DCU Comic Book Reviews

CHECKMATE #12

Corvalho, Part Two

May 2007

Written by Greg Rucka, Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir

Pencils by Steve Scott and Cliff Richards

Inks by Nathan Massengill and Steve Bird

Cover by Jesus Saiz

Synopsis

In Santa Prisca, Beatriz DaCosta (aka Fire) and Tommy Jagger have been sent to free Computron so they can learn who rigged the Santa Priscan elections.  When they find Computron, Fire kills him on the orders of Amanda Waller, who blackmailed Fire to get what she wanted.  Since Computron’s brain is like a computer, Jagger hopes to retrieve the data anyway, but on the way out Fire loses Computron in the ocean.  At Checkmate’s headquarters, Jagger accuses Fire of sabotage, to which she confesses.  In prison, Waller warns Fire not to talk or Waller will expose Fire’s father in the assassination of 37 revolutionaries in Brazil.  Taleb Beni Khalid attempts to get Fire to implicate her father to set herself free.  Eventually, Fire decides to give up her father.  Later, Khalid warns Waller he knows what she is up to.  Waller tells him to be careful, the last royal to defy her is no longer in Checkmate.... 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

My overall feeling for this issue is a little iffy.  There are a number of things to like, especially the final page in which (true to form) Waller manages to deny any involvement with Fire while letting Khalid know that any battle against her will be a losing battle.  I want to see more of these two and watch how they maneuver around each other.  I also liked the final resolution to Jagger’s battle with Bane.  I am not entirely convinced that Jagger is a god enough fighter to beat Bane, but the ending made sense.  Jagger’s ability to put his own personal agenda on hold for the good of the mission works as a nice contrast to Fire’s decision to protect her father and thus ruining the mission. 

My biggest complaint is the core of the issue:  Fire’s dilemma on what to do.  What I don’t understand is that Waller and what she did in Santa Prisca is left out of her decision.  Khalid appeals to Fire’s heroic nature, suggesting that her father remains cold and hard regarding his past while Fire has come to regret hers.  This is all fine and I can certainly understand Fire’s final decision.  Yet, why wouldn’t Khalid add that if she gives up her father, then we can also take down Waller?  Wouldn’t Fire want Waller destroyed as well?  Yes the Computron data is lost, but at the very least Fire’s testimony might help.  And if it didn’t help, I would’ve like Khalid at least to acknowledge that fact.  To me the key isn’t capturing Fire’s father, but implicating Waller’s actions in Santa Prisca and for whatever reason that fact was not played out here. 

For this issue there are three writers, two pencilers, two inkers, one colorist, two editors, and an artist for the cover.  That is a lot of people.  Not that it means anything, but man that is a lot of people.

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