Checkmate #9

A burning building frames a tense standoff on this December 1988 cover, where a grinning red-haired man triumphantly hoists a heavy wooden beam overhead while a Checkmate agent in yellow-and-blue armor struggles beneath him on the ground. Art Thibert's cover crackles with dangerous energy — the roaring flames and crumbling structure make it clear this operative is in serious trouble. Paul Kupperberg and the Statema–Vey art team bring "Funny Money" to life inside, promising the kind of gritty espionage drama that made this series a standout in DC's 1988 lineup.