Stumptown #2 review
Did you ever pick up a comic on a whim, not hearing any hype surrounding its release, and strike gold with your chance purchase? That’s what I did with Stumptown. Oh yeah, solid gold, baby.
Dex is a private investigator and proprietor of Stumptown Investigations. Writer Greg Rucka creates a female character, both flawed and loveable. The series first arc The Case of the Girl Who Took Her Shampoo, But Left Her Mini follows Dex as she seeks the whereabouts of a missing girl. Taking the case to settle a gambling debt, Dex is quickly pulled into a quagmire of shady villains with hidden motives and itchy trigger fingers. Rucka nails the atmosphere and intrigue behind the protagonist and the plot. I love the layers that Greg Rucka weaves and builds as Dex gets deeper into finding answers.
Artist Matthew Southworth draws a pitch perfect match for Greg Rucka’s extraordinary narrative. In a character driven comic, the artist must be able to convey the story without relying on action sequences and muscle-clad heroes. His silent panels are well structured and flow perfectly.
Get onboard right now so that you can say, I was there at the beginning. This is a smart comic that should be at the top of pulllists.
4.5 out of 5
Superman has his hands full on New Krypton. General Zod had been shot and the Kryptonians are scrambling to find the gunman.
Authors Greg Rucka and James Robinson are assembling all the necessary elements for a decent storyline. Seeing Superman as one among many
super powered aliens is a new situation for Kal-El and fun to read. After six issues, this new world is richly layered and feels like an authentic culture. The politics between the various guilds are playing into the story nicely. The tension between these characters is written with skill as each player jockeys for position within this newly established world.
Artist Pete Woods does a decent job, but not without flaws. His smaller figures often look like indistinguishable blobs. The panels requiring tiny details are lost and look rushed. Woods certainly has skills, his facial close ups are striking.
This new story arc “Codename: Patriot” continues in Action Comics as we brace for the newest big event in the Superman universe. It’s off to a good start. Hopefully it can go from good to great.
3.5 out of 5
After enjoying Batwoman’s reappearance last issue, I am now disappointed. In this issue, Batwoman squares off against the new leader of the Religion of Crime, who is nuts, and the story falls flat. Very flat.
Author Greg Rucka’s writing skills are not evident. As a talented writer, I hoped for more. This entire issue is a boring brawl with nothing memorable. J.H. Williams III returns to lend his penciling skills. Unfortunately, it’s not a strong as last issue. The drug induced haze panels are creatively structured. There are monets of strong art, but I felt cheated because of the sharp drop in quality from last issue. Were we just being baited into sticking with Detective Comics? I think that might be the case.
I am no fool. I am seriously considering dropping this until Batman returns. Kill Batwoman again, please.
1.5 out of 5
New Krypton has been tough for Superman as he stands trial for treason with General Zod pleading for the death penalty. After betraying a direct order from Zod, Kal-El fights for his life against his nemesis in the Kryptian court.
Writers James Robinson and Greg Rucka are making this yearlong series a fun read. Almost entirely devoid of action, this issue focuses on the trail of Superman. While it’s not the most shocking of courtroom dramas, it gets to the point without overdrawn legal monologues. Robinson and Rucka throw in some nice plot twists to keep this issue interesting. This series has been layered with nice tidbits of Kryptonian culture, providing an effective backdrop to the plot.
Artist Pete Woods is not a good fit for this series. Many panels are busy with numerous figures, showing the massive scope of this new society. Woods’ smaller figures are lazily drawn and blob-ish. It’s obvious where he is taking his time, sharp full-page panels that work, and where he is rushing as the quality in these moments suffers greatly. For such a big Superman event, I would have hoped for more solid artwork.
The final reveal was unexpected and plunges this story into a new direction. World of New Krypton is a good Superman read, but could use a new artist.
2.5 out of 5
These big red boots were made for kicking the shit out of Gotham’s villains as Batwoman takes the reigns of Detective Comics with this issue. Writer Greg Rucka delivers a solid first issue for the new bitch in town. The Religion of Crime, an old nemesis for our heroine, is crowning a new leader and Gotham must be prepared for a fight. Why they are interested in Batwoman adds a nice spice of mystery to this read and future issues.
J.H. Williams III’s art is the hands down star of this issue. The pages of Batwoman in action are stylized with a superb and refined finish. They are panels and pages that are worthy of purchase for a collection. Dave Stewart’s colors provide a dramatic touch to an already polished work. There is a sensual quality to this book from her glossy lips to her black spandex. It’s too bad she’s batting for the other team. Yes, she’s gay and the necessary conversation with a troubled flame had to be included. It did fit into establishing deep to the character so I didn’t mind too much. I wasn’t a fan of the art depicting the “normal” moments for life. However, the two distinct art forms serve as an appropriate contrast between the mundane and heroic.
I liked the fact that Rucka let the art take center stage of this issue. Not many word balloons, but great action. The tradeoff was a weak plot for an opening issue. The addition feature “The Question” was a big waste; get rid of it and let me save a dollar.
3.5 out of 5
With the most misleading cover of the year, the yearlong World of New Krypton series continues to be a fun, but not great read. First, let’s discuss the cover. It clearly shows Hal Jordon and Superman fighting. I was excited about that. Well I hope the cover satisfies you because they don’t thrown down in this book. They don’t even yell at each other. Disappointing! I would never have been disappointed if the cover wasn’t so misleading. The cover should reflect the issue. False advertising, I cry! There, I feel better.
Authors Greg Rucka and James Robinson are writing a predictable story. If the last page was intended to be a shocker, your readers are not that dumb. I am enjoying this series, but it’s nothing fresh or innovative. The concept of New Krypton is more exciting than the actual book. It’s a very matter-of-fact-here’s-what-happens-next read. Character dialogue is their strength. The tension between General Zod and Hal Jordon is admirably written.
In panoramic panels, artist Pete Woods’ thick lines muddy some details and smaller figures. There’s so much going on in these panels that thinner lines would better reveal features. His close-ups and single image panels are particularly good. Just a quick side note – Lieutenant Nar looks just like Dana Skully from the X-Files.
This was an average issue in an average series. The Green Lanterns’ visit was a great opportunity to spice things up; opportunity lost.
3 out of 5
Leaving Action Comics and Superman, the Man of Steel has settled into his new series, World of New Krypton. We are three issues into this twelve part series that follows Superman and his fellow Kryptonians.
Tension between the guilds is heating up as the labor guild kidnaps Superman’s aunt for leverage. It’s a faceoff between Superman and General Zod as to how the situation should be handled. The scenario plays out like a soap opera. The plot pieces are very predictable and each character is rigid in their roles. The issue unfolds and resolves like a TV sitcom. It’s simple, unimaginative and trite. With such a great opportunity to write a Superman story in a completely new world, I am disappointed in the common tale Robinson and Rucka are spinning. I am hopeful it will breakout into something new.
Considering the phenomenal art in Supermen, I found myself holding that as the standard this book should be held to as well. With Superman actually in this book, I think the better artist, Renato Guedea, should be penciling this series. No offense to Pete Woods, he draws a decent book. However, there were a few action panels that were poorly drawn.
The last page redeems the weaker moments of this issue. Well, now things are getting interesting, too bad it happened on the last page.
3 out of 5
In Superman’s absence, the new Nightwing and Flamebird are trying to fill his shoes. They certainly don’t have Superman’s chin as bad girl Kryptonian, Ursa beats their asses into bloody stumps this issue. If you want to see these two morons get pounded and broken, pick up this issue because that’s about all that happens.
I can’t say that this issue and current storyline is terrible, but it’s not anything special. Greg Rucka has the difficult job of writing Action Comics without Superman. To give Rucka credit, he is doing an okay job. I just don’t care about these characters so it’s difficult to get excited about them. The art is engaging for the fight scenes and average overall.
Something about this book enjoyable. I guess having the Kryptonians around is a lot of fun. Everything in me says I should drop this title until Superman returns, but each month I buy and read it. I do want to see what happens next, so I guess that’s a good thing.
2.5 of of 5
