Checkmate Series Discussion **Spoilers**

Victor Von Doom

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Ok....there were a few comments about this in the OYL thread....but it's about time it got it's own thread.


Who doesn't love this book? Seriously...it's awesomeness cannot be denied.


Synopsis/Overview taken from Wikipedia:
Checkmate is a covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. Created from the ashes of its predecessor group, The Agency, it was originally set up by Amanda Waller to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X under the command of Colonel Valentina Vostok (formerly Negative Woman of the Doom Patrol) to perform operations worldwide considered vital to the security of American interests. In the wake of events depicted in the mini-series The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis, Checkmate has been re-chartered as a United Nations Security Council-affiliated agency.

Rucka was quoted regarding the new series: "Take a big chunk of The OMAC Project, take the concept of "Who Watches the Watchmen?" and throw in some James Bond and you've got Checkmate." Rucka's stated plans in several interviews[1] include depicting the repurposing of Checkmate as a United Nations-affiliated intelligence/intervention force with a specific purpose of maintaining "balance" between Earth's human and metahuman communities in the wake of events in The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis.

In issue #1, a team led by Black Queen Sasha Bordeaux infiltrates a Kobra base. Despite White Queen Amanda Waller's apparent orders that minimal force would be used, Bordeaux' team kills everyone on the base, some in cold-blooded fashion (including one wounded Kobra leader who Bordeaux herself shoots dead after uttering the word "Checkmate" to the doomed man). It is unclear whether Waller -- who has sanctioned similar activities in the past -- actually approved this level of force.

In issue #2, Bordeaux and Khalid learn that Waller made the "minimal force" promise without Bordeaux's knowledge, which they hypothesize was done to appease Alan Scott (who is opposed to loss of life) and to discredit Bordeaux, possibly in a bid to become Black Queen. Also, Fire claims that between 30 and 50 Kobra personnel were killed in the mission, leading to further conflict between Scott and Bordeaux (who defends her actions as necessary to complete the mission), and also to a rise in tensions between Bordeaux and Fire, who apparently regrets having taken part in the mission. Bordeaux accuses Fire of exaggerating the numbers; based upon issue 1, it's clear the team kills many people, but it's impossible to gauge exactly how many.

In issue #3, both Amanda Waller and Alan Scott are attacked by would-be Kobra assassins. Scott disables his attacker, who survives. Waller, who also defeats her attacker, cold-bloodedly executes the wounded operative. As shown on the final page of issue #3, the Checkmate ground team, currently on an infiltration mission in China, has been discovered - and cornered by The Immortal Man in Darkness.

In issue #4, The Ops team of Checkmate battles China's The Great Ten. But when The Auguust General in Iron shows up to the battle, he and The Black Queen talk out the discussion diplomatically. Meanwhile, Scott/Waller disagree on the methods each has taken against their attacker. Back in China, Vertigo attacks a secret China govt lab and is thwarted by The Accomplished Perfect Physician. Black Queen intercedes but is then halted by the Iron General. A mexican stand-off ensues until Scott arrives with the Chinese Ambassador. The Ambassador tells his people to stand down and Scott does the same. The 2 leaders then come to a diplomatic agreement as on how to find out who the Cobra spy is in their midst. It seems Scott's diplomacy has saved the day----but in the final pages of #4, at the next Checkmate meeting, we see all the Checkmate leaders being confirmed except for Scott. He's out as White King.....



I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! :rockon:
 
Who doesn't love this book? Seriously...it's awesomeness cannot be denied.

I don't and I deny it.

i can't get into it. I read the first two issues and it's boring.

The only character that I like is Fire.
 
I can't get into it either.
 
I wish Strangefate was here. He'd be all about the Checkmate with me.


















I meant that in a totally straight way. :shifty:
 
*smirk* Don't worry Vic, I'll be your Checkmate-buddy if you want.

Checkmate is in my top tier of comics, along with Superman, Batman, and Fables.

I just can't get enough of it. There's not a character who's not cool in some way or another.

What I'm curious about though.... Are there Rooks in the Checkmate organization? and if so, what purpose do they serve?
 
Zombipanda said:
*smirk* Don't worry Vic, I'll be your Checkmate-buddy if you want.

Checkmate is in my top tier of comics, along with Superman, Batman, and Fables.

:rockon:

Zombipanda said:
I just can't get enough of it. There's not a character who's not cool in some way or another.

Totally. I mean I'm totally gaining a new respect for Mr.Terrific and Waller. I mean their making Waller cool!!!! She's like a short, round, version of Ultimate Fury.


Zombipanda said:
What I'm curious about though.... Are there Rooks in the Checkmate organization? and if so, what purpose do they serve?

There's gotta be. I don't have the issues in front of me, but I think there's pawns and all. The only thing is that they're the lower characters so they don't really get any face time.


I love the duality of the organization. Black runs Ops and White runs Intel---both providing checks and balances towards each other. The contrast in how each team runs their side is just like watching a good chess match. DC actually needs to come out with a chess set based on this book.
 
Victor Von Doom said:
Totally. I mean I'm totally gaining a new respect for Mr.Terrific and Waller. I mean their making Waller cool!!!! She's like a short, round, version of Ultimate Fury.

Heh. I'd never thought of it that way, but I guess you're right. But she's the ***** you love to hate, and Fury's the mother****er you just love. Still, no matter how cool Rucka makes her, I'll never get the image of Waller and Luthor kissing out of my head. That ****'s traumatic. And what's SERIOUSLY cool is the fact that he's made Alan Scott badass in the completely opposite way. Rucka's talented, no doubt.

Victor Von Doom said:
There's gotta be. I don't have the issues in front of me, but I think there's pawns and all. The only thing is that they're the lower characters so they don't really get any face time.

I'm not so sure. They've mentioned in passing that the pawns are all of the random operatives they have scattered around the world, but rooks should be in the same league as knights and bishops. I wonder why they haven't showed up yet.

Victor Von Doom] I love the duality of the organization. Black runs Ops and White uns Intel---both providing checks and balances towards each other. The contrast in how each team runs their side is just like watching a good chess match. DC actually needs to come out with a chess set based on this book.

I don't know about that, but a computer/console strategy game where you control both diplomacy and field missions would be so sick.
 
Victor Von Doom said:
Totally. I mean I'm totally gaining a new respect for Mr.Terrific and Waller. I mean their making Waller cool!!!! She's like a short, round, version of Ultimate Fury.
Hey man, Waller was cool as hell back in the Suicide Squad days. Hell, she put down Granny Goodness (Yeah, ****ty name, but she's queen ***** of the new gods. Trains the female furies for Darksied.) in her day. At one point she was basicly running an internation hit squad. Frnakly, she was made uncool. They just brought her *** back.

I just finished issue 4 and I'm liking the way things are shaping up. I still wish the Black King had been an established character, mainly the guy from Justice Leauge Elite. I'm really enjoying the Great Ten too. I wonder if the Durlan aspect is going to be touchedon in 52, or just ran with here?
 
The selection process for Black Queen's Knight in #5 was awesome.

And I'm totally hooked on whether Mr.Terrific will take the job as the new White King since Alan is out???



Ugh.....this book is so awesome it makes me sick. If only I there were a little more action. The behind-the-scenes politics are absolutely great.....but what good is a bad-*** ops team if we don't get to see it? Still with them only on #5 I'm sure this'll pick up and really cut loose within the next year.

That might seem like a long time for most, but this book is so well done that I'm GONNA keep reading it so I can wait for some Ultimates-level awesomeness.
 
Just finished # 1-10, and felt the discussion needed a bump so I coudl tell allayas to read this book. And yes, that's an order.:x
 
Can't believe i missed this first time around...

This series is one of DC's best, consistently.
 
For those who are looking to catch up with the series, the first volume, A King's Game, is available from the Ultimate Central store. (I'm getting my own copy this weekend -- sadly NOT from the UC Store, because I don't have any credit cards, at the moment.)

And the second collection, Pawn 502 can already be pre-ordered. It's due to ship in early September.
 
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Wow. This issue was awesome. So the Outsiders and Checkmate went to Oolong Island, apparently there was activity there even after WWIII.

In the island, Checkmate finds out about "Task Force X", that suicide squad that got killed by Black Adam and Osiris. Amanda Waller apparently knew that would happen and contacted Oolong Island for intruders.

Everyone but Owen, Nightwing and Sasha escapes. Sasha and Owen are tortured by EggFU!! Ok, so Oolong Island, after WWIII is not controled by China anymore, but Checkmate can't go there because North Korea is near.

With China's help (at least Immortal man in Darkness) the rest of the Outsiders and Checkmate group goes back to Oolong Island, but Owen, Sasha and Nightwing aren't there anymore.

Mr. Terrific thinks they are in North Korea, but Checkmate can't do anything about it, so Terrific calls a friend.
Next Issue: Batman goes to North Korea! (or so it seems)

4/5 - Together with JLA 10 this was the best comic this week. SRSLY!

Compound: I got a copy of King's Game. It's awesome, you won't regret it!
 
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I trust read the stories in the third trade again. "The Fall Of Wall".


This is such a great spy series. Hopefully Bruce Jones does good, his first issue was confusing.
 

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