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Checkmate #1-2
Checkmate by Greg Rucka: Book 1 (Checkmate
THE WORLD NEEDS WATCHING
Acclaimed writer Greg Rucka (WONDER WOMAN, GOTHAM CENTRAL), artist Jesus Saiz (OMAC PROJECT, BIRDS OF PREY) and others craft a tale of action, intrigue and betrayal set in the DC Universe.
In the wake of INFINITE CRISIS, the world remains a dangerous place, with new metahuman threats and political battles spiraling out of control at any given moment. There is a desperate need to hold the line against destruction.
There is a need—once more—for Checkmate.
Rechartered by the United Nations and governed by a “Rule of Two” that ensures joint partnership between human and metahuman leaders, the covert operations agency acts as the intelligence intervention force seeking to establish order and balance in an increasingly unbalanced world.
With core members Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, Fire and Sasha Bordeaux, Checkmate is a formidable group—but will they be able to deal with the rising threats while contending with their own internal moral battles?
Collects CHECKMATE #1-12.
Acclaimed writer Greg Rucka (WONDER WOMAN, GOTHAM CENTRAL), artist Jesus Saiz (OMAC PROJECT, BIRDS OF PREY) and others craft a tale of action, intrigue and betrayal set in the DC Universe.
In the wake of INFINITE CRISIS, the world remains a dangerous place, with new metahuman threats and political battles spiraling out of control at any given moment. There is a desperate need to hold the line against destruction.
There is a need—once more—for Checkmate.
Rechartered by the United Nations and governed by a “Rule of Two” that ensures joint partnership between human and metahuman leaders, the covert operations agency acts as the intelligence intervention force seeking to establish order and balance in an increasingly unbalanced world.
With core members Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, Fire and Sasha Bordeaux, Checkmate is a formidable group—but will they be able to deal with the rising threats while contending with their own internal moral battles?
Collects CHECKMATE #1-12.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2017
6 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,493 books1,924 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 15, 2018
If there's one thing Greg Rucka is really good at, it's espionage comics. Imagine Queen and Country set in the DC universe. I love his treatment of Kobra as a quasi-religious terrorist organization. Having Amanda Waller in the book as a foil operating behind the scenes for America's interests counter to Checkmate's is a genius move. I love all the political espionage in the book, and yet we still get doses of superheroics as well.
April 22, 2017
(read 1/4)I am going to admit that maybe I'm not in the right state of mind to read this book, because it is boring the shit out of me....its a political espionage strike force which usually I like and i usually like Rucka. But I can't take any more white queen black knight call signs.....I'm also not super into the back stories for DC either. maybe I'll revisit it but probably not.
February 22, 2017
Greg Rucka expands on the story he began in Infinite Crisis' OMAC Project on a global scale, taking the reins of Checkmate and its innovative power structure of Kings, Queens, and international politics.
I've not read a book that works like this before. It feels like reading an Aaron Sorkin drama with punching; this is the kind of book Marvel could do with for SHIELD.
The first arc, A Game Of Kings, pits White King Alan Scott and White Queen Amanda Waller (I love Amanda Waller) up against the might of the UN Security Council who want to disband Checkmate entirely. What follows is four issues of blackmail, double jeopardy, Fire setting things on fire, and Sasha Bordeaux being extremely sassy. It's great, in short.
There's a one-shot after this which is decent, moving a few characters on and off of the board (literally, since this is Checkmate after all) and replacing one of the fallen from the first arc.
Next is Rogue Squad, a two-part story that sees Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad idea go completely wrong (as it's want to do), that ties into more of the Infinite Crisis fallout than the rest of the series.
The three issue Pawn 502 storyline looks to set up some stuff for later down the line, but this feels like too small a story to focus on when Checkmate operate internationally. I get that a sleeper agent inside Kobra would be a good move, but it doesn't have the impact I thought it'd have.
And then the final two issues shed some light on the background behind Fire, who spends most of the series worrying and getting blackmailed by Amanda Waller, so this clears the air for her story to progress further.
Most of the art is handled by Jesus Saiz, whose style isn't quite as refined as it is in more recent memory, but the ghost of the artist he's going to become is definitely present. There are also numerous fill-ins from Cliff Richards and Steve Scott; their styles don't gel with Saiz's very much, but they're serviceable enough. The Saiz issues are the best ones though, clearly.
I've not read a book that works like this before. It feels like reading an Aaron Sorkin drama with punching; this is the kind of book Marvel could do with for SHIELD.
The first arc, A Game Of Kings, pits White King Alan Scott and White Queen Amanda Waller (I love Amanda Waller) up against the might of the UN Security Council who want to disband Checkmate entirely. What follows is four issues of blackmail, double jeopardy, Fire setting things on fire, and Sasha Bordeaux being extremely sassy. It's great, in short.
There's a one-shot after this which is decent, moving a few characters on and off of the board (literally, since this is Checkmate after all) and replacing one of the fallen from the first arc.
Next is Rogue Squad, a two-part story that sees Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad idea go completely wrong (as it's want to do), that ties into more of the Infinite Crisis fallout than the rest of the series.
The three issue Pawn 502 storyline looks to set up some stuff for later down the line, but this feels like too small a story to focus on when Checkmate operate internationally. I get that a sleeper agent inside Kobra would be a good move, but it doesn't have the impact I thought it'd have.
And then the final two issues shed some light on the background behind Fire, who spends most of the series worrying and getting blackmailed by Amanda Waller, so this clears the air for her story to progress further.
Most of the art is handled by Jesus Saiz, whose style isn't quite as refined as it is in more recent memory, but the ghost of the artist he's going to become is definitely present. There are also numerous fill-ins from Cliff Richards and Steve Scott; their styles don't gel with Saiz's very much, but they're serviceable enough. The Saiz issues are the best ones though, clearly.
April 5, 2021
Retomo con las reseñas de lecturas que tengo por completo abandonadas, y lo hago con una verdadera maravilla: el run de 40 números que Greg Rucka le dedicara a Checkmate, la organización gubernamental internacional de espionaje y superhéroes. Nacida a la sombra del siempre más divertido Escuadrón Suicida (que tiene sí, su aparición en esta serie) nunca hasta ahora Checkmate había tenido el desarrollo, la importancia y la trascendencia que en manos de Rucka, uno que siempre tiene mano para las conspiraciones, la runfla secreta, los enemigos mega jodidos (Kobra, el peor aquí) y darle vida infinita a una serie sin tener siquiera protagonistas demasiado fuertes, balanceando personajes de alguna importancia (Amanda Waller, Mr Terrific) con otros de menor trayectoria (Sasha Bordeaux, Fire) con algunos de invención propia y reciente, todos perfectamente igualados con el objetivo primario de contar antes que nada una gran historia. Y al margen de los arcos que se van desarrollando con la contundencia de un cadenazo en los dientes, lo que le importa a Rucka es el relato de Checkmate mismo y cómo se va librando de sus enemigos internos antes que externos, al tiempo que se transforma en pieza fundamental a la hora de enfrentar amenazas importantes. Mucho más una historieta de relaciones humanas mezclada con thriller político antes de “una de superhéroes”, se transforma para mí en el compañero ideal que el Escuadrón Suicida de Ostrander siempre mereció y hasta ahora no había tenido. No me voy a poner a detallar saga por saga, la verdad, pero si recomendar con total solemnidad su lectura.
July 29, 2017
I think I have close to a thousand books in my goodreads reviews. 95% of those books are comic book trades.
In the hundreds of comic book trades I have read, there are a handful that seem like they are written specifically for me. This is one of those books. I enjoyed this, from cover to cover. this was the era when I just getting back into comics, and when I was really getting into DC.
It has all of these great DC comics characters, concepts and its history, but it is told with the believable, stern espionage filled style of Greg Rucka. I love this book.
In the hundreds of comic book trades I have read, there are a handful that seem like they are written specifically for me. This is one of those books. I enjoyed this, from cover to cover. this was the era when I just getting back into comics, and when I was really getting into DC.
It has all of these great DC comics characters, concepts and its history, but it is told with the believable, stern espionage filled style of Greg Rucka. I love this book.
January 1, 2020
De todo lo que se movió a raíz de Crisis Infinita y 52, creo que junto con la etapa de Grant Morrison en Batman, Jaque Mate es la colección que más me llamó la atención, que más me gustó y que más me atrajo de todas. Y en esta relectura, confirmo el recuerdo que tenía de ella, y es que es, simplemente, espectacular.
En Jaque Mate, Greg Rucka y Jesús Sáiz desarrollan un concepto que había tomado fuerza en 52 y que arrancaba de Cuenta Atrás Hacia Crisis Infinita. En este cómic habíamos visto como Maxwell Lord había corrompido la agencia de inteligencia Jaque Mate para servir a sus propósitos, lo que le costaba la vida a Blue Beetle. Y durante 52 habíamos asistido a la reforma de Jaque Mate, convertida en una agencia de espionaje metahumana internacional bajo los auspicios de la propia ONU. Así que nos encontramos ante una colección coral, donde el protagonismo es compartido entre los diferentes miembros de la Realeza de Jaque Mate, desde la Reina Negra, la antigua amante de Batman e implicada en el Proyecto OMAC Sacha Bordeaux al Alfil Blanco, el propio Mister Terrific de la Sociedad de la Justicia, pasando por Amanda Waller, Fuego, el Conde Vertigo, King Faraday y un puñado de personajes de nueva creación. A través de Jaque Mate y su conflicto con Kobra, Rucka desarrolla una serie de historias de espionaje y política propia de la mejor película de James Bond o Misión Imposible, con sus traidores, sus presiones políticas, sus agentes dobles o triples...
En los primeros arcos, Rucka nos plantea cuatro historias diferentes, pero todas ellas llamativas. En la primera, nos presenta a Jaque Mate y sus miembros, utilizando un encontronazo entre Jaque Mate y China, con Kobra de por medio, y que nos deja claro que la historia va a ser mucho más sucia de lo que parecía a primera vista. La segunda trama recupera al Escuadrón Suicida en una nueva encarnación tan manipulada por Amanda Waller como el resto, y que de nuevo pone un gran peso en el lado político de la historia, cuando el Escuadrón Suicida, Jaque Mate, la Sociedad de Supervillanos, Myanmar y los Estados Unidos se enfrentan en varios niveles por el control de un metahumano que genera energía. La tercera, y la más intensa de todas, se centra en la infiltración de un agente, el Peón 502 en Kobra, para poder mantener vigilado al grupo terrorista. Y por último, Rucka dedica dos números a uno de los personajes con más trayectoria de la Realeza, Fuego, miembro de la Liga de la Justicia Internacional de los tiempos de Giffen y DeMatteis, pero que tiene que hacer frente a una trama mucho menos cómica que aquellas en las que participaba en la JLI.
En fin, con todo esto perfectamente reflejado por los lápices oscurantistas de Jesús Sáiz, Jaque Mate es una de esas pequeñas joyas que quedan olvidadas por el paso del tiempo y que merece la pena recordar.
En Jaque Mate, Greg Rucka y Jesús Sáiz desarrollan un concepto que había tomado fuerza en 52 y que arrancaba de Cuenta Atrás Hacia Crisis Infinita. En este cómic habíamos visto como Maxwell Lord había corrompido la agencia de inteligencia Jaque Mate para servir a sus propósitos, lo que le costaba la vida a Blue Beetle. Y durante 52 habíamos asistido a la reforma de Jaque Mate, convertida en una agencia de espionaje metahumana internacional bajo los auspicios de la propia ONU. Así que nos encontramos ante una colección coral, donde el protagonismo es compartido entre los diferentes miembros de la Realeza de Jaque Mate, desde la Reina Negra, la antigua amante de Batman e implicada en el Proyecto OMAC Sacha Bordeaux al Alfil Blanco, el propio Mister Terrific de la Sociedad de la Justicia, pasando por Amanda Waller, Fuego, el Conde Vertigo, King Faraday y un puñado de personajes de nueva creación. A través de Jaque Mate y su conflicto con Kobra, Rucka desarrolla una serie de historias de espionaje y política propia de la mejor película de James Bond o Misión Imposible, con sus traidores, sus presiones políticas, sus agentes dobles o triples...
En los primeros arcos, Rucka nos plantea cuatro historias diferentes, pero todas ellas llamativas. En la primera, nos presenta a Jaque Mate y sus miembros, utilizando un encontronazo entre Jaque Mate y China, con Kobra de por medio, y que nos deja claro que la historia va a ser mucho más sucia de lo que parecía a primera vista. La segunda trama recupera al Escuadrón Suicida en una nueva encarnación tan manipulada por Amanda Waller como el resto, y que de nuevo pone un gran peso en el lado político de la historia, cuando el Escuadrón Suicida, Jaque Mate, la Sociedad de Supervillanos, Myanmar y los Estados Unidos se enfrentan en varios niveles por el control de un metahumano que genera energía. La tercera, y la más intensa de todas, se centra en la infiltración de un agente, el Peón 502 en Kobra, para poder mantener vigilado al grupo terrorista. Y por último, Rucka dedica dos números a uno de los personajes con más trayectoria de la Realeza, Fuego, miembro de la Liga de la Justicia Internacional de los tiempos de Giffen y DeMatteis, pero que tiene que hacer frente a una trama mucho menos cómica que aquellas en las que participaba en la JLI.
En fin, con todo esto perfectamente reflejado por los lápices oscurantistas de Jesús Sáiz, Jaque Mate es una de esas pequeñas joyas que quedan olvidadas por el paso del tiempo y que merece la pena recordar.
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April 15, 2021Checkmate is an espionage comic from Rucka, so it’s at least solid. I like the cast here: Sasha Bordeaux, Mister Terrific, Alan Scott, King Faraday, Fire, Count Vertigo, and Amanda Waller. There’s a good two-parter focusing on Fire, and Waller’s secret agenda provides an interesting foil to the others. The Suicide Squad arc highlights Bronze Tiger, who I believe is one of the most underrated characters in the DC universe. The character work in general is well done. Rucka writes believable dialogue, and each issue flows nicely. But the main plot with Kobra didn’t grab me. The first few issues are bogged down by political talk, too, and it isn’t until the second half when I think the series really finds its footing. In any case, I'll read the second collection.
October 2, 2018
I've liked other Greg Rucka comics (and novels) - but the artwork here and the impenetrable naming system (chess piece code words) caused me to give up.
May 4, 2017
The current SHIELD run by Marvel can learn from Checkmate.
October 14, 2025
Edición integral en dos tomos. El libro no cuienta con índice en sí pero sí aclara que recopila Checkmante #1-12.
abandoned
November 22, 2019There are always two copies of this in the most local of my various libraries, so having read an impassioned and cogent piece in its favour on iirc io9, I thought I might as well give it a try. Alas, it only served to remind me that while the DC Universe circa Infinite Crisis was definitely a lot better than the DC Universe circa now, the rot had already set in. On top of which, I’ve only ever intermittently liked Rucka’s writing, and seldom on his espionage books, which too often seem to fixate on the insider terminology and intricate double-crosses at the expense of giving the characters any feeling of life. There’s a blurb comparing it to Tom Clancy, and maybe people who like Tom Clancy would like this too; alas, I do not. So what I’m left with is a book about DCU dirty tricks in the ostensible cause of good, in which Count Vertigo and Amanda Waller are reunited, yet despite being immersed in classic Suicide Squad lately, I still didn’t get the slightest charge from that scene.
August 15, 2025
This book. I read it for 5 days, but somehow it felt so much more longer than that. Gosh! Secret agent book where I only really enjoyed one arc and i only liked one character (Beatriz aka Fire).
I think Rucka is a good writer but this just did not have anything that could get me to focus on it. It’s an interesting concept but I almost wish there was more metahuman stuff involved. I read it because I assumed that maybe the new DCU will be taking some bits from it— especially with the fallout of Peacemaker and the inclusion of Mr. Terrific. I do hope they do something with the premise, but of everything I’d probably take something from the later books (which I don’t know if they’re good or not). I guess these storylines just didn’t do it for me man!
I think Rucka is a good writer but this just did not have anything that could get me to focus on it. It’s an interesting concept but I almost wish there was more metahuman stuff involved. I read it because I assumed that maybe the new DCU will be taking some bits from it— especially with the fallout of Peacemaker and the inclusion of Mr. Terrific. I do hope they do something with the premise, but of everything I’d probably take something from the later books (which I don’t know if they’re good or not). I guess these storylines just didn’t do it for me man!
July 21, 2022
Rucka be like "I'm just gonna do Queen & Country in the DC Universe" but dang if it ain't a good fit. It definitely feels of a type with the old Ostrander Suicide Squad run, giving DC's spycraft sub-universe a really authentic (well, for all the aliens and robots) feel.
I had met Sasha Bordeaux as Bruce Wayne's bodyguard in Ed Brubaker's run, but now she's a sort-of-cyborg after... Max Lord... OMAC? I dunno, I don't care about mid 00s DC events, all I know is that Sasha is one of the best goddamn characters they have. Really liked this!
I had met Sasha Bordeaux as Bruce Wayne's bodyguard in Ed Brubaker's run, but now she's a sort-of-cyborg after... Max Lord... OMAC? I dunno, I don't care about mid 00s DC events, all I know is that Sasha is one of the best goddamn characters they have. Really liked this!
December 21, 2023
I've attempted to read this multiple times but kept putting it on the back burner. Now that I finally got it done I'm glad I stuck with it. Rucka creates incredible espionage stories. Where instead of using high octane action, he deftly uses secrets and political strategy to create a story that has you on the edge of your seat.
January 28, 2022
I didn't enjoy this as much as Rucka's Batman or his creator-owned stuff. The cynical, world-weary tone isn't terribly original outside of superhero comics, and I found that the stories lacked a consistent moral center.
June 20, 2018
Another victory for Rucka
An interesting premise, full of political intrigue. Puts the DC Universe under a new light. Looking forward to the next part!
An interesting premise, full of political intrigue. Puts the DC Universe under a new light. Looking forward to the next part!
November 23, 2018
Solid storylline
I enjoyed reading about a UN sanctioned superpowered black ops team. Amanda Waller from Suicide Squad continues her treadwalk between white and black.
I enjoyed reading about a UN sanctioned superpowered black ops team. Amanda Waller from Suicide Squad continues her treadwalk between white and black.
February 23, 2019
Rucka writes a much better spy book than anything else I've read in either mainstream comics universe.
November 9, 2019
This book was basically "Queen and Country" in the DC universe. There's the field operatives and the base people. Lots of politics and twists and turns. I quite enjoyed it.
February 9, 2020
Great read, more mature than some standard DC titles (Vertigo-lite?) Got plot, looking forward to book 2. Just disappointed that the relevant Batman issue wasn't included in the collection.
February 14, 2025
I highly recommend this series. Rucka writes espionage and backstabbing like no one else, and seeing him do it in a superhero-centric setting makes it all the more fun. Amanda Waller, as he writes her, is one of the great villains of the DC Universe.
January 2, 2026
Nueva versión en inglés en tomos dobles. Edición linda pero sin extras.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews