Checkmate #16

Checkmate #16 arrives as part of the "Ironclad" arc, with a cover by Karl Kerschl that immediately commands attention. A heavily armored, reptilian figure dominates the foreground, clutching two glowing test tubes — each containing the miniaturized face of a captive hero — against a chessboard backdrop populated by shadowy chess pieces. It's a striking image that frames Checkmate's world of espionage and manipulation as a very dangerous game, and with Greg Rucka writing and Joe Bennett on interior art, this September 2007 issue delivers the kind of high-stakes intrigue the series does so well.