Saturday, May 5, 2012

Checkmate Volume 1

When the first Checkmate series first came out in 1988 I hardly noticed it. I didn't even know Checkmate was a covert operations agency I thought it was the name of some lone crime fighter type character. This is around the time I stopped collecting the Suicide Squad for reasons now I can't remember.
But when the Janus Directive ( http://suicidesquadtaskforcex.blogspot.com/2011/04/janus-directive-checkmate-vs-task-force.html ) saga was going on I started to take a notice of Checkmate and the Suicide Squad again. Checkmate had a certain appeal to me because of four specific reasons. One, is that it was affiliated with Task Force X and Amanda Waller. Second, I liked the real world politics and international intrigue that was usually part of Checkmate story lines. Third, I really liked the whole concept of a spy/espionage agency with a command and operations hierarchy that followed the pieces of a chess board game. Fourth, Checkmate came in a format similar to the Vigilante title in which it was printed on a higher grade of paper and had language and scenes that were often more explicit then in the rest of the mainstream DC Universe. Case and point, the clip art from issue #8 you see below you is the sort of thing I'm talking about.


In the late 80s you really didn't have characters like Superman or Batman using words like "Hell", "bastard", "bitch", "goddamnit" or phrases like "I'll kick your ass" and "you son of a bitch". That was all fairly common in Checkmate. Plus you had stuff like women kicking ass in lingerie that was on the verge of falling off.



King Faraday
In 2006 Checkmate came back in it's own title
and this time it was a United Nations mandate as opposed to being a U.S. agency. The new series improved upon some things. First off, the art work was better it had a more sophisticated look and a style that suited the mood of the title. It also did a better job of integrating real world politics and historical narratives into it's story lines. The new Checkmate title also basically picked up the Suicide Squad continuity by having Amanda Waller as the White Queen and Count Vertigo as her knight. In issues 6,7,18,19 and 20 we also saw the return of Rick Flag, Bronze Tiger, Plastique, Deadshot and Nightshade.
In turn, King Faraday who had a work history with Rick Flag, Nightshade and Bronze Tiger was Waller's bishop in Checkmate. He came over to Task Force X in the "Raise the Flag" 8 issue mini-series acting as Waller's "right hand man" until the Suicide Squad's final appearance (Secret Six #18) in the old DCU during the Blackest Night saga. Faraday (who looks like Anderson Cooper from CNN) recently made his Young Justice debut and as irony would have it he was voiced by Clancy Brown who was the voice of  Lex Luther in the Justice League Unlimited series. Aside from some more original members of the Suicide Squad I'm really anxious to see the 52 relaunch version of Checkmate.

Checkmate verses S.H.E.I.L.D
 By the way how about this for one cool DC / Marvel cross over huh? I saw The Avengers yesterday It turned out to be over all pretty good although I felt that some of the fight and action scenes along with Capt. America's head piece needed some fine tuning. I also think the Chitari concept could have been handled a little better but the entire cast did a really good job even though I still miss Edward Norton as Dr. Banner.

15 comments:

  1. You said the new 52 version of Checkmate... is this happening?!

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    1. Waller makes a mention of Checkmate toward the end of issue number #2 of the Suicide Squad so i can only assume so. if that was just some sort of throw away reference that'll be a big mistake on DC's part.

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  2. Checkmate apeared regularly in the cancelled OMAC series and Maxwell Lord was in charge

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    1. no shit? you're talking about the OMAC DC 52 relaunch that was cancelled recently along with a few other relaunch titles?

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    2. wow, i just did a little bit of research and you're right! and how ironic that cancelled OMAC title was co-written by Keith Giffen who i just blogged about before this posting for yet another series that was cancelled he wrote for.
      as for the OMAC/Checkmate connection you all might want to go here: http://www.comixology.com/OMAC-2011-1/digital-comic/JUL110235

      Dan, if you're reading these comments it seems you were on to something about DC's failings.

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    3. Yeah that one! I only reed one issue (a crossover with Frankestain agent of shade) were Checkmate ask S.H.A.D.E. help to take down O.M.A.C. and Maxwel was in charge.

      There are to many secretly organizations in the New DCU (SHADE, Checkmate, DEO..

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    4. thank you very much for the information amigo! i might have to find some of those OMAC back issues just for my curiosity.

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  3. I agree with Aliendw700 the new DCU has too many secret groups. That's like I was talking about a few posts earlier. The Squad needs to be more important in the DCU by having less impersonators.

    SHEILD vs Checkmate would be awesome. They have the figureheads of both in public now and how cool would any movie be with Bassett vs Jackson. I just wish in the GL movie when her mind was exposed to fear that it had shown nothing or cameoed the masked squad members and put fear into Hector. That to me would've been more in keeping with the Wall. She wouldn't let people in telepath or not and definitely doesn't fear someone. Least of all a dude with a giant head.

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    1. Dan ya bugger like i said a few comments up on this posting you were right about the DCU and them secret groups. but for what it's worth the Squad is gonna have it's first cross over next week in Resurrection Man #9. hey Dan what the bloody Hell is an "arvo"?

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  4. Hey guys, just peeking in for a bit. Bassett vs. Jackson sounds like f'n Money! And while I still haven't seen the new GL movie(and never will!) I agree that the Wall would never ever let anyone scare or intimidate her. She stood up to Batman for fuck's sake. That takes hella balls to do that.

    And yeah Dan, what the hell is an arvo? You crazy Aussie's.

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  5. Fair Warning Ben. I'm actually working on a skit with the 5 of us, and while they wouldn't look like us...well you'll see soon.Ha!

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  6. Omega and Goo. I confirmed his figure, and you know Dan's, but the rest will be revealed in due time. Don't worry, I won't make you guys do anything too embarrassing. He he.

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  7. An arvo for those countries not yet adopting the ultra cool down under way of life is slang for an afternoon. It's how we roll.

    Lookin' forward to the Skit Dale, but I'm a Kiwi, I just live in Aussie. It's kinda like saying A Canadian is an American or something - we're best mates but even better rivals (Kiwis always come out tops though) :D

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