Originally Posted by
The Cool Thatguy
The problem there, IMO, is that frankly the politics weren’t that well executed. It was less a game of chess than it was ‘Everyone vs. Waller (and to a lesser extent, the US)’. I mean, she couldn’t organize a Suicide Squad mission to rescue a helpless meta-human kid without the narrative throwing shade.
Guess this is down to your personal preference/ interest levels in terms of well executed. Nothing that can really be done about that. Guess that plus your bias to Waller could not have resorted to any other conclusion than your dislike.
As for Kobra as a framing devise, that was an especially poor choice. Cobra from GI Joe is better developed. It always felt like they were being used as an inoffensive substitute to Islamic extremism, which when all you have is zealots, is pretty boring. No matter how Rucka tried to play them up. My point was really more about the fact that if there was no "bad guy"/ wider story (i.e. only the internal politics), it would have been less interesting (my opinion of course).
Fire was never in debt to Waller. She was being blackmailed, there’s a difference. Sorry you're right. She was being blackmailed and there is a difference. Doesn't change my point though.
With the spy genre, there needs to be some forethought and stronger internal logic than your average superhero story. True. But I for one will not call Ruckas Checkmate a superhero story in the slightest.
Fire killed a man on Waller’s orders. But once she gave up her dad, that was forgotten. Poor plotting, IMO which sadly went through the series. Well she was arrested and was facing jail time etc before Khalid talked her into giving up her dad to avoid her fate. Seems like you're looking at the sequence of events wrong which is leading to your conclusion of "it was forgotten".
Reread the chapter. They give Waller 24 hours before threatening to blow the lid on the whole exiling criminals to another planet…and nothing happens. I am going to fish it out and scan through. I'm almost certain it was a case of they blow the lid unless she resigns within 24 hours... which she did.
I understand that, given the nature of shared canon and crossovers, its hard to resolve plots neatly, but still.
It was a part of it, no doubt.
But to boil it down, I just really disliked the lack of moral ambiguity, which is ironic s t the time, the straight super heroes series were all awash in it.
But the spy genre demands it, and Rucka’s Checkmate never delivered. They had some great characters, yes. That’s why I kept reading until the Salvation Run tie in.
I thought it was far and away the worst depiction of Waller until the live action versions came round (one wanting to nuke a city because of a few superstrong bruisers, and the other killing gents to protect her career.)
Waller in Checkmate sold out teams in the field to cover her own ass, she made toothless threats like ‘revealing’ the perfectly acceptable relationship between Sasha and Mr. T and for some reason has OMC nanities. and Vertigo as her knight? I can’t think of anyone wimpier from the SS than him.
Waller in Checkmate was cartoonishly evil and rely competent. #NOTMYWALL
Don’t get me wrong, it had great potential. But I think it was squandered by playing Checkmate largely with black and white morality and not enough focus on their plotting. My fingers are crossed for the future, but Bendis...