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Stumptown #1
Stumptown, Vol. 1: The Case of the Girl Who Took Her Shampoo
From Eisner Award-winning writer Greg Rucka and acclaimed artist Matthew Southworth. Dex Parios is the proprietor of Stumptown Investigations, and a fairly talented P.I. Unfortunately, she's less adept at throwing dice than solving cases. Her recent streak has left her beyond broke and she's into the Confederated Tribes of the Wind Coast for 18 large. But maybe Dex's luck is about to change. Sue-Lynne, head of the Wind Coast's casino operation, will clear Dex's debt if she can locate Sue-Lynne's missing granddaughter. But is this job Dex's way out of the hole or a shove down one much much deeper?
144 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2011
77 people are currently reading
2784 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,496 books1,927 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
January 28, 2020
Rucka knows how to write crime fiction and strong women, so a story featuring a tough P.I. named Dex is a no brainer. Dex is a down on her luck P.I. with a gambling problem and a special needs brother at home. She gets involved with a missing persons case and is almost murdered before she can even look into it. The story is engaging, Dex is witty and tough as nails.
The only criticism I have is with the art. It reminds me some of Michael Gaydos. It's sparse and gritty which fits the tone of the book but his character designs aren't unique enough to be able to differentiate between characters with similar characteristics. Isabella and Charlotte are hard to tell apart as are the two bald men in the book. The muted, dark colors don't help either. The black and white mini comic in the back honestly looked better.
There's a cool mini comic in the back that's really great. I guess it was originally printed the size of a business card and given out with a magnifying glass. Anyway, it's engaging and hilarious.
This storyline was also used as the basis for the pilot of the Stumptown TV show currently airing on ABC. The pilot changes the ending and removes some of the bad guys, but the core is still there.
The only criticism I have is with the art. It reminds me some of Michael Gaydos. It's sparse and gritty which fits the tone of the book but his character designs aren't unique enough to be able to differentiate between characters with similar characteristics. Isabella and Charlotte are hard to tell apart as are the two bald men in the book. The muted, dark colors don't help either. The black and white mini comic in the back honestly looked better.
There's a cool mini comic in the back that's really great. I guess it was originally printed the size of a business card and given out with a magnifying glass. Anyway, it's engaging and hilarious.
This storyline was also used as the basis for the pilot of the Stumptown TV show currently airing on ABC. The pilot changes the ending and removes some of the bad guys, but the core is still there.
November 5, 2025
11/4/25: Reread for Fall 2025 Detective class and enjoyed it even more than I can recall. The story of a Poertland (Oregon) P.I. named Dexedrine (Dex) Parrios, a bisexual woman with a serious gambling problem--owes the rez casino 64 large--who can wipe out that debt in one fell swoop if she finds the casino manager's granddaughter. Dex is not in a relationship (yet, in this volume) in part because of the addiction and the need to work constantly to pay off debts and because she is the sole caretaker of her brother who has Down Syndrome.
The process involves a violent, screwed up family, with the violence coming down on Dex to a remarkable degree along the way. The dialogue is tight and nasty and the atmosphere--in part created by the fine gritty drawing and engaging coloring of Matthew Southwork--feels very noir. I think it has been hard to create women detectives in crime fiction that satisfy the interests of both men and women. Have to be tough, have to be vulnerable, the right combination.
All the women (and men) in my class who read this liked it and her a lot, and is it surprising that a big tough guy creator named Greg Rucka invented this character and makes her feel so real and likable and engaging? Dex gets along with a range of women in this series, including a woman detective. Some folks in my class also read another Rucka series volume, Black Magick, and all the women (and men) who read of that woman P.I. (who is also a witch, doing magick) liked her, too! There are four volumes in this series and I once read them all. I just might read them all again, I like spending time with Dex that much.
Original review, 1/7/15: I read this because I liked a comics police procedural, Gotham Central, by Rucka, Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Michael Lark. I like Renee Montoya, the strong central woman in it, and I like this tight brutal dialogue. The ending was surprising. Tough writing. I like this too with again a strong woman character, a P.I. named Dex(edrine) who is not making much money in her trade, is a gambler with thousands of dollars of debt and supports a brother with Down Syndrome. The art is new-noirishly good, which is to say rough and atmospheric, set in Portland, Oregon which the intro by Matt Fraction says is depicted well in the comic. As a visitor, I can't say myself, having only been to bookstores and coffeeshops and restaurants there, but I believe it. Rucka also lives in Portland so just may know the other side of the tracks pretty well.
The process involves a violent, screwed up family, with the violence coming down on Dex to a remarkable degree along the way. The dialogue is tight and nasty and the atmosphere--in part created by the fine gritty drawing and engaging coloring of Matthew Southwork--feels very noir. I think it has been hard to create women detectives in crime fiction that satisfy the interests of both men and women. Have to be tough, have to be vulnerable, the right combination.
All the women (and men) in my class who read this liked it and her a lot, and is it surprising that a big tough guy creator named Greg Rucka invented this character and makes her feel so real and likable and engaging? Dex gets along with a range of women in this series, including a woman detective. Some folks in my class also read another Rucka series volume, Black Magick, and all the women (and men) who read of that woman P.I. (who is also a witch, doing magick) liked her, too! There are four volumes in this series and I once read them all. I just might read them all again, I like spending time with Dex that much.
Original review, 1/7/15: I read this because I liked a comics police procedural, Gotham Central, by Rucka, Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Michael Lark. I like Renee Montoya, the strong central woman in it, and I like this tight brutal dialogue. The ending was surprising. Tough writing. I like this too with again a strong woman character, a P.I. named Dex(edrine) who is not making much money in her trade, is a gambler with thousands of dollars of debt and supports a brother with Down Syndrome. The art is new-noirishly good, which is to say rough and atmospheric, set in Portland, Oregon which the intro by Matt Fraction says is depicted well in the comic. As a visitor, I can't say myself, having only been to bookstores and coffeeshops and restaurants there, but I believe it. Rucka also lives in Portland so just may know the other side of the tracks pretty well.
September 17, 2019
Stumptown is coming to your living room squawk box very very soon, but if you can't wait, then open up Rucka's terrific dark, moody, noir-filled graphic novel. Featuring a tough as nails, down-on-her-luck lady private eye stumping down the back alleys of Portland. I'm not big on most graphic novels, but this one's got it and got it good. If this is volume one, when can I Get my greedy hands on volume two.
March 1, 2019
Greg Rucka crafts a really commendable hard-boiled mystery that checks off all of the right boxes. It's got twists, turns, reveals, fist-fights, a missing girl, good dialogue, and most importantly, a memorable protagonist. That detective here is Dexedrine "Dex" Parios, a private dick with a gambling problem, who agrees to find the missing daughter of the local casino owner in order to get out of mounting craps debt. Thus begins "The Case of the Girl who Took Her Shampoo But Left Her Mini."
Rucka is well-known for creating memorable female characters, and Dex is definitely someone that I would rush out to read more about. She's smart and tough but she's constantly unlucky and prone to making bad decisions, and is always getting her ass beat down for some reason or another. And with her, there's no need for much backstory. We learn all we need to know from her determination to find answers, her bravery in the face of danger, the way she interacts with her brother Ansel with Down Syndrome, or the way that she interacts with the police chief she had an affair with. Rucka shows how much info you can get across with a few well-placed bits of dialogue. And Matthew Southworth's art could've been a little more refined but definitely fits. This was a good one, I'm buying the next!
Rucka is well-known for creating memorable female characters, and Dex is definitely someone that I would rush out to read more about. She's smart and tough but she's constantly unlucky and prone to making bad decisions, and is always getting her ass beat down for some reason or another. And with her, there's no need for much backstory. We learn all we need to know from her determination to find answers, her bravery in the face of danger, the way she interacts with her brother Ansel with Down Syndrome, or the way that she interacts with the police chief she had an affair with. Rucka shows how much info you can get across with a few well-placed bits of dialogue. And Matthew Southworth's art could've been a little more refined but definitely fits. This was a good one, I'm buying the next!
July 6, 2015
Bullet Review:
Greg Rucka is DA MAN! WOWEE. He knows how to write the best female characters, without resorting them to simpering wimps that need to hold onto a boy's hands to walk them across a street.
Bonus points for this set in Portland, though it was also a bad thing because I kept trying to tell where everything was. LOL.
Greg Rucka is DA MAN! WOWEE. He knows how to write the best female characters, without resorting them to simpering wimps that need to hold onto a boy's hands to walk them across a street.
Bonus points for this set in Portland, though it was also a bad thing because I kept trying to tell where everything was. LOL.
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December 18, 2018dnf
this isn't one where it was bad... it just didn't hold my interest even after renewing it at the library. i might have to agree with the other reviewers that this is a less fun/exciting Jessica Jones.
this isn't one where it was bad... it just didn't hold my interest even after renewing it at the library. i might have to agree with the other reviewers that this is a less fun/exciting Jessica Jones.
November 1, 2020
You can't help but root for the underdog, right? Dex Parios is a (bisexual gal) private investigator who's perpetually low on cash. Her relationship with local police is slightly strained. Her younger brother and roommate Ansel, who has Down's Syndrome, is way more popular than she is... probably because unlike his big sister, he doesn't have an attitude and a chip on his shoulder. In this first volume, Dex runs up a debt she can't pay at a casino and the owner gives her a job: find a missing granddaughter. Sounds straightforward, except too many people don't want said granddaughter to be found. And they're willing to mess Dex up to keep her out of it.
IMHO, Rucka writes female characters very well. And the first volume of Stumptown is full of double-crossing, threats, secrets, lies, and everything else that makes up a good P.I. story. I liked the second volume even better. The third revolves around a pro sport I know nothing about, and Rucka brings on a new artist, so it didn't click for me as much, but the fourth was back to the Stumptown I know and love. I'm always glad to see the next volume of this series announced.
IMHO, Rucka writes female characters very well. And the first volume of Stumptown is full of double-crossing, threats, secrets, lies, and everything else that makes up a good P.I. story. I liked the second volume even better. The third revolves around a pro sport I know nothing about, and Rucka brings on a new artist, so it didn't click for me as much, but the fourth was back to the Stumptown I know and love. I'm always glad to see the next volume of this series announced.
December 18, 2019
This wasn’t anything to reallyyyyy write home about.
I mean, I always appreciate a comic with a really solid vibe throughout (check), a flawed female character who’s not just focused on her love life (check) and a mystery (somewhat check...?)
Everything in this story was just a little bit bland for me. I thought the mystery would be more complex but it really wasn’t. In a strange way, I kind of hoped there’d be more corruption and scarier figures, but there really weren’t any. I thought, with all the hints, there’d be some confirmation that one of the female characters was queer but, there really wasn’t. It was all implications that never went anywhere solid but, I’m sure the show can nip that in the bud.
All in all the female character was interesting, the story was fine and it was a pretty consistent tone throughout.
So, if you love Rucka, I’m sure you’ll give this shot (if you haven’t already). This was just okay for me.
I mean, I always appreciate a comic with a really solid vibe throughout (check), a flawed female character who’s not just focused on her love life (check) and a mystery (somewhat check...?)
Everything in this story was just a little bit bland for me. I thought the mystery would be more complex but it really wasn’t. In a strange way, I kind of hoped there’d be more corruption and scarier figures, but there really weren’t any. I thought, with all the hints, there’d be some confirmation that one of the female characters was queer but, there really wasn’t. It was all implications that never went anywhere solid but, I’m sure the show can nip that in the bud.
All in all the female character was interesting, the story was fine and it was a pretty consistent tone throughout.
So, if you love Rucka, I’m sure you’ll give this shot (if you haven’t already). This was just okay for me.
June 23, 2019
This was really enjoyable!
Another series similar to things like Jessica Jones, where we follow the life of Dex. She's just a regular girl trying to live a P.I. life. However, this new case she's on has gotten pretty bad. A missing girl, the drug lord is now involved, and poor Dex seems to be in the middle of it. A mystery with a lot of humor and surprisingly a lot of art.
Overall, enjoyed it a lot. It's not mindblowing or any crazy twist, but the pacing words well, the art is good, the dialogue is good, everything is good and flows well. I enjoyed it and will pick up future volumes. Now I know why they made a TV show out of it. A 3.5 out of 5.
Another series similar to things like Jessica Jones, where we follow the life of Dex. She's just a regular girl trying to live a P.I. life. However, this new case she's on has gotten pretty bad. A missing girl, the drug lord is now involved, and poor Dex seems to be in the middle of it. A mystery with a lot of humor and surprisingly a lot of art.
Overall, enjoyed it a lot. It's not mindblowing or any crazy twist, but the pacing words well, the art is good, the dialogue is good, everything is good and flows well. I enjoyed it and will pick up future volumes. Now I know why they made a TV show out of it. A 3.5 out of 5.
September 24, 2016
Juicy. Dense, tense writing. Tight dialogue. Who is this stingy with words and can still keep us completely engaged?
I admire the hell out of Rucka. I imagine he has to shift some pretty heavy gears, moving from prose novels to comics. Or maybe his comic scripts are just as heavily wordy, but just leaves all that environmental illustration for the artist to absorb and interpret, and leaves only the best 5% of words out in the open for the readers to spy on.
This is a great book. Want more. (There's more? Shit man, I'm gonna grab that.)
I admire the hell out of Rucka. I imagine he has to shift some pretty heavy gears, moving from prose novels to comics. Or maybe his comic scripts are just as heavily wordy, but just leaves all that environmental illustration for the artist to absorb and interpret, and leaves only the best 5% of words out in the open for the readers to spy on.
This is a great book. Want more. (There's more? Shit man, I'm gonna grab that.)
August 2, 2021
I decided to try this series after enjoying the, sadly, short lived ABC tv show based on it. And let me just say Cobie Smulders was an excellent Dex. Covid killed the show. So, sadly, no season two.
I actually like the comic a tiny bit better because there are more women who Dex works with than in the tv show. (In the tv show, they make her cop friend into a male and a love interest. But it's Michael Ealy so why no complaints).
The mystery moves at a brisk pace, the characters are fun, the conclusion good. You can see why someone knew it would make a good tv series.
I actually like the comic a tiny bit better because there are more women who Dex works with than in the tv show. (In the tv show, they make her cop friend into a male and a love interest. But it's Michael Ealy so why no complaints).
The mystery moves at a brisk pace, the characters are fun, the conclusion good. You can see why someone knew it would make a good tv series.
August 4, 2014
The Case of the Girl Who Took her Shampoo (But Left her Mini)
Greg Rucka's noir graphic novel series starts with a bang as his female PI, Dex Parios, is dragged in to a missing person case that, as you'd expect, is more than it seems on the surface.
Dex is a compelling and complex character, with a back story that is skilfully hinted at but never really discussed and a penchant for putting her face in harm's way, she's a woman seemingly hell bent on punishing herself for an unnamed sin in her past. She's smart, but not too keen on a wisecrack and more than capable of putting her foot in her mouth and pissing people off inadvertently. She's definitely one of my favourites from the new generation of fictional private detectives. The 8-page micro comic that is reproduced in this special edition expands on both her kind heart and her mean streak as well as giving some extra background to her lifestyle and if you don't love her methods by this point this is clearly not the genre for you.
Rucka's black as night tale of kidnapping, murder, blackmail, gambling, violence and familial conflict ticks all the right boxes for a noir fan to revel in and he's ably assisted by the often dark (though never to the point of German expressionism) artwork which adds extra atmosphere to the show. There are times when the panels are too dark or unclear however, when I struggled to know who was hurting who in this scene as certain characters had a tendency to look quite similar but overall that's a minor quibble in what was otherwise a highly enjoyable book.
If anything the plot could have been stretched out with extra flesh put on the bones of the investigation, the chief purpose of which would have been to prolong the pleasure the book provided.
Greg Rucka's noir graphic novel series starts with a bang as his female PI, Dex Parios, is dragged in to a missing person case that, as you'd expect, is more than it seems on the surface.
Dex is a compelling and complex character, with a back story that is skilfully hinted at but never really discussed and a penchant for putting her face in harm's way, she's a woman seemingly hell bent on punishing herself for an unnamed sin in her past. She's smart, but not too keen on a wisecrack and more than capable of putting her foot in her mouth and pissing people off inadvertently. She's definitely one of my favourites from the new generation of fictional private detectives. The 8-page micro comic that is reproduced in this special edition expands on both her kind heart and her mean streak as well as giving some extra background to her lifestyle and if you don't love her methods by this point this is clearly not the genre for you.
Rucka's black as night tale of kidnapping, murder, blackmail, gambling, violence and familial conflict ticks all the right boxes for a noir fan to revel in and he's ably assisted by the often dark (though never to the point of German expressionism) artwork which adds extra atmosphere to the show. There are times when the panels are too dark or unclear however, when I struggled to know who was hurting who in this scene as certain characters had a tendency to look quite similar but overall that's a minor quibble in what was otherwise a highly enjoyable book.
If anything the plot could have been stretched out with extra flesh put on the bones of the investigation, the chief purpose of which would have been to prolong the pleasure the book provided.
January 25, 2017
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Emily: I am Oscar. A PI would come to interrogate me and I'd just be pumping iron while she asked me questions.
Matt: That's a Bowflex. You clearly haven't watched enough late-night sports infomercials.
Emily: And after I was done answering, I would also go to the fridge and start casually drinking a 40.
Matt: I prefer to think that's a full bottle of merlot. Don't you wish you could drink wine straight from the bottle?
Emily: (INSERT EMOJI HERE)
Chapter 3
Dex gets beat up a lot and I appreciate this piece of realism. I do wonder about her health insurance, though. Maybe she's actually maxed out her credit cards from hospital visits instead of gambling. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but the scene where she hits on the doctor is tastefully done and it made me laugh. (INSERT EMOJI HERE)
Chapter 4
Chapter 2
Emily: I am Oscar. A PI would come to interrogate me and I'd just be pumping iron while she asked me questions.
Matt: That's a Bowflex. You clearly haven't watched enough late-night sports infomercials.
Emily: And after I was done answering, I would also go to the fridge and start casually drinking a 40.
Matt: I prefer to think that's a full bottle of merlot. Don't you wish you could drink wine straight from the bottle?
Emily: (INSERT EMOJI HERE)
Chapter 3
Dex gets beat up a lot and I appreciate this piece of realism. I do wonder about her health insurance, though. Maybe she's actually maxed out her credit cards from hospital visits instead of gambling. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but the scene where she hits on the doctor is tastefully done and it made me laugh. (INSERT EMOJI HERE)
Chapter 4
September 16, 2025
Buch 1 der Stumptown-Reihe, deutsche Version bei Splitter.
Verfilmt für Disney+ mit bekannten Darstellern, leider nach 2 Staffeln vorerst wieder eingestellt.
Dex Parios ermittelt in Portland. Sie trinkt gerne und hat ein Spielproblem. Ihre Schulden bei den Natives, denen das Casino gehört bringen ihr den Fall. Sie sucht die vermisste Tochter und trifft auf einen weiteren Familienbund.
Werde weiterlesen. Düster gezeichnet, gefällt mir sehr gut
Verfilmt für Disney+ mit bekannten Darstellern, leider nach 2 Staffeln vorerst wieder eingestellt.
Dex Parios ermittelt in Portland. Sie trinkt gerne und hat ein Spielproblem. Ihre Schulden bei den Natives, denen das Casino gehört bringen ihr den Fall. Sie sucht die vermisste Tochter und trifft auf einen weiteren Familienbund.
Werde weiterlesen. Düster gezeichnet, gefällt mir sehr gut
March 23, 2020
A straight forward PI story with some enjoyable characters. There's not a lot of depth here but I enjoyed it and will continue the series.
July 22, 2015
This is a solid PI/Noir-light book. I've enjoyed Rucka's stuff mostly over the years, and while it isn't Ed Brubaker, it's still very good. Elevated tremendously by Matthew Southworth's artwork and muted palette of colours. It's a similar book to Brubaker and Phillips stuff, and I mean that as a compliment, not as an accusation of being derivative. I really enjoy Dex, a woman who embodies "if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all".
Matt Fraction writes the foreword/intro and compares Dex to the late James Garner and Jim Rockford...i haven't seen Rockford Files, but I grew up on Magnum PI, which I know was somewhat influenced by Rockford (Tom Selleck even got started on Rockford.) the differences being, the setting is Portland, Oregon, not Hawaii or California. That and the girl part. Dex is also I'm assuming, bi, which is also cool, so she flirts with both sexes.
I thought Portland was full of hippies and vegans, but this is a dark seedy place. Rucka and Southworth set a great tone for the book, and I look forward to Dex's next adventure(s)!
It fits comfy, like that old pair of worn Levi's and old T-Shirt. That's good enough for me, and I don't need my books to blow my mind, I just like them to take me to a different place for a time, just like a good movie. There's lots of good great movies that never win Oscars and don't need to; this book is one...
However I should check award status before I say that....lol
Matt Fraction writes the foreword/intro and compares Dex to the late James Garner and Jim Rockford...i haven't seen Rockford Files, but I grew up on Magnum PI, which I know was somewhat influenced by Rockford (Tom Selleck even got started on Rockford.) the differences being, the setting is Portland, Oregon, not Hawaii or California. That and the girl part. Dex is also I'm assuming, bi, which is also cool, so she flirts with both sexes.
I thought Portland was full of hippies and vegans, but this is a dark seedy place. Rucka and Southworth set a great tone for the book, and I look forward to Dex's next adventure(s)!
It fits comfy, like that old pair of worn Levi's and old T-Shirt. That's good enough for me, and I don't need my books to blow my mind, I just like them to take me to a different place for a time, just like a good movie. There's lots of good great movies that never win Oscars and don't need to; this book is one...
However I should check award status before I say that....lol
July 22, 2022
Meh. This was just all right. I picked it up because the TV show looked interesting, and I wanted to read the comic first. I like the set up here, and I'll definitely watch the show, but I wasn't blown away by the comic. I liked the first issue, told in reverse (okay I guess I'm a sucker for that), and I like Dex's classic (1965?) Mustang. But the overall mystery is pretty trite: find missing girl who is involved with a drug cartel and an abusive ex. Dex finds her, but a lot of her technique is: get beaten up by bad guys, take the beating, roll around on floor in pain while bad guys leave, and then fortuitously find a great clue that the bad guys missed. This happens over and over.
The art by Matthew Southworth was not so great, quite often I had no idea what was going on because I couldn't figure out what he had drawn. Also, a lot of the faces he draws are oddly expressionless, sort of like Leatherface, or when people put a slice of ham over their faces like a mask.
ETA: I watched the show (and loved it! and I'm sad it was canceled), they made quite a few changes (her Mustang looks like a 1990 now), but they where loyal to the “feel” and I liked it a lot more than the comic. To my surprise the entire “where is Nina” storyline was resolved in just one episode - I thought they would stretch that out.
The art by Matthew Southworth was not so great, quite often I had no idea what was going on because I couldn't figure out what he had drawn. Also, a lot of the faces he draws are oddly expressionless, sort of like Leatherface, or when people put a slice of ham over their faces like a mask.
ETA: I watched the show (and loved it! and I'm sad it was canceled), they made quite a few changes (her Mustang looks like a 1990 now), but they where loyal to the “feel” and I liked it a lot more than the comic. To my surprise the entire “where is Nina” storyline was resolved in just one episode - I thought they would stretch that out.
September 24, 2018
Strong female detective story with a solid foundation at its core. My only problem is when I compare it Bendis' Jessica Jones take its nowhere near the mark. Might have been a different story if I hadnt read that previously.
September 22, 2019
This is the first graphic novel I have ever read. It was a fast read with good illustrations. There was lots of action and I enjoyed it.
September 23, 2019
This is rather like Jessica Jones, but set in Portland instead of New York, and without any superpowers, and well, she is a detective, there is that.
Same sort of grittiness, and difficult to solve cases. Same sort of moxie, and down on her luck.
I like strong women, I do, but why are all detective stories so gritty and dark, full of the dregs of society.
Well, at least I get to look at Portland while I read it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this available for an honest review.
Same sort of grittiness, and difficult to solve cases. Same sort of moxie, and down on her luck.
I like strong women, I do, but why are all detective stories so gritty and dark, full of the dregs of society.
Well, at least I get to look at Portland while I read it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this available for an honest review.
May 14, 2011
Greg Rucka's love for the down at heel P.I. story is the spark that got this labour of love comic book series up and running. Dex Parios is the P.I. in question, working out of Portland, Oregon. She's a breezy operator with a bad line in bad luck and too many bad habits, which is three bads too many in anyone's book, never mind somebody in her line of work. She doesn't have time for boyfriends, though she'll flirt the hell out of the medics at the local ER. She must know those guys well as she gets worked over more often than Jim Rockford. Her bashed up eye is as ever present as Jack Nicholson's messed up nose in Chinatown. The book begins with her getting shot and dumped in the river. Then time rolls back. You know the routine... 27 hours earlier. Dex is losing heavily gambling in the casino. If it was her last dollar she'd be happy. But no.. she's in deep. $17,616 deep. The casino owner offers to wipe the slate clean if she'll find the owner's grand daughter. If she had a choice she would never take a blind job like this. And we are off. Although the story is a familiar one, and this one doesn't twist about too much, it's told well with a lot of style and plenty of meat on the characterisations. Matthew Southworth's art is quirky and sometimes quite raw. It works best when he has something to shake the scene up like a striking location or tense sequence. Other times it has a rough quality - I can't decide if it's rushed or he's trying to just let the dialogue come to the fore. There is talent there though. Some segments are inspired like the opening scene and the sequence in the hotel where Dex gets cold-cocked. I like how he uses real Portland locations in his panels too. Overall there is more style than substance here but it's a good quick read. I don't expect these will be popping out like Kirkman books though so make the most of it. It might be a while before we get another Stumptown investigation.
September 24, 2019
This series initially caught my attention because of the TV adaptation, but I’m pleased to have at least gotten started on the graphic novels before the premiere date.
The premise for Stumptown isn’t a terribly unique one, but it’s a reliable gamut for a graphic novel and the first installment hits the right notes for this breed of comic without getting too tropey.
The plot is a touch on the flat side and I was hoping for more humor, but I expect the series may become more dynamic as it progresses.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The premise for Stumptown isn’t a terribly unique one, but it’s a reliable gamut for a graphic novel and the first installment hits the right notes for this breed of comic without getting too tropey.
The plot is a touch on the flat side and I was hoping for more humor, but I expect the series may become more dynamic as it progresses.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
September 10, 2019
Oh man, this comic is a beer swillin’, pistol whippin’, double-crossin’ good time! Like the bastard offspring of “Alias’” boozy Jessica Jones and any of the cold, calculating killers in David Lapham’s “Stray Bullets” series, “Stumptown” is a gritty little bit of hard-boiled modern day noir. What sets “Stumptown” apart from the pack, however, is that unlike most other flashy crime comics, this one has an ace up its sleeve: writer/creator Greg Rucka, whose long history of writing complicated but strong female protagonists ensures that the book has as much substance as it does style.
Portland, Oregon has a reputation as a hipster wonderland. A clean, modern oasis in the Pacific Northwest, full of bearded millennials who drink kombucha and make artisanal furniture. Private eye Dex Parios does not live in that Portland. Parios’ Stumptown is full of seedy bars, crumbling dockyards, hired enforcers, and - most unfortunately for her - gambling debts. In a last-ditch attempt to repay what she owes one casino, Dex takes on the job of tracking down the owner’s missing granddaughter, a gig that puts her in the crosshairs of law enforcement, drug gangs, and other grumpy customers. “Stumptown” is vintage Rucka. Snappy dialogue alternates with plenty of gunplay to keep the reader entertained but off-balance. I like comics where the characters aren’t completely good or completely bad and this comic fits that bill perfectly. On the art side, Matthew Southworth’s pages are appropriately sketchy, capturing the urban filth and the lush PNW forests with nearly identical slashes of ink and color; it’s moody without being convoluted. Actually, that’s a good way to describe the whole book.
So I’ll probably lose some nerd cred for this but I didn’t actually know about the “Stumptown” comic series until I saw a promo for the imminent “Stumptown” television series, starring Cobie Smulders as Dex (pretty awesome casting right there). But, whatever. I don’t care. I’m excited to check out the show and I’m definitely pumped to read more of the comics. I hope both live up to the high standards set by this first volume.
Portland, Oregon has a reputation as a hipster wonderland. A clean, modern oasis in the Pacific Northwest, full of bearded millennials who drink kombucha and make artisanal furniture. Private eye Dex Parios does not live in that Portland. Parios’ Stumptown is full of seedy bars, crumbling dockyards, hired enforcers, and - most unfortunately for her - gambling debts. In a last-ditch attempt to repay what she owes one casino, Dex takes on the job of tracking down the owner’s missing granddaughter, a gig that puts her in the crosshairs of law enforcement, drug gangs, and other grumpy customers. “Stumptown” is vintage Rucka. Snappy dialogue alternates with plenty of gunplay to keep the reader entertained but off-balance. I like comics where the characters aren’t completely good or completely bad and this comic fits that bill perfectly. On the art side, Matthew Southworth’s pages are appropriately sketchy, capturing the urban filth and the lush PNW forests with nearly identical slashes of ink and color; it’s moody without being convoluted. Actually, that’s a good way to describe the whole book.
So I’ll probably lose some nerd cred for this but I didn’t actually know about the “Stumptown” comic series until I saw a promo for the imminent “Stumptown” television series, starring Cobie Smulders as Dex (pretty awesome casting right there). But, whatever. I don’t care. I’m excited to check out the show and I’m definitely pumped to read more of the comics. I hope both live up to the high standards set by this first volume.
February 10, 2025
Stumptown Vol. 1: The Case of the Girl Who Took Her Shampoo (But Left Her Mini) collects issues 1-4 of the Oni Press comic series written by Greg Rucka, art by Matthew Southworth, and colors by Lee Loughridge, Rico Renzi, and Matthew Southworth.
Dex Parios is a tough as nails private detective with a gambling addiction. Owing over $18,000 to a casino, the owner is willing to forgive Dex’s debts if she can track down her missing granddaughter. Dex has barely started to investigate the case when she is targeted by two thugs, leaving her for dead. Feeling like she may have been set-up, Dex will have to rely on all her experience to solve the case.
This series has been in my read pile for over 5 years now. I finally took the dive in and I really enjoyed the first volume. The main protagonist is a witty character who often speaks before thinking, landing her in deeper water. The one problem I had with the book is the art. The art has a gritty approach that overall works, but characters look very similar, especially when they are drawn from a distance. I am very curious to see where the rest of story goes!
Dex Parios is a tough as nails private detective with a gambling addiction. Owing over $18,000 to a casino, the owner is willing to forgive Dex’s debts if she can track down her missing granddaughter. Dex has barely started to investigate the case when she is targeted by two thugs, leaving her for dead. Feeling like she may have been set-up, Dex will have to rely on all her experience to solve the case.
This series has been in my read pile for over 5 years now. I finally took the dive in and I really enjoyed the first volume. The main protagonist is a witty character who often speaks before thinking, landing her in deeper water. The one problem I had with the book is the art. The art has a gritty approach that overall works, but characters look very similar, especially when they are drawn from a distance. I am very curious to see where the rest of story goes!
September 20, 2019
The story nor the characters are original. But it still managed to be fun. Fun because a wise-cracking, doesn't-know-when-to-shut-up character really never gets old.
I dislike the trend of having GIRL in titles when the story is centered around a woman. She's a grown ass person, not a child. That always annoys me, even with stories I like. It's a trend that needs to go.
I liked this story and its characters. Though bisexuality used to tantalize rather than genuinely propel the plot was a bit much.
All and all, it was a fun bit of escapism.
I dislike the trend of having GIRL in titles when the story is centered around a woman. She's a grown ass person, not a child. That always annoys me, even with stories I like. It's a trend that needs to go.
I liked this story and its characters. Though bisexuality used to tantalize rather than genuinely propel the plot was a bit much.
All and all, it was a fun bit of escapism.
October 3, 2021
One of the best comics I`ve ever read....simple and neat...I`m really looking forward to the second volume :)
May 16, 2011
With comics such as Queen & Country and Whiteout, Rucka established a much deserved reputation for producing superior crime stories featuring female protagonists. In Stumptown Volume 1: The Case of the Girl Who Took her Shampoo (But Left her Mini), Rucka returns to this familiar territory. In order to pay back a massive gambling debt, Stumptown Investigations proprietor Dex Parios searches for the missing granddaughter of Sue-Lynne, head of the Confederate Tribes of the Wind Coast's casino operations. During her quest, Dex reveals the darker sides of Portland, OR. She receives numerous threats and beatings. She is shot and no one trusts her. Making things even more difficult, the surly Dex continually angers both the police and the gangs. As with all of Rucka's works, the relationships between the characters propel the tale. Through his dialogue and pacing, he elevates the potentially stereotypical portrayals into powerful individual identities. The moody, minimalist Southworth art further enhances the riveting tale. As an added bonus, this hardcover volume includes a reprint of the rare 8-page, micro-comic Dex Parios adventure and a selection of promotional items.
June 4, 2012
Take a "Rockford Files"-style penny-ante detective with a stubborn streak and a heart of gold (along with sore knuckles and sore skull). Mix in a typical Greg Rucka strong heroine. Mix well and set in down-and-out Portland. There you have Stumptown, and it is just damned glorious.
Matthew Southworth's art is a perfect compliment to Rucka's writing -- realistic, gritty, a bit ugly, but engaging.
I would recommend this book to anyone who entertains the idea that comic books don't have to be about spandex super-heroes and cosmic villains. Not that there's anything wrong with those, but comics can be so much more, and Rucka demonstrates that here with panache and grit. Triffic stuff.
Matthew Southworth's art is a perfect compliment to Rucka's writing -- realistic, gritty, a bit ugly, but engaging.
I would recommend this book to anyone who entertains the idea that comic books don't have to be about spandex super-heroes and cosmic villains. Not that there's anything wrong with those, but comics can be so much more, and Rucka demonstrates that here with panache and grit. Triffic stuff.
April 7, 2020
I forgot that I read this 6 years ago. After rereading it I see why.
I recently binged the new TV series and loved it! I was so surprised I hadn't read the series and then came to Goodreads to see that I had in fact read the first book a long time ago...and not liked it.
I was surprised but also know that my tastes change all the time. I could have read it in a funk or had something else impact my reading.
Turns out I just don't like the comic but love the show. My inner book snob feels great shame!
I recently binged the new TV series and loved it! I was so surprised I hadn't read the series and then came to Goodreads to see that I had in fact read the first book a long time ago...and not liked it.
I was surprised but also know that my tastes change all the time. I could have read it in a funk or had something else impact my reading.
Turns out I just don't like the comic but love the show. My inner book snob feels great shame!
May 10, 2023
Enjoyable and easy read if nothing to write home about. Dex is just the kind of sympathetic character you can’t help but love and she drives the story more than the plot.
Art sucks though.
Art sucks though.
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