REVIEW: Checkmate #1
- WRITER
- Brian Michael Bendis
- Artist
- Alex Maleev
- Letterer
- Josh Reed
- Cover Artist
- Alex Maleev
- Publisher
- DC Comics
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2021-06-22
- Colorist
- Dave Stewart
Initially slated for an April 2020 release, DC Comics' Checkmate #1 by superstar creative team Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev -- known for their collaborations on Daredevil and New Avengers -- is finally hitting comic stands. The 6-issue series unites Green Arrow, Lois Lane, Talia Al Ghul and other clandestine DC characters to defeat the nefarious Leviathan organization. A sequel to the Event Leviathan miniseries that followed Bendis' Action Comics run, Checkmate is the kind of gritty crime story that Bendis tells best. Combined with the stunning artwork of Alex Maleev, Dave Stewart's moody colors and letters by Josh Reed, Checkmate #1 is a tantalizing glimpse into the DC Universe's intriguing underworld.
The Leviathan organization destroyed all of the DC Universe's spy organizations, consolidating them under the rule of Mark Shaw, the first vigilante to take the name Manhunter. After a show of force in Metropolis, Leviathan declares itself as the world's greatest counterintelligence power. Leviathan promises to bring order and security to the world -- something they say superheroes are preventing. In Checkmate #1, the mysterious King forms a ragtag team of investigators, detectives and spies to bring down Leviathan.
While the original Leviathan storyline from Bendis and Maleev was primarily a mystery centered around the identity of the organization's leader, Checkmate is a crime thriller that aims to put a stop to Shaw. Since the early days of his run on Action Comics, Bendis has invested a great deal of effort setting up Leviathan as a reckoning force. By diving into DC's history and reinvigorating forgotten characters, he has shaped something new and exciting.
Although this first issue builds off previous events, most of the major plot points from the Leviathan storyline are addressed early on, which allows the book's eclectic cast to take the spotlight. Mistrustful of each other and the mysterious "King" who brought them together, the ragtag group of detectives and spies spend more time bickering and questioning each other than solving any problems. This kind of character interplay is where Bendis shines, specifically in his portrayal and positioning of Green Arrow and Lois Lane as the series' driving forces.
Maleev's gritty artwork lends the book a moody and grounded tone. His rough line texture and dark shadows are perfectly suited for the paranoia at the heart of the series. Checkmate #1 largely explores the DC Universe from the point of view of those without powers, so Maleev keeps the layouts straightforward with no visual tricks or mind-bending action. Instead, the focus is squarely on the individuals, their facial expressions and the way they interact with their shadowy world. Colorist Dave Stewart gives the book a denatured watercolor texture that brings the costumes and the larger-than-life characters down into the muck of the real world. Letterer Josh Reed keeps the words and images cohesive, channeling Maleev's scratchy lines and balancing the issue's dialogue with the art, despite the issue's dialogue-heavy script.
Checkmate #1 is a satisfying start to the new DC miniseries. Spotlighting an eclectic array of DC characters, it offers a fresh spin on the DC Universe that is a welcome change of pace from the Multiverse crises and alternate futures that have dominated the DC line over the last few years. By focusing on the mere mortals living amongst the super-powered, Checkmate has the potential to launch a host of new stories in its world of spies. Most importantly, the book is led by its characters and their relationships. Each character feels fully realized and distinct from one another. The spotlight on Lois Lane is particularly welcomed. The issue's only major drawback is how quickly it ends, just as its intriguing events begin to unravel.