In my time running this weekly column, I’ve always seemed to target comics that have been over for quite some time or are not being printed right then. Not sure why that is, but perhaps that’s the nature of smaller press publishers.
However, this week I have a title that is both new and currently being printed. It’s Oni Press’ new title from Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth – Stumptown. At its core, this title is a detective story based in Portland featuring an exceptional female lead named Dex Parios. It’s much more than that though – see why after the jump.
In just two issues, Greg Rucka has managed to establish Stumptown‘s protagonist Dex Parios as one of his pantheon level characters, on par with others like Tara Chace, Kate Kane, and Renee Montoya. To be held at that level is quite an honor for because Rucka is nearly unparalleled in his characterization when he’s on his game.
That’s how exceptional of a character Dex is.
Considering that the first issue began with her apparent murder, you may be surprised by me saying that. However all is not as it seems, as the mysterious story of Dex attempting to find Charlotte Suppa and to uncover the web of deceit that surrounds her is just beginning to unfold when she is gunned down. The plot is classic noir, as the title is laden with femme fatales, goons with brains, and power players fighting over the same piece of the pie. It’s a delicious piece of pie, so why wouldn’t they be fighting over it?
Even the characters who fill classic archetypes are well drawn, as femme fatale Isabel is a clever operator in her own right, homicide cops like Tracey Hoffman aren’t just good sources of info but friends of Dex, and all of the relationships are presented in media res – we don’t know how they got there, but Rucka sets them up to be budding mysteries for later.
Still, Dex is definitely the highlight in terms of character design. What makes her such an exceptional creation is her flawed nature. Sure, she’s an exceptional detective who can charm the pants off pretty much anyone, but she also is very gifted at getting herself in trouble and going too far. This gets her into trouble often (see: intro to issue #1), but also is part of what makes her so charming.
In addition, her relationship with her mentally challenged little brother Ansel is one of the most touching and real feeling kinships I’ve seen in comics. Rucka handles it with a grace and fearlessness that many creators wouldn’t even attempt, and those characteristics are paramount to the title’s overall success.
I can’t believe I have went this far without even mentioning Matthew Southworth’s art. Matthew was kind of enough to stop by recently and thank us for spreading some love their way, and I should be thanking him. His art is invaluable to the title, as it hearkens back to an excellent mix of the moodiness of Alex Maleev and Michael Lark with a bit of the sketchy feel of Guy Davis thrown in. He also captures the action in truly innovative layouts (as you can see to the right) that add to the power of his art.
Not only that, but he should be praised for really creating the character no one thinks about: Stumptown itself. Portland is a wonderful city, and one that Southworth captures with nearly exhaustive detail. In the back of issues he shows photos he has taken to help him render the illustrations in more accurate ways, and its that level of detail that helps his art skip up to a higher echelon of quality.
All in all, this title is one that is quickly building buzz. The first issue sold out at the distributor level and the second will too assuredly. However, comics of this quality are few and far between. As I stated in my monthly wrap up, go to your store and share the Stumptown love. Pre-order the title, tell your friends, do whatever. Just get some Dex in your life, whatever you do.
