Unless, of course, Checkmate is just going to be the setup or test run for some kind of Leviathan-related ongoing, but then the problem arises that this mini wouldn’t feel like a mini, but like an unfinished, poorly paced prologue to something else. Disaster isn’t spelled yet, but if Bendis isn’t cognizant of the limited time he has to wrap up his big mystery, then we could be in trouble. That’s kind of a problem, though, because it seems like Bendis is going to try and dangle this thread in front of us for the whole mini, something that could work to its detriment, especially since we’re only getting 6 issues. Talia’s half of the B plot, however, seems to be headed towards some kind of answers, provided certain characters start asking the right questions. The opening to Checkmate #2 only served to solidify that. To say the very least, I have absolutely no idea where any of it is going, ESPESCIALLY Damian’s half. Talia and Damian’s subplot is… confusing. Have I mentioned how much I love Alex Maleev’s art? Because, like, I LOVE Alex Maleev’s art. You still feel the pressure to beat Leviathan, or the seriousness of the Talia subplot (which I’ll talk about in a second), and the plot is managing to move at a decent enough pace while letting these characters shine. Perhaps even more impressive is that the impact of the narrative isn’t decreased by the lighter tone. There are so many moments where we get a more comedic take on something that could very well have been steeped in drama and grit, and I could not be more thankful. I’ve always enjoyed Bendis’ more comedic writing, and I think this book was a fantastic outlet for him. This is genuinely funny, and it’s not the only time I laughed this issue. What is here is much more akin to an antagonistic friendship, two people who work well together despite some minor ideological differences. There’s still room for that conflict later should Bendis want to incorporate it as well, so I’m not too pressed about it.
Obviously, it’s a far cry from Denny O’Neil’s heavily politically opposed take on the characters, and while I would have liked to see that dynamic back in action, I don’t think this is the book to explore it in. As soon as I saw the cover of Checkmate‘s debut issue, I was screaming to the universe to give me some Question and Green Arrow content, and boy howdy did I get them.
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