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Home » Blogs » Heather Hogan's blog » Greg Rucka gives us a lesbian detective in "Stumptown"

Greg Rucka gives us a lesbian detective in "Stumptown"

by
Heather Hogan

Greg Rucka, the writer responsible for Detective Comics' relaunch of the baddest-ass Batwoman in history, is adding another lesbian to the comic book canon — this time in his own series, Stumptown.

Stumptown is a pulpy PI story that follows down-on-her-luck gambler/private investigator Dex as she tries to wiggle her way out of debt and keep her PI firm, Stumptown Investigations, from going bankrupt. When Rucker opens on Dex, though, her firm seems like the least of her worries.

(It'd be the least of my worries too, if I was stuffed into the trunk of the car.)

The hoodlums pull a gun on Dex, and we get a one-page spread of her falling off a bridge. Then: flashbacks.

It turns out that Dex is into the Confederated Tribes of the Wind Coast for 17 grand. Sue-Lynne, the leader of Wind Coast, has agreed to forgive Dex's debt if she can use her PI skills to locate Sue-Lynne's granddaughter.

Dex doesn't get far into her investigation before she is apprehended by the gun-wielding thugs from the opening pages.

Greg Rucka writes strong, authentic, fully-formed female characters better than anyone in the industry these days. Dex fits that profile perfectly. She has great PI instincts; she's the primary care-taker for her mentally-handicapped brother; she has a sexy classic car that she adores, and an absolute penchant for trouble.

One of my favorite things about Stumptown was the pre-release marketing. In addition to the "Yellow Pages" adds (like the one below on the right) Rucker released flyers advertising Dex's firm, Stumptown Investigations.

Go ahead and call that number. Seriously. It's 503-389-2135.

Each of Stumptown's cases will play out over four issues. I can't wait to watch this series unfold, and meet the other women in Dex's life.

Stumptown's first issue hit shelves yesterday. Do you plan to pick it up at your comic shop?

  • Heather Hogan's blog
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    • Submitted by
    Heather Hogan
    on November 5, 2009 - 1:00pm.
    TAGS :: 
    shiggity's picture

    greg rucka sure loves

    Submitted by
    shiggity (80 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 2:02pm.
    greg rucka sure loves writing lesbian heroes...and i'm totally fine with that. he's awesome.
    Thunderpants!'s picture

    Greg Rucka

    Submitted by
    Thunderpants! (59 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 2:13pm.

    I love Greg Rucka's detective/espionage/mystery stuff, from Whiteout to Queen & Country, I really like his original female characters, I even picked up the issues he wrote with Batwoman, and I am not a Batman/Gotham City fan.

    So that's a yes to picking it up. I might even get it added to my pull list, which is actually pretty sparse nowadays.   Heck, even if he wasn't writing it, it sounds interesting enough.

    Luna's picture

    meh

    Submitted by
    Luna (505 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 2:24pm.

    meh, looks dull. 

     

     

    -I speak in random thoughts

    Mel's picture

    I'm pretty pysched to see

    Submitted by
    Mel (17 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 2:33pm.
    I'm pretty pysched to see Oni Press running this! I guess I know where I'm headed to this weekend.
    Aden's picture

    Too much like Montoya

    Submitted by
    Aden (11 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 2:56pm.
    It seems like an interesting story but her background is so similar to Renee Montoya that it kinds turns me off. :/ Maybe try something original next time?
    trypr's picture

    Greg writes a lot of crime

    Submitted by
    trypr (191 posts)
    on November 6, 2009 - 9:45am.

    Greg writes a lot of crime fiction as a whole, it's his thing: along with strong female characters, a number of whom are queer. To paraphrase the first reply, it's all great ^^

    I can sympathise if you're not that into crime fiction, but just from reading a few pages, she does strike me as a very different character from Renee: her voice is completely different.

     

    geekstin's picture

    I met Greg a couple of weeks

    Submitted by
    geekstin (8 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 4:08pm.

    I met Greg a couple of weeks ago at Aucklands comic expo Armageddon, and proceeded to tell him I first heard about him on AfterEllen.com.

     

    Then I bought Whiteout which he signed and bought a sketch from Mathew Clark of Harley/Ivy XD

    katemc39's picture

    Rucka is pretty reliable

    Submitted by
    katemc39 (188 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 4:10pm.

    ...so I probably would have picked this up anyway.  But, to hear that he's writing up yet ANOTHER lesbian character?  Excellent. I'm off to get my stash at my local tomorrow and will grab it off the shelf.

    Anybody read the latest issue of Batwoman?  He's on a roll.

    Niki Smith's picture

    Huh, looks okay! I might

    Submitted by
    Niki Smith (16 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 4:14pm.

    Huh, looks okay! I might have to pick it up. I love the colors on that first image, and the Canada goose is a nice touch, haha. And Oni puts out some quality titles.

    Speaking of DC Comics, though, I'm a finalist in a competition they run! GO VOTE for my entry at http://www.zudacomics.com/node/1540 :) It runs til the end of the month.

     

    Niki Smith: Comics & Graphic Novels
    http://www.niki-smith.com/

    Suzzie's picture

    Awsome!

    Submitted by
    Suzzie (285 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 5:10pm.
    Oh this looks fan-bloody-tastic! I havn't read any Greg Rucka in a while, but I will read anything that has a good strong female character in it, and I love the art work there too....I will defintly be trying to get it as soon as possible!
    jaydock's picture

    Yayy!

    Submitted by
    jaydock (63 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 6:09pm.

    I am the BIGGEST cheerleader for my city. What's up, comic set in Portland. That's right. What? Yeah. Oh? Yeah. What. What. Hey. 

     I'll deff have to check this out. 

    Anonymous's picture

    I Might Take A Look

    Submitted by
    Anonymous
    on November 5, 2009 - 7:12pm.

    Hmmm...I don't know.  I'll probably stop by a comic book store and check it out. I crave for PI and forensics stuff. I'm not so sure about the storyline in this one.  

    Thanks for the scoop though.  

     

    twitter me @ www.twitter.com/brownskinfaery

    Canuckgrrl's picture

    He's got "Bat-cred"

    Submitted by
    Canuckgrrl (180 posts)
    on November 5, 2009 - 9:09pm.

    Would have to give it a look based on his previous stuff.  Thanks for the scoop, SD!

    ketchup__fights's picture

    I'm a little confused...

    Submitted by
    ketchup__fights (117 posts)
    on November 6, 2009 - 5:57am.
    The headline describes Dex as a lesbian, but nothing in the article or the excerpts provides any more information on that front, or says anything to support the headline's claim. That seems a little weird. I hope I'm just missing something.
    guitarchik138's picture

    sick!

    Submitted by
    guitarchik138 (3 posts)
    on November 6, 2009 - 6:54am.
    sick!
    ajoliefanatic21's picture

    SOLD OUT

    Submitted by
    ajoliefanatic21 (38 posts)
    on November 8, 2009 - 7:28pm.
    My local comic book shop is already sold out!  Thats great for Greg and lesbian comics, but not great for me :(
    katemc39's picture

    Try Midtown

    Submitted by
    katemc39 (188 posts)
    on November 10, 2009 - 8:15am.
    ...I shopped there when I lived in NYC.  They are great.  http://www.midtowncomics.com/Neshop/SearchResult.asp
    1979semi-finalist's picture

    I think lesbian is a bit premature

    Submitted by
    1979semi-finalist (3 posts)
    on November 17, 2009 - 9:19pm.

    I loved this first issue of Stumptown (and I love Rucka and his strong heroines - lesbian or otherwise) but I think it's a little premature to be calling Dex a lesbian...there was nothing clear cut in this issue.

    Regardless it's a great book and Dex is a great heroine and everyone should pick it up.  

    1979semi-finalist's picture

    Stumptown #2...

    Submitted by
    1979semi-finalist (3 posts)
    on January 8, 2010 - 1:00am.
    As I said above, still a great book, and a great character, but it looks like Dex is not a lesbian based on her actions in issue #2. 
    katemc39's picture

    It's finally out?

    Submitted by
    katemc39 (188 posts)
    on January 9, 2010 - 4:34pm.

    Dangit!  I appear to have missed the second issue at my local.

    Looks like it's time for me to add it to my pull-list.

    I hate it when I miss crap that I collect.  


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