Stumptown No. 2
Published by Oni Press. Written by Greg Rucka. Art by Matthew Southworth.
The Deal: Oni pops out another issue of its new Greg Rucka-penned detective comic.
The Good: I’m a sucker for detective comics, and Dex, the star of Stumptown, is a great new addition to the pantheon of private dicks populating popular fiction. Like many Rucka creations, she’s a smart, yet flawed — and sexually adventurous — woman who’s good at her job but sucky when it comes to her personal life. Since the actual mystery of the comic unfolds issue by issue, a book like this succeeds or fails based on the character — and, luckily, Dex is a very interesting character. I love the art, too. And speaking of art, one of the best parts of the series so far is the backmatter by artist Matthew Southworth; each issue, he offers up all kinds of insights into his creative process.
The Bad: I don’t have a problem with anything in this book. But I can see some folks not digging the art; it’s a tad minimal — especially when it comes to faces. But I like it. So there. And I can also see some folks complaining about the fact that this character is TOO similar to a lot of Rucka heroines (like Renee Montoya, or Batwoman).
The Verdict: Good stuff. Buy it.
Reviewed materials provided by Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find: www.heroesonline.com.
Comic event: Just in time for Black History Month, the folks at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find will host one of their now-famous discussion groups on Feb. 7. This month’s edition focuses on the hilarious blaxploitation/1970s-era comic parody book Afrodisiac, featuring an in-store appearance by the comic’s creator, Jim Rugg. For more info, visit www.heroesonline.com.
This article appears in Feb 2-8, 2010.
