Checkmate #1

DC's spy-action series launches with this April 1988 opener, and the cover by Kerry Gammill and Karl Kesel sets an immediate tone: a black-and-gold armored agent leaps across the roof of a moving vehicle, fist cocked and ready, while three panicked criminals scramble below — one already raising a pistol in desperation. The cover copy says it all: "He doesn't fight the criminal element… he terminates it!" — a sharp, confident mission statement for Paul Kupperberg, Steve Erwin, and Al Vey's new series. If you've been looking for a grounded, action-driven DC book with a distinct espionage edge, "Opening Gambit!" is a fine place to start.