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Checkmate #1
Checkmate Vol. 1: A King's Game
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.
Colects Checkmate #1-7.
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.
Colects Checkmate #1-7.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
1 person is currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,484 books1,913 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 26, 2023
Nice restart to the series. good art and a nice opening plot. Recommended
March 14, 2018
The U.N. is taking over the running of Checkmate to monitor metahumans. Set up with 2 kings and queens running the show, with the white side running policy while the black runs special ops. Lots of personal conflict with the Golden Age Green Lantern and Mr. Terrific from the JSA, Amanda Waller, King Faraday, and Count Vertigo from Suicide Squad, and Fire from JLI all at odds with one another. It's a well done push and pull between the characters while balancing the interests of all the major countries on the UN security council. I dig Jesus Saiz's art on the book. I love the look with his heavy lines and character work.
May 9, 2015
This tale focuses upon meta humans and humans being "controlled" by a United Nations equivalent with legal and illegal black ops missions.
OVERALL GRADE: B
OVERALL GRADE: B
December 9, 2015
This would get a five if it weren't for the crossover with the Suicide Squad in issues 6 and 7. Well written, well drawn, but still felt like a managerial/editorial decision from on high, not necessarily cohesive with the flow of the book.
Other than that, a fantastic read. This is the Suicide Squad's more refined, politically-minded noble cousin. Lots of good stuff here, withmany checks and balances between players you wouldn't normally see interacting. Alan Scott and Amanda Waller at the head as White King and Queen? Priceless. Plus a healthy introduction to Sasha Bordeaux, who could become a favorite with more time.
As an aside, there's just something satisfying about seeing the Wall consume a hearty meal. Something careful, deliberate, and even intimidating with her enjoyment of the finer things in life. Reminds me of the Suicide Squad trailer with Viola Davis, and just makes me look forward to that movie even more.
Other than that, a fantastic read. This is the Suicide Squad's more refined, politically-minded noble cousin. Lots of good stuff here, withmany checks and balances between players you wouldn't normally see interacting. Alan Scott and Amanda Waller at the head as White King and Queen? Priceless. Plus a healthy introduction to Sasha Bordeaux, who could become a favorite with more time.
As an aside, there's just something satisfying about seeing the Wall consume a hearty meal. Something careful, deliberate, and even intimidating with her enjoyment of the finer things in life. Reminds me of the Suicide Squad trailer with Viola Davis, and just makes me look forward to that movie even more.
July 1, 2020
It's Queen & Country, but with superheroes. What's not to like?
August 12, 2010
Not only boring and pedestrian, but the "chess pieces as code names" gimmick really gets in the way of following the story. Black King's knight vs. White King's bishop? Who the hell can keep them straight - and who cares enough about these generic cardboard cutouts to care? What "spies" would really use such ridiculously juvenile references? (This may have sounded cool to 12-year-old boys, but at my age this is just irritating.) And ultimately, who cares?
Go read The Authority instead, for really *interesting* tales of world-dominating beyond-government policing by metahumans.
Go read The Authority instead, for really *interesting* tales of world-dominating beyond-government policing by metahumans.
August 8, 2011
Part international politics, part superpowered ‘heroes’ and a whole lot of strong writing, this is a volume that demonstrates, if it needed further demonstration, that there can be comics that tackle adult themes and have great action. My reading suffered from not following the events preceding it in the DC universe, but that is purely my fault. That it has made me interested in finding out what happened before and happens after is a testament to this volume’s quality.
January 19, 2012
Big character shake ups make this a book worth reading until the end.
January 28, 2018
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
August 6, 2007
I’ve become a big fan of Greg Rucka the past couple of years—his work on Wonder Woman and Adventures of Superman have been especially great. However, I’m becoming less and less fond of his DC spy stuff.
Checkmate spins out of the OMAC Project, Rucka’s prequel to Infinite Crisis which reestablished Checkmate as a nebulous international spy organization. Post-Infinite Crisis, Checkmate is a U.N.-sanctioned group that protects the world from super-powered threats.
Rucka takes on a bunch of small characters from the DC Universe (the original Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, Count Vertigo, Amanda Waller, etc.) to form the spy organization. The first four issues show the machinations of keeping the group solvent from a threat from the Chinese to veto Checkmate’s charter. The last three issues… are a digression.
I’m annoyed by all the aspects of Checkmate that seem to come from the Marvel Universe. The whole naming system—characters are called the white and black king and queen—reminds me of the Hellfire Club, Checkmate itself seems a lot like SHIELD, and one of the villains, Kobra, looks a lot like HYDRA or at least the Serpent Society. These aren’t exactly mainstream Marvel properties, but Rucka didn’t do much to distinguish his characters as unique.
There are just too many characters in this book. There are some nice parts, especially the negotiating in the U.N., and some of the Chinese superheroes. The last two issues, a Suicide Squad story, add little but clutter to the book.
From reading Queen and Country, I know Rucka can do espionage well, but Checkmate isn’t a good showing.
Checkmate spins out of the OMAC Project, Rucka’s prequel to Infinite Crisis which reestablished Checkmate as a nebulous international spy organization. Post-Infinite Crisis, Checkmate is a U.N.-sanctioned group that protects the world from super-powered threats.
Rucka takes on a bunch of small characters from the DC Universe (the original Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, Count Vertigo, Amanda Waller, etc.) to form the spy organization. The first four issues show the machinations of keeping the group solvent from a threat from the Chinese to veto Checkmate’s charter. The last three issues… are a digression.
I’m annoyed by all the aspects of Checkmate that seem to come from the Marvel Universe. The whole naming system—characters are called the white and black king and queen—reminds me of the Hellfire Club, Checkmate itself seems a lot like SHIELD, and one of the villains, Kobra, looks a lot like HYDRA or at least the Serpent Society. These aren’t exactly mainstream Marvel properties, but Rucka didn’t do much to distinguish his characters as unique.
There are just too many characters in this book. There are some nice parts, especially the negotiating in the U.N., and some of the Chinese superheroes. The last two issues, a Suicide Squad story, add little but clutter to the book.
From reading Queen and Country, I know Rucka can do espionage well, but Checkmate isn’t a good showing.
June 26, 2020
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this series from the first couple issues. I’d heard it was worth checking out and I know that Rucka is a good writer, but I wasn’t sure that superheroics and politics always mesh. And it started out a lil boring and hard to follow, with all the main characters involved and their hierarchy taking me a while to catch on to. But that being said, by the end I felt much more invested in what happens next and am excited for the rest of the series.
The main cast doesn’t have any “heavy hitters”, unless you’ve read some DC and are familiar with Amanda Waller, Alan Scott, and Mr. Terrific, who all played main roles. There are a lot of lesser known characters that are either part of the team or make cameos, and after being introduced to 70% of the team for the first time and seeing how they interact and politic, aside from the actual covert global politics, was pretty interesting. Diplomacy, blackmail, means-justification, violence and drama are all the flavors here. It hits as a bit melodramatic here and there, but for the most part the covert-ops and international and internal dealings are worth it.
The art shifts around a lil bit. Jesus Saiz does most of it, replaced by Cliff Richards some of the time. I felt pretty much the same about each, doing solid work but didn’t blow me away. To my surprise, when I looked back at the issues where the art really popped, it was done by Saiz but the coloring was by Santiago Olmedo. He was only on for 2 issues, but I thought someone else did the art altogether because those were the ones that stood out as above-average.
Basically, it starts out slow/confusing, but by the end I definitely wanted more.
The main cast doesn’t have any “heavy hitters”, unless you’ve read some DC and are familiar with Amanda Waller, Alan Scott, and Mr. Terrific, who all played main roles. There are a lot of lesser known characters that are either part of the team or make cameos, and after being introduced to 70% of the team for the first time and seeing how they interact and politic, aside from the actual covert global politics, was pretty interesting. Diplomacy, blackmail, means-justification, violence and drama are all the flavors here. It hits as a bit melodramatic here and there, but for the most part the covert-ops and international and internal dealings are worth it.
The art shifts around a lil bit. Jesus Saiz does most of it, replaced by Cliff Richards some of the time. I felt pretty much the same about each, doing solid work but didn’t blow me away. To my surprise, when I looked back at the issues where the art really popped, it was done by Saiz but the coloring was by Santiago Olmedo. He was only on for 2 issues, but I thought someone else did the art altogether because those were the ones that stood out as above-average.
Basically, it starts out slow/confusing, but by the end I definitely wanted more.
Read
August 13, 2022This book is gnarly. Everyone gets a moment to be fleshed out, and Rucka doesn’t sacrifice the ideals of someone like Alan Scott in face of the mature themes of the book, instead making the contrast between the more cynical and brutal world of spies and the hopeful and non-lethal world of the heroes a central conflict. It fulfills on the promise of doing what only a spy book in the DC universe could do. The art is solid, and appropriately restrained most often, without sacrificing on cool or classic designs. I can’t get enough of this, each subsequent story arc I go “what a great idea!”
Also Sasha Bordeaux has a type which is fantastic.
Also Sasha Bordeaux has a type which is fantastic.
July 21, 2020
Really tricky to drop into without a thorough understanding of the DC Universe and there are lots of prior events that are touched on and not reiterated or even briefly referenced editorially. By the time I got a grasp on the characters and plot and was starting to enjoy it they shook the board and added two issues of (B Team?) suicide squad exploits, so I was left scrambling again. Having a lot of pretense and ensemble casts are common in comic books but this one felt especially disorienting for me. I’m sure it was much more fun with a deeper DC Universe expertise.
January 15, 2022
Disclaimer: This is part of the DC comics superhero universe, but focuses mainly on the intelligence agency known as Checkmate. Checkmate is sanctioned by the U.N. and organized in a chess-themed structure (which would be hilarious in real life.) This volume takes place shortly after the events of Infinite Crisis.
Review: Not having experienced much of the DC espionage world, I was pleasantly surprised by this volume. I knew what Checkmate was from Infinite Crisis (still mad about Ted) but this story takes place after those events, as new leaders of Checkmate try to re-establish their power and Checkmate's reputation. Most of this volume deals with the leaders of Checkmate trying to win support from the U.N. so they can continue to exist, and a few missions that are run, including rescues and undercover ops in creepy snake-themed cults. Meanwhile, one of the Checkmate leaders (kings/queens) is running his/her own agenda, and even creating their own black ops teams. As a result, this really does have a spy vibe and I enjoyed the interplay of politics, action, and spies, and how different characters react to the role of a spy organization (i.e., doing the dirty work) in a world of flashy superheroes. However, except for Fire, Mr. Terrific, and the temporary presence of GL Alan Scott, this book is refreshingly empty of superheroes, forcing us to focus more on the normal humans and how they cope in a world of superbeings. There is a lot of politics, but also a lot of "cool spy secret agenda" stuff that was interesting to read.
Overall, I would recommend this book in general to DC readers looking for a new side of the universe, and only to new readers, if you're willing to roll with some things you don't understand. I can't necessarily recommend this if you are only fans of one or two characters; this series is called Checkmate and it means it. It focuses on ALL the characters, and there are a lot of them, but gives the most emphasis on the kings/queens and the powerplay among them.
Main Characters:
As mentioned before, Checkmate is built on a chess-theme. White side is more politicking, transparency-focused, while Black is ops. Bishops are for intelligence gathering. Knights are field leaders. It took me a while to get that, and then it was hard to keep track of who was who, so here's a cheat sheet:
Plot Overview:
Review: Not having experienced much of the DC espionage world, I was pleasantly surprised by this volume. I knew what Checkmate was from Infinite Crisis (still mad about Ted) but this story takes place after those events, as new leaders of Checkmate try to re-establish their power and Checkmate's reputation. Most of this volume deals with the leaders of Checkmate trying to win support from the U.N. so they can continue to exist, and a few missions that are run, including rescues and undercover ops in creepy snake-themed cults. Meanwhile, one of the Checkmate leaders (kings/queens) is running his/her own agenda, and even creating their own black ops teams. As a result, this really does have a spy vibe and I enjoyed the interplay of politics, action, and spies, and how different characters react to the role of a spy organization (i.e., doing the dirty work) in a world of flashy superheroes. However, except for Fire, Mr. Terrific, and the temporary presence of GL Alan Scott, this book is refreshingly empty of superheroes, forcing us to focus more on the normal humans and how they cope in a world of superbeings. There is a lot of politics, but also a lot of "cool spy secret agenda" stuff that was interesting to read.
Overall, I would recommend this book in general to DC readers looking for a new side of the universe, and only to new readers, if you're willing to roll with some things you don't understand. I can't necessarily recommend this if you are only fans of one or two characters; this series is called Checkmate and it means it. It focuses on ALL the characters, and there are a lot of them, but gives the most emphasis on the kings/queens and the powerplay among them.
Main Characters:
As mentioned before, Checkmate is built on a chess-theme. White side is more politicking, transparency-focused, while Black is ops. Bishops are for intelligence gathering. Knights are field leaders. It took me a while to get that, and then it was hard to keep track of who was who, so here's a cheat sheet:
Plot Overview:
March 1, 2020
Another generic DC tale
not worth it.
not worth it.
January 17, 2021
Rucka is always a good read, but I'm not sure the artwork is the best fit for the story.
February 10, 2013
Checkmate has always seemed like a poor man's SHIELD - a wanna-be global response team to metahuman threats that fails to make a dent in the DC Universe. Greg Rucka attempts to alter that notion with the newest incarnation of the Checkmate organization - until the New 52 shift, that is. Checkmate has grown into a UN-charted peacekeeping force, pairing enhanced operatives with normal human counterparts to better balance the power. As Checkmate is about to lose its UN status, White Queen Amanda Waller puts her plans into motion - sending the group on a spy-hunting mission into China. Running afoul of both assassination plots by Kobra and super-team the Great Ten, Waller uses her Checkmate agents and duped Suicide Squad to play the cards in her favor. Former Bat-flame Sasha Bordeaux shines as the newest Black Queen willing to go to any lengths necessary, while ex-GL Alan Scott plays his heroic role to a T as as the latest White King. Sadly, the volume concluded with Scott's departure and Mr. Terrific taking the vacant seat - which ended the moral struggle between Alan and Sasha. Rucka is a master of the spy genre, but the levels of interplay between convoluted characters (with little to recap) plays havoc with the overall plot. Game over for this reader.
October 17, 2018
Bit of a letdown. After having read bits and pieces of this story before in certain stories I can’t help but feel that way after finally reading this.
Basically Checkmate is a clandestine espionage organization that functions by sending spies, soldiers, assassins, political emissaries involved in matters serving the will of the United Nations and the United States. This type of story feels more Jason Bourne that DC Comics but it does involve some characters.
On some level it does continue in the similar vein as Suicide Squad but those stories were so much cooler. This is a little to awkward and political for my taste.
Some members of the Squad do involve themselves in Checkmate in particular Icicle, Tattooed Man, Mirror Master, Bronze Tiger and others. Some of them quickly disband.
Nothing that great. D
Basically Checkmate is a clandestine espionage organization that functions by sending spies, soldiers, assassins, political emissaries involved in matters serving the will of the United Nations and the United States. This type of story feels more Jason Bourne that DC Comics but it does involve some characters.
On some level it does continue in the similar vein as Suicide Squad but those stories were so much cooler. This is a little to awkward and political for my taste.
Some members of the Squad do involve themselves in Checkmate in particular Icicle, Tattooed Man, Mirror Master, Bronze Tiger and others. Some of them quickly disband.
Nothing that great. D
February 5, 2014
I hoped for so much more from Greg Rucka. I so badly wanted this to be a mix between Queen & Country and the DC Universe. Sadly, that's not what we get here. The political intrigue is bland, he espionage here is one-note, and the action is decent not enough to make up for the other deficiencies. The cast is interesting but centered on Amanda Waller and Sasha Bordeaux, which is fine but why not just make this into a Suicide Squad book? The art by Jesus Saiz was good but many of his characters look too similar. Overall, a disappointment based on the creative team.
September 15, 2010
It was okay, not Rucka's best work. I think there were a lot of novel ideas that Rucka wanted to incorporate into his story line but they almost seemed to get in the way of the story-telling. The constant beating down the readers throat about the chess name titles grew to the point of annoyance. Hopefully volume two is better.
May 10, 2013
Wow. I must say I don't get the low ratings for this title. I'm typically not interested in espionage but Rucka knows how to craft a spy story and craft it well. From the use of distinctive covert ops language, to intriguing twists and character shake-ups, "A King's Game" is a compelling read. This book has character in spades.
August 10, 2011
I just wasn't won over by this title. Rucka playing with superpowered spy agencies is cool, but DC's penchant for making their characters stay in costume at all times really undercuts the tone of the book. Sort of disappointing.
March 11, 2012
I gave it a try because I’m a huge Rucka fan, but I couldn’t hack it. Seems like a slick story for someone who knows 30 years of backstory necessary to enjoy a DC/Marvel comic. Sadly, I'm not in the club.
May 22, 2014
There must've been a reason why I liked this when I first read it because I seem to have collected all other issues of Checkmate too. After this second reading, I could not find a single reason why I did so.
December 4, 2011
This was an entertaining story, not Rucka's best work but interesting nonetheless.
August 18, 2012
Rucka's spy stories bore me; at least Amanda Waller was her glorious self and the art was good.
June 11, 2014
Another secret service spy type of book. blah.
September 20, 2015
Checkmate is resurrected with new and older members alike.
I really enjoy the story and drawing, very well done and kept me entertained.
I really enjoy the story and drawing, very well done and kept me entertained.
October 3, 2016
Checkmate is restored after max lord perverts it. It was a fun read. Not sure Alan Scott was right for the role of white King, but it was ok.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews