Review: Checkmate #6

Checkmate #6 came out this week and once again I was wrong in my guess about the big mystery. I also was a bit blindsided by the overall ending here. It came out of nowhere as all beautiful surprises do. I don't think I have processed the ending here. 

This mini-series was troubled from the beginning, the original plot altered when the direction of the DC universe changed. Was this the ending writer Brian Michael Bendis was aiming for? Was this what he wanted to happen to Leviathan? Was this his original choice for 'Mr. King'? 

For me, the most difficult thing about this ending is that a lot of stuff sort of happens that I don't know if I necessarily follow. Things happen. I don't know if I know why. And there are still unanswered questions, questions that I fear will remain forever unanswered. What I'd do for the original manuscripts!

Alex Maleev's art is crisp and bright. But some of the action isn't necessarily clear by the pictures on the page. 

I am still mulling this finale and all of the questions I still have. But my hope is that the wide open ending means more will be someday on the way.

As for who Mr. King is ... well spoilers ahead. As well as a brief breakdown.

On to the book.

Review: Checkmate #5

Checkmate #5 came out last week, the penultimate issue in this mini-series. Now I am invested in this story and I very much liked this issue. But I have to be honest, this felt like #5 in an 8 issue mini-series, not a 6 issue. There are a lot of remaining plot points - who is Mr. King, how is Shaw controlling people, who/how is Leo Lane to name a few - as well as the end (I assume defeat of Shaw). This issue doesn't end in a place where I feel we are near the end. 

But I can't  worry about Checkmate #6 when I am reviewing Checkmate #5. 

This issue had the usual flair for dialogue that writer Brian Michael Bendis is noted for. A side discussion on baseball stadium hot dogs is amusing in the context of a possible battle. I chuckled. But that nagging voice that said 'is this wasted space that could have been used on actual plot' kicked into my mind. It also nudged plot points forward. A possible clue about Mr. King's identity is dropped. The final answer about the Snowman's Ticket is given. And there are a couple of great cliffhangers.

Alex Maleev remains on art and continues to give us great work in both pencils with Dave Stewart on colors. This issue has some very solid street level fights. It also has some dialogue heavy 'standing around' scenes. But it all pops.

I know the back history of this book. The book was delayed. The ending it was heading for was scrapped and so Bendis needed to rewrite things. It seems a little off, not as tight as Event Leviathan. How much of that is due to the editorial issues is hard to measure.

But remember, I liked this issue. I just hope the book sticks the landing. On to the book.

Review: Checkmate #4

Checkmate #4 came out this week pushing forward some of the main plot and adding even more mysteries. It reads like the perfect 4th issue in a 6 issue mini-series. There were baby steps on the main plot. But a lot of information was given out for the reader to mull over.

Brian Michael Bendis is a natural writer for dialogue. There might be a touch to many 'curse words' here for my taste but it seems to be the natural pattern for the DCU right now. But I like the interaction between the heroes and the villains, Superman and Lois, and even the members of Checkmate. This all read well. Of note, I love how he writes Damian as a kid who is also truly one of the smartest people in the room. It must be tough to be an accomplished adult and see a child put you in your place.

There are also some nice nuggets to mull over here, some of which hearkens back to DCU history. The blood tests on Leviathan agents. The apparent double agents on both sides. The thought process of Mr. King. Pretty cool. 

Alex Maleev is on art and continues to flourish. There are a lot of cinematic angles and panels here. I never really thought of him as a flashy, super-hero, primary color guy but he is definitely shining here.

Lastly, just thinking back to those clues, it has made me appreciate the deep dive into Mark Shaw I did prior to this series. I am thinking it is going to pay some dividends.

On to the book!

Review: Checkmate #3

Checkmate #3 came out this week; we are officially halfway through the series. After a couple of issues resetting the chess board and playing with time leaps, writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev give us a solid espionage issue. This is for the most part linear storytelling, or at least less confusing storytelling, with plot advancement and solid characterization.

For one, we at least now know, through the deductive reasoning of Lois, what Leviathan is after. I mean, Mark Shaw has demolished all other spy agencies and has his own country now. But he isn't resting on his laurels. He still wants to change the entire world.

While he has this plan in mind, including a few intriguing twists and embedded agents, the Checkmate crew are still getting their feet underneath them as a team. They don't necessarily have a strategy. We hear them debating what steps to take next. And their leader, Mr. King, is basically absent. It all leads to an engaging read where I continue to try a figure out what will happen next.

Which of course brings me to my  #KingTheory. As recently posted, I think Mr. King is going to end up being the Paul Kirk Manhunter in some form. But I have a few back up theories. Expect an odds board soon. 

Maleev is solid on art as always. He seems to do better in the more shadowy scenes than the major super-power blow ups. But the stuff shines. His Superman is beefy and is a presence. His Lois is cool as a cucumber. 

On to the book and some clues.

DC Comics November 2021 Solicits

The November solicits for DC Comics came out earlier this month. 

Here is a link to Newsarama's coverage of the entirety of the DC Comics slate of books: https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-solicitations-november-2021/

There are a couple of surprise new books on the docket, one covered here. As usual, there are plenty of Batman books. I recommend perusing the whole list. Lots of interesting stuff out there.

But I am here to cover the Super books.


SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW #5
Written by TOM KING
Art by BILQUIS EVELY
Cover by BILQUIS EVELY
Variant cover by AMY REEDER

Supergirl steps into an ancient trap, stranding her and Ruthye on a planet of nearly perpetual night. Now, the woman of steel must call on every remaining ounce of strength to combat the monsters left on this world to kill any super unlucky enough to end up on its surface.

We are approaching the end of this mini-series. The Amy Reeder variant is lovely.

I enjoyed the third issue more than the first two so I am hoping this book is moving into a better direction. And I will again trumpet the artwork by Bilquis Evely. Just gorgeous.

Checkmate: Who is the King? #KingTheory

 

Settle in.

Hard to believe it was two years ago that Event Leviathan was on the stand and 'Who is Leviathan?' was a mystery that consumed me. 

I had my Leviathan Theory. I was wrong. 

Then about a year and a half ago, Leviathan Dawn, a one-shot epilogue to Event Leviathan hit the shelves, moving Leviathan's plans forward and introducing us to a new Checkmate and the announcement of a Checkmate mini-series.

 That led me into the deep dive into Manhunters and Mark Shaw as I waited for the new book to hit the shelves. In retrospect, were there clues to point me to Shaw?

Then Checkmate #1 hit the stands and I realized that there was a new mystery to solve! Who is the King in this new Checkmate? 

Unlike Leviathan, where clues were sprinkled in the Superman books for months before the actual Event Leviathan mini, King was introduced in the Dawn special and has only been seen on a couple of pages of the Checkmate series. I needed at least a few clues and a few ideas before I could come up with my King Theory.

Alas, he didn't appear in Checkmate #2. But after rereading the above issues and doing the last dive into the Manhunter pool I have decided on who King is.

Read on.

Review: Checkmate #2

Checkmate #2 came out last week, the second part of the 7 part mini-series putting Leviathan on the map as a DCU threat and re-forming the counter-terrorism Checkmate group. 

I am ready to love this book. I want to love this book! But this issue was just okay. And I crave so much more.

The cover is a brilliant red showing ... someone. Is that Mark Shaw Leviathan? Is it Ollie? Is it Merlyn? Is it Daemon Rose? I don't know. Someone tell me. The cover also says "Who is Daemon Rose" but we learned that in the last issue of Justice League and Rose isn't in this issue at all. So this isn't an auspicious beginning.

The story inside is told in a nonlinear timeline labeled 'weeks ago', '2 weeks ago', and 'now'. But I am having a bit of a hard time following all of these timelines as what is happening in each isn't distinct enough to be obvious. (I am thankful for the bylines so I can try to orient myself.) It also makes me think I need to reread last issue to place that issues timeline into place with this one ... and the Justice League events. Maybe I will scan all the issues at some point and put them in chronological order. There is one turn of events where I thought I was missing a page, never good.

Outside of the way the story is told, not much happens here. We get a reveal about a potential weakness in Mark Shaw. Damian gets put in his place a bit. But otherwise, we sort of tread water a bit. Mysteries from last issue aren't progressed at all. And a lingering Event Leviathan mystery is only tangentially touched on.

One thing not to quibble about is the art. I like Alex Maleev's art and he brings the action here with a number of in close fighting sequences. The colors are brilliant, showing us nighttime scenes, dark scenes of fighting in dimly lit rooms, and brilliant daytime sequences.

Still, I enjoyed the book because I enjoy the overall story. I just want to be floored. On to the details.

Review: Checkmate #1

I had a Leviathan Theory and I was sticking to it. In Event Leviathan, I thought for sure that the villain behind the mask was going to be Ted Kord. 

Turned out I was wrong. Leviathan was Mark Shaw. And that led me down the rabbit hole. Who was Shaw exactly? And how and more importantly why did he become Leviathan? I scoured his comic history.

And so we are here, with Checkmate #1, the sequel to Event Leviathan. I have been waiting for this. For one, I find Leviathan an interesting sort of villain. In some ways, he's like Robin Hood, hoping to help out the little guy by opening up the world to honesty. Plus, I have to say that after reading all the history of Shaw, I can see why he has become Leviathan. He was used, abused, brainwashed, and manipulated by espionage agencies in the DCU. Why wouldn't he want revenge?

So maybe I am going to be somewhat of an biased reviewer. 

But I thought this first issue was fantastic. 

Writer Brian Michael Bendis sets the table nicely in this opening chapter. First off, we get some far flashbacks showing how Shaw got into the original Leviathan organization. I need to see some of this backstory. I need to see how Shaw took over that place from the inside out.

Then we see a more recent flashbacks of Talia Al Ghul trying to wrest things back.

Of course, we then get to the present day when the new Checkmate is just starting to get organized in hopes of stopping Leviathan from whatever he has planned next. It was good to see this team together again. Plus, the Checkmate leader Mr. King is somewhat of a mystery himself. Who is this guy?

We even get a reminder that we don't know what Sam Lane meant when he told Lois to find the Snowman Ticket at the end of Event Leviathan.

But best of all is a deep cut DC character who shows us just how Leviathan might convince people to join him. 

I would, of course, be remiss if I didn't mention Alex Maleev's moody art. From the opening flashback to the ending cliffhanger, everything is laid out wonderfully and gripping. 

On to the book!

September 2021 DC Comics Solicits

The September solicits for DC Comics are out. Here is a link of all the comics that'll be on the shelves:
https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-solicitations-september-2021/

As usual, Batman and Bat-books abound in the month. Also, there are plenty of Suicide Squad books coming out. No big surprise there given the upcoming movie. But the super-books are holding their own. It does seem like the futures seen in Future State are coming to fruition in the present. 

We also have now sampled Tom King's Supergirl book. Having read that opening chapter, I am now looking more closely at the solicits for that book. 

SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW #4
Writer: TOM KING
Artist: BILQUIS EVELY
Cover: BILQUIS EVELY
Variant Cover: ROSE BESCH

Supergirl sets her sights on the Brigands, a group of dastardly nomads hell-bent on slaughtering all they come across. Now she must follow their path of destruction to find the fugitive they've been hiding who set her on this intergalactic journey in the first place!

Since we know that King borrowed liberally from True Grit in the opening chapter, I am wondering which Western this might be leaning into. The Magnificent Seven with Calvara's horde? 

It seems the Brigands are hiding Krem and Supergirl is on the trail. 

Hoping this book somehow rights after that first issue.

DC Comics July Solicits

The July solicits for DC Comics came out last week and they were certainly interesting. Here is a link to all the books as posted on Newsarama: https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-july-2021-solicitations/

DC has decided to revamp and reinvigorate the Super-titles again and I am both fascinated and a little bit dismayed. You have to hand it to DC, they certainly know how to confuse and confound their fans.

But most of all, it seems like the '5G' reboot which was going to happen, then wasn't going to happen then sort of happened with Future State is actually slowly but surely going to happen, in some sense. 

Jon is Superman. Clark is on Warworld. it is all coming to together ... I guess?

Let's dive into the books, starting with Supergirl.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #2
story by Tom King
art by Bilquis Evely
cover by Bilquis Evely
variant cover by Lee Weeks

After the shocking conclusion of last issue, Supergirl and her new friend Ruthye find themselves stranded with no way to pursue Krem, the murderous kingsagent. Each moment this fugitive roams free, the more beings become dangerously close to dying by his hand. There is no time to lose, so our heroes must now travel across the universe the old-fashioned way…by cosmic bus!
Little do they know, their journey will be a dark one filled with terrors that not even the Maid of Might is prepared to face! Can Kara Zor-El lie low long enough to ensure their safe passage?

A startling ending to the first issue? The name of the villain is Krem? Perhaps he will be the Creme de la Creme? A dark journey filled with terror? I keep trying to be hopeful. But will this end up being just another King deep look at pain and stress? I'm going to remain hopeful.

One thing I do know without a doubt, the art is going to be beautiful. Evely is going to kill it here.

DC Comics June 2021 Solicits

 

The June DC Comics solicits have been released and are available around the net. Here is a link to Newsarama: https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-june-2021-solicitations/

It is an interesting month for sure with an Infinite Frontier mini-series, a Wonder Woman Black and Gold color mini, and other goodies.

Alas, the one glaring thing is no Legion book mentioned anywhere. Has the book been cancelled? Shelved? Awaiting another <gasp> reboot? (Please no!) I wonder why there is no news anywhere. I did see on Instagram Ryan Sook say he was done working on the characters. So it doesn't sound promising.

Of course, I am burying the lede. There is a Supergirl book on the shelves this month.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1
written by Tom King
art by Bilquis Evely
cover by Bilquis Evely
card stock variant cover by Gary frank
blank variant cover

Kara Zor-El has seen some epic adventures over the years, but finds her life without meaning or purpose. Here she is, a young woman who saw her planet destroyed and was sent to Earth to protect a baby cousin who ended up not needing her. What was it all for? Wherever she goes, people only see her through the lens of Superman’s fame. Just when Supergirl thinks she’s had enough, everything changes. An alien girl seeks her out for a vicious mission. Her world has been destroyed, and the bad guys responsible are still out there. She wants revenge, and if Supergirl doesn’t help her, she’ll do it herself, whatever the cost. Now a Kryptonian, a dog, and an angry, heartbroken child head out into space on a journey that will shake them to their very core.

I wrote my thoughts on the topic already here. 

One thing I will add is that I have read a bit of King's comments here and there and heard him on Word Balloon. He kept referring to his Superman run, one I haven't read. He keeps saying he wants to show how strong and good Supergirl is. And he spoke in depth about Supergirl's origin. It was interesting that he referred to the Silver Age original origin - Argo City, kryptonite ground, lead shielding, meteorites destroying lead shielding. I mean that hasn't been around for a while. 

He kept saying that he was drawn to Supergirl because of that tragic background (he kept saying how she had lost her world three times in that origin) and how she is a survivor. 

But he never said anything about her hope, optimism, or brightness.

I am still approaching this with some trepidation. But at least he seems to have done some homework.

On to the rest of the books.

Checkmate In June!

Back in 2019, this blog, and indeed my mind, became obsessed with Event Leviathan. I was going to solve the mystery about who was behind the Leviathan mask. I had a #LeviathanTheory and I was sticking to it.

Turns out I was wrong.

It was Mark Shaw behind the mask. 

But the Shaw reveal made sense with what I knew then. I followed Leviathan from the mini-series into the Superman books. I bought the followup one-shot, Leviathan Dawn, which was to lead into Event Leviathan:Checkmate, a sequel mini-series.

In this, many of the main players in the Event Leviathan hero squad teams up with some new faces to take down Leviathan.

I was ready. 

I found Leviathan so interesting, a sort of populist revolutionary asking everyday people to rise up against the insanity of shadow organizations and superhero/supervillain nonsense. Sure, his methods skew a bit warped. Maybe he is more anti-hero than super-villain.

I was ready.

Alas ... the best laid plans. The administrative and creative changes at DC Comics put the book on the back burner. 

So I waited. And waited.

I stoked the Leviathan fire, reviewing the history of Mark Shaw through First Issue Special to Justice League to Suicide Squad to his own book, Manhunter. 

And then, the news broke on Friday.

Checkmate is coming out on June 22.