DCU Comic Book Reviews

CHECKMATE #17

Firewall

October 2007

Written by Greg Rucka and Eric S. Trautmann

Pencils by Chris Samnee

Inks by Steve Bird

Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky

Synopsis

Former criminal mastermind Carl Draper (aka Master Jailer) has been hired as a security consultant to provide defenses in place to protect Checkmate Castle.  Today, if he proves his security system will work, he will be hired permanently as the head of security.  After successfully passing a few tests, the royals decide to let the system go live.  There are a few attempts on the castle, but nothing serious until the Mawzir attacks.  The Mawzir is part magic and thanks to help from Faust, Draper counters the Mawzir’s attack.  Draper, however, comes up with an ingenious plan and the threat is averted.  But he also realizes that the attacks over the day seemed too familiar.  Later, he calls his daughter, telling her that she should not try to follow in his criminal footsteps because he recognized what she was doing, Checkmate certainly would.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

What I liked about this issue is that although this is essentially a fill-in (with a guest art team and a guest co-writer), Rucka still manages to find a way to tie it into the overall fabric of Checkmate.  In that sense the story works because you get the feeling (much like the issue in which the Black Queen’s Knight was picked) that there is the wide-ranging group operating in the DCU.  We see more than just the dram of the royals.  We get the nuts and bolts of the operation, kinda like pulling back the curtain to see how it all works.  I guess, in a sense, behind-the-scenes issues like this make Checkmate feel real and not just a convenient plot point whenever needed.  Even the inclusion of David Said, a minor character from Detective Comics some 10 or so years ago, helps with that feeling.  This may not be the best fill-in issue, but I think it does a great job.

The beginning of the issue states that the Checkmate Castle is continually being attacked by terrorist, criminal, or masked lunatic.  Here’s a thought:  move your headquarters and don’t tell anyone.  That will certainly lower your costs to protect that damn thing. 

Comic Connection

Carl Draper first appeared as the Master Jailer in Superman, issue #331 (January 1979).  He would appear several more times before the first Crisis.

The funky looking dude on the cover who also appears at the end of the issue is the Mawzir and he first appeared in Hitman (by Garth Ennis and McCrea). 

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