DC Comics 9/28/21 – Justice League #68, Robin #6
Checkmate #4
Checkmate is a really bad car wreck that’s impossible to turn away from no matter how bad it gets.
It’s a book full of sound, fury and bad characterization that means nothing. Superman is featured on the cover, but in other books this week, Superman is leaving Earth to deal with Mongul. Checkmate just reads like it’s supposedly this big event yet the rest of the DC Universe has long since moved on from it. Mr. Bones is very far removed from this take on the character as recently seen in Infinite Frontier.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis continues to write every character like regular office co-workers. This issue’s gem features Green Arrow saying he comes to the Watchtower to take a dump and Merlyn agrees because of the great view. No one talks like this in comics outside of Bendis books.
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In trying to make his characters sound like real people, Bendis just makes them sound ridiculous. It’s how everyone interrupts each other and completes sentences as if they’re all reading from the same script.
Artist Alex Maleev seemed to have an off issue with some off portrayals of characters like Green Arrow looking like he slicked back his hair and Damian Wayne still in his old Robin gear.
This issue, Checkmate ponders the legalities of taking out Mark Shaw, which is less exciting than it sounds with Bendis dialogue.
Checkmate feels like a comic in its own pocket universe. That would help explain why characters sound so inconsistent. If only there was an easy solution for the plodding pace and frustrating lack of developments.
Rating: 2 out of 10