Checkmate Vol. 3: Fall of the Wall (DC Comics) [Paperback]

Greg Rucka (Author), Eric Trautmann (Author), Joe Bennett (Illustrator), Joe Prado (Illustrator), Chris Samnee (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2008

Writer Greg Rucka continues threads from the groundbreaking weekly series 52 with CHECKMATE, a covert organization that exists to keep the super-powered factions of the DC Universe in check. In "The Fall of the Wall," Amanda Waller -- Checkmate's "White Queen" -- is exposed for running unauthorized black ops. But Waller won't be stopped and doesn't hesitate to employ blackmail to protect her mission, regardless of who gets hurt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (May 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401217885
• ISBN-13: 978-1401217884
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.3 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The author of four novels about professional bodyguard Atticus Kodiak -- Keeper (nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America), Finder, Smoker, and Shooting at Midnight, Greg Rucka has been writing since he was eight years old, and hopefully is improving with age. A longtime comics fan, his first graphic novel series was the suspense thriller Whiteout, published by Oni Press and nominated for three Eisner Awards in 1999. Since that time he has been a contributing writer for DC Comics and an active participant in the Batman series of titles.
Born and raised in California, he earned his undergraduate degree at Vassar College and his MFA at the University of Southern California. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Rucka has two tattoos, and rides a motorcycle.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Words can't describe just how good Checkmate is, June 18, 2008

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Checkmate Vol. 3: Fall of the Wall (DC Comics) (Paperback)

Perhaps the most surprising of DC's post-Infinite Crisis and 52 ongoing series' has been Greg Rucka's run on Checkmate, and Fall of the Wall, the third collected volume in the series, takes Rucka's espionage opera to even loftier heights. Amanda Waller finds herself with her back against the wall, and Mr. Terrific and Sasha Bordeaux may prove to be the biggest thorns in her side. Under Rucka's hand, we see just how ruthless Waller, always an underrated and underutilized character in the DC universe, is and can be, and just what lengths she will go to come out on top. Twists abound, and seeds are planted for the final storyarc in Rucka's run that follows this. Joe Bennett provides more very solid artwork, and once again, Rucka's script is compulsively addictive and surprisingly complex. All in all, Fall of the Wall is another brilliant installment in Greg Rucka's Checkmate, and if you haven't checked this series out yet, you are missing quite a bit.

5.0 out of 5 stars The more things change..., August 19, 2010

By 

Curtis C. Chen "CKL" (Vancouver, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Checkmate Vol. 3: Fall of the Wall (DC Comics) (Paperback)

I'm not really spoiling anything when I tell you that the "Wall" in the title refers to Amanda Waller, Checkmate's "White Queen." I mean, the cover image tells you that. And you know she'll be back. That gal always manages to land on her feet.

One of the major B-stories in this arc is the workplace romance between Mr. Terrific and Sasha Bordeaux, which, for my money, wasn't really necessary, but served as a nice counterpoint to the constant threats to life-death-reputation-career that these characters endure. Rucka knows how to torture his protagonists.

This volume ends with a standalone tale focusing on the Black Queen's Knight, Josephine Tautin, a.k.a. "Mademoiselle Marie;" and then there's a coda titled La Vie en Sang, and that alone may be worth the price of the book for some. Stories of heroic sacrifice always get me.

5.0 out of 5 stars A War of Queens, June 7, 2010

By 

JME2 "Geek" (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Checkmate Vol. 3: Fall of the Wall (DC Comics) (Paperback)

"The OMAC Project" was one of the more interesting preludes to "Infinite Crisis" as it gave a look at the DCU from the perspective of intelligence agencies and espionage agents. Its' spin-off "Checkmate" continued the story and proved to be one of the best books DC has put out in years. While marked as Volume 3, "Fall of the Wall" is actually the 4th collection as it follows the events of the Checkmate/Outsiders crossover, "Checkout". The book compromises the titular "Fall of the Wall" as well as several single stories.

The single stories are character pieces, focusing on the relationship between Black Queen Sasha Bordeaux and White King Michael Holt, a day in the life of the new Checkmate security chief, and the origin of the French agent Mademoiselle Marie. "Fall of the Wall", of course, is a different matter and is the culmination of one of the main subplots that has been building since the first book, "Checkmate: A King's Game".

In the aftermath of "Checkout", Bordeaux and the agency are coping with the fallout from their excursion onto Oolong Island. But the wrath of the Chinese government is the least of their problems. The incident has reinforced their suspicions that White Queen Amanda Waller has been running her own operations in violation of the terms of her appointment to Checkmate. Now, they're ready to go after her for good, but Amanda Waller isn't ready to go down without a fight...

It's fun to see the Waller subplot come to a head as Greg Rucka demonstrates again why he is a master of political intrigue and realism within the DC Universe. His writing, combined with Joe Bennett's crisp artwork, make for another excellent outing in the "Checkmate" series.