Wednesday, 2 September 2015

So I Read Stumptown: The Case Of The King Of Clubs

A 250 word (or less) review of Stumptown Volume 3
by Greg Rucka, Justin Greenwood, and Ryan Hill; Oni Press



Stumptown: The Case Of The King Of Clubs is yet another instalment of the adventures of Dexedrine Parios, a down-on-her-luck private investigator living in Portland. The current chapter focuses on The Portland Timbres Football Club (which are rubbish compared to my Vancouver Whitecaps). In the comic Dex and her brother Ansel are fans of the team, belonging to a supporter club, and regularly attending games. Tragically Mercury, their friend and fellow supporter, is found badly beaten following a game along with evidence implicating fans of the Seattle Sounders. Dex and her Seattle-fan friend CK are driven to find out what really happened to their friend to avenge him and to stop their fan rivalry from boiling over to tribal violence. Stumptown Vol. 3 is another great instalment in a really enjoyable comic: it delivers another interesting mystery with the charming rumples of an unlucky detective. This chapter features a serious change to Stumptown as artists Justin Greenwood and Ryan Hill replace original series artist Mathew Southworth. While there is certainly a noticeable change in the style of the comic, Greenwood and Hill are skilled storytellers and manage to provide a suitably stylish and gritty looking comic. That said, whether from the intense storyline or Greenwood's very angular characters, Stumptown Volume 3 is lacking a bit of the series trademark Rockfordian smirk. It's not a huge problem, but it’s noticeable. Overall though, Stumptown Volume 3 is an excellent comic in a great series you really ought to be reading. 

word count: 248

Previously:

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