DCU Comic Book Reviews

CHECKMATE #19

Fall Of The Wall, Part 2

December 2007

Written by Greg Rucka

Pencils by Joe Bennett

Inks by Jack Jadson

Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky

Synopsis

At Belle Reve Federal Penitentiary in Louisiana, Amanda Waller and King Faraday oversee Task Force X as they send captured criminals through an extra-dimensional portal.  Waller tells Faraday that they are in control; the Checkmate royals will not be able to stop them.  In New York City, Sasha Bordeaux is being questioned about the recent shooting of Mademoiselle Marie.  Later, Sasha learns that it had been Deadshot who shot Marie.  At the Checkmate Castle, Ghost Fox Killer tells August General In Iron of Waller’s activities.  He then goes to tell the Checkmate royals what he has learned.  Meanwhile, Waller visits the Ambassador who questioned Bordeaux and shows him proof of the Checkmate royals engaged in activities unbecoming of their positions.  As a result, all Checkmate operations are suspended.  In Metropolis, a trap to capture Deadshot backfires as he turns the tables and prepares to kill them. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I may have said it before, but this is the type and style of writing that Rucka does best and this excellent issue just proves it.  The intrigue, the suspense, the mystery, all of it is building dramatically in a multi-layered plot that never feels like it is too complicated.  All of the characters are involved in some way or another (plus there is the addition of the Suicide Squad) and Rucka brilliantly weaves them in and out of the story so that it never becomes confusing.  We know who the bad guys and what they are doing.  We know the good guys know what is going on and are trying to find a way to stop the bad guys.  The story then hinges on what the characters do to either attack or defend their positions in the ultimate game of control.  If the plot machinations seem weak or lame, the story falls apart, but Rucka manages to make all of the threats seem legitimate, upping the stakes to the point where I am curious to see how Rucka will handle it rather than guessing/knowing ahead of time.  That is the mark of a good writer at the top of his game. 

Two things really struck me about this issue.  First, I loved the remark Mr. Terrific states about Waller still viewing Checkmate as a U.S. organization.  This goes back to the beginning of the series, when Checkmate was first set up as a U.N. organization.  I love when a writer is able to keep up the broad view of a title, keeping the past issues in prospective while still moving forward.  Second, this issue actually ties into the recent issue of Countdown, which kinda surprised me a little.  I really didn’t think that Checkmate would become a tie-in book.  Luckily it is not really a tie-in so much as Countdown is picking up the pieces of what Rucka has started here.