Just because they were detectives and mostly non-powered didn't make "Checkmate" street level to me. It was more meant to be an attempt at global espionage rather than "street" so it was out of Bendis's wheelhouse. He was lauded for his Daredevil run, but Leviathan or Checkmate wasn't anything like you'd expect for Daredevil - because it wasn't a "street-level hero" book. I think he also fares poorly at writing teams and finding a way to balance them in the midst of a big story. (imo, he did fine with "The Defenders" because it was almost more about their interactions than the mechanics of the plot)