Outsiders and Checkmate

[dgoke]

I listened to the podcast the other week and have decided to pick up both Outsiders and Checkmate they sound interesting. That being said I know almost nothing about them and I was hoping that someone could give me a rundown (I have no money to buy the trade at this point and I don't want to spend a large amount of money if I don't like it)

[conorkilpatrick]

CHECKING OUT "CHECKOUT" WITH RUCKA AND WINICK - UPDATED (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=106660)

Beginning next month, two of DC’s…rougher and readier teams meet in a three-month crossover entitled “Checkout.”

Yeah – that would make it Checkmate and The Outsiders. Writing the crossover are the two regular writers from the respective series, Greg Rucka and Judd Winick, with Joe Bennett (Checkmate) and Matthew Clark (Outsiders) on art, and as for the story itself…well, it makes good on a promise both from Rucka and from Checkmate.

More in the link.

[drwally]

I listened to the podcast the other week and have decided to pick up both Outsiders and Checkmate they sound interesting. That being said I know almost nothing about them and I was hoping that someone could give me a rundown (I have no money to buy the trade at this point and I don't want to spend a large amount of money if I don't like it)

I would just say pick up the latest trade of Checkmate and not worry about it -- it is very, very good, and well worth the money. It collects issues #1-7 of the current series, and I would not worry too much about having to know too much, as these first seven issues basically tell you what you need to know. For what it's worth, I didn't know that much when I picked up the trade, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I did have the benefit of reading a trade called "The Omac Project" which was just part of a mega DC crossover, and did not enjoy the crossover thing very much. In hindsight, I should have just picked up Checkmate (the trade with issues 1-7), then read what came before that on Wikipedia. That's what I would recommend you do, then you can figure out which current characters in Checkmate came from where, and so which other trades you might want to check out.

Checkmate is currently still being published in issue form, I'm not sure what issue its on now, but it will be at least 6 months (?) until the next trade comes out. I would complain about trades coming out far too late, but I have already on this point already quite enough. You could probably find issues 8 to present in back issues maybe. I hear they are pretty good.

The Outsiders? I have no idea. I pass that along to others who know better than I.

[mikegraham6]

Wiki link for Checkmate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmate_%28comics%29

Wiki link for Outsiders:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsiders_%28comics%29

Personally i dont recommend reading checkmate in issue format, i've tried it both ways and i find it too hard to follow that way. With the trade its easier to keep on top of all that is going on.

[drwally]

Wiki link for Checkmate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmate_%28comics%29

Wiki link for Outsiders:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsiders_%28comics%29

Personally i dont recommend reading checkmate in issue format, i've tried it both ways and i find it too hard to follow that way. With the trade its easier to keep on top of all that is going on.

I'm actually going to second that opinion. I've had an oportunity to pick up issues since #7 (the last one in the last trade), but I passed, as I am far more content to wait for the next trade. The first trade has a very self contained but full story, so it's plenty. It ends on a note of making you wonder what's to come next, but I would rather wait. Nothing too pressing, and no cliff hangers at the end of the first trade.

[comhcinc]

(I have no money to buy the trade at this point and I don't want to spend a large amount of money if I don't like it)

we seem to forget that some times

[drwally]

we seem to forget that some times

Unfortunately for me, my credit card company didn't...OOO my bill this month. Although, listening to iFanboy I have bought tons and been pretty pleased with what I got. Conversely, I find Amazon customer reviews to be not very helpful. Books and music OK, but comics? Either too many die hard fans too easy with the five stars or people letting their particular taste influence how few stars they give it and not saying why in their review in very much detail at all. I can benefit from a negative review if they at least say why -- it could be just a difference of taste.

But Checkmate, I think is a safe buy. Basically a little dense, but a very interesting internatioinal espionage book that mixes more realistic espionage stuff with super hero stuff. Lots of talking in the book, more of a "slow burn," but whent the action happens, it is very cool and really flares up nicely. That's probably why reading it in trades is a better idea.

Outsiders? Anyone?

[mikegraham6]

Im with you Wally, i get all my recommendations from the podcast and these forums now, and my wallet hates you guys for it. i always agree with whatever recommendations here, the only time i find myself disagree is in the case that i like something that is panned, but ive never disliked a rec

[mister-s]

Man, checkmate is soooooooo good.

[r0blaw]

Wiki link for Checkmate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmate_%28comics%29

Wiki link for Outsiders:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsiders_%28comics%29

Personally i dont recommend reading checkmate in issue format, i've tried it both ways and i find it too hard to follow that way. With the trade its easier to keep on top of all that is going on.

I would like to disagree with you, but I just picked up all of the issues that are out after reading the first trade and I had no problem with it. But that was also with reading them all in a row without waiting a month in between. In trade or issue form Checkmate is awesome.

[six-gun]

Where does it start? My shop doesn't order Outsiders and I don't want to miss the cross-over so I'll probably have to hit up comichole.com

[drwally]

Where does it start? My shop doesn't order Outsiders and I don't want to miss the cross-over so I'll probably have to hit up comichole.com

I guess that's where I'm a bit different...in that I feel like I can wait for a crossover to come and go, wait for the reviews to come in, and then decide if I want to pick it up. Runaways and Young Avengers was a good example. Two good books separately, but as a crossover? Meh. That was the message I got from the podcast and forums, and that was what I found when I was able to check it out. Not bad, but not that great, and not worth the money.

"The Omac Project" story is kind of a "prequel" to Checkmate and part of that whole crossover, but I really did not think much of that book, at least in the trade. After spending something like $200.00 ++ over the past month, I really try and steer clear of crossovers until I know there is more quality in there than just "hey here is a way to sell books" which both companies can be guilty of. After reading "The Omac Project" and some CW stuff, I even wonder how much the credited writer is the actual writer, whereas with Checkmate -- that is 100% Rucka and very good, with no need to tie it in with a book by a lesser writer (thinking especially of the "Crazy Superman Being Mind Controlled to see things that are not there" stories).

[conorkilpatrick]

I would like to disagree with you, but I just picked up all of the issues that are out after reading the first trade and I had no problem with it. But that was also with reading them all in a row without waiting a month in between. In trade or issue form Checkmate is awesome.

But... that's exactly the same as reading it in trade form.

My shop doesn't order Outsiders and I don't want to miss the cross-over so I'll probably have to hit up comichole.com

Wow? Really? I can't imagine going to a store that didn't order a major book from a major publisher. That's insane. The crappy store I talked about on Around Comics was almost like that. They only ordered one or two copies of most DC books.

[r0blaw]

Yeah. I was trying to say something like that. Damn brain and fingers not working together. I won't know if it's any different for me until I get the next issue.

[conorkilpatrick]

Where does it start?

Checkmate #13 & Outsiders #47

[six-gun]

Checkmate #13 & Outsiders #47

Thanks, my shop doesn't realy order anything for the shelves, they're primarily a table top gaming store, but they're the only ones convinient to got to, so I'll just add Outsiders to my pull list and they'll get it for me.

[jo-relrollins]

I actually recently started reading the Outsiders and I agree its sooooooo good. Right now they are showing us what they did during the missing year by showing us how Black Lightening got out of prison and who set him up.

[tetsujin]

If you pick up Outsiders Annual #1 which came out this week, which I really enjoyed, and check up on the backstory with wikipedia, you can pretty much be all caught up and set for Outsiders #47. Go back and read the trades later though, there's some good stuff there.

[acomicbookgirl]

I'm so getting this.. Hopefully this weekend I can play catch up with my reading so I can buy some trades..