-world light. On top of that, it wasn’t tough to get into the story even though I haven’t read the previous 22.
The Bad: Some of the art is a bit uneven. One page features a shot of Superman that shows a really poor understanding of human anatomy. The rest of the drawings in this issue are pretty decent but nothing spectacular. I usually love Joe Bennett’s stuff, but the inking seemed to sap away some of his generally minimalist appeal.
The Verdict: Checkmate is surprisingly entertaining. It took me almost two years, but I think I’ll start picking this book up on a regular basis.
Reviewed materials furnished by Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find: www.heroesonline.com.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 4, 2008.
