I read this because I liked Gotham Central by Rucka. I liked Renee Montoya, the strong central woman in it, and I like this 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

I gave this one a shot and opted to DNF it - it's not quite my cup of tea. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review!

The essence of a heroine is reflected in the ideal of her goals or pursuits. “Stumptown – Vol. 1” [Greg Rocha/Oni/156pgs] knows what it is and embraces it. Dex is the vision of anti-hero with a chip on her shoulder but a thirst for a good time. She needs money. She is down on her luck. She likes to drink. But she hits it with a sense of humor. ABC created the series adaptation that is premiering this fall. The pilot seen perfectly captures the feeling of the graphic novel and while the characters are reflective, liberties are taken in terms of moving the storylines. At least in the initial push the art captures a dingy feeling which is dictated to be Portland but could be Anytown USA. The major difference is in the music mix tape highlighted in the series which adds an undeniable tinge of the Greek chorus either underplaying the humor or overplaying the irony. While the investigations unit with Dex besets is already established, the texture of her relationship with Grey seems to be still developing. The essence of violence seems to be a constant in Dex’s life though she seems to take it in stride but her world weariness is apparent. She wants to be loved but she doesn’t want to put too much work into it. The politics, which seem so apparent at times in the pilot in terms of the Indian Reservation law, are subdued here although the capture of the matriarch of the casino and her nonchalance is adequately relayed. “Stumptown” plays into that noir concept of a character that seems to be stuck in her life but accepts it as existences. Like the gumshoes of the 40s, the world and its intentions forever focus what the characters choices will be. Dex makes the most of it and the least of it in the same throw. B

By Tim Wassberg

I loved this! It was filled with action and attitude! It had a a strong storyline with a strong lead woman, Dex. I really enjoyed it. I know that I will be checking out more of Greg Rucka's work. This was so well written that it really grabbed me. I highly recommend it, especially if you like crime fiction.

This is a good read. I’m grateful to Netgalley for a chance to read this by providing a copy to me in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest opinion.

This is a deliciously dark PI crime novel that is a perfect combination of strong but damaged heroine and PI cases. Rucka delivers a story that has all the right parts to make it interesting: Great dialog, a heroine that you cheer on, a "not everything is what you think it is" crime to solve and effective graphics. In the first installment of the Stumptown series, PI protagonist Dexedrine "Dex" Parios has a drinking and gambling problem. The owner of a local Native casino asks her to find her missing granddaughter in exchange for clearing her debt. What is Dex to do but say yes? What follows has her digging up the lives of multiple crime lords, getting shot at, beat up, stealing cars and more. It is exciting and I wholeheartedly recommend this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for release of this review copy!

YES!! This was so good. Loved the art. Loved our main character. Tough and never takes no as an answer. I highly recommend giving this a read.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

PI Dex Parios finds herself shanghaied into a dicey investigation when she loses a bit too much at a tribal casino. A search for a missing girl ends up with her in deep trouble.

This is a messy, dark (in art and concept) story that holds together nicely. It’s not revolutionary in nature, more a throwback to old detective stories. Dex holds her own with friends and enemies. We don’t learn too much about her – though we do learn enough to know that she has depths she doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge – but the story is really about the investigation and revelation, not about her past, anyway. And there’s some brutal violence, definite misogyny, a few twists and turns, and a strong resolution that leaves the reader wanting more of Dex’s adventures. I wouldn’t have picked this graphic novel to read except that the show was being released, but now I’m sort of afraid to watch the show in case it twists what the story was about too much! I did enjoy the read, and feel like this story is worth a shot for those who like such things. Just be prepared to want to read more!

In this first volume we are introduced to Dex who runs a PI business. Unfortunately, she owes some people quite a bit of money and her business isn't doing THAT well. But she may be able to get rid of that debt if she can find the missing grand-daughter of Sue-Lynne, the head of the casino that she owes all the money to. Will she be able to solve the case and clear her debt? You'll have to read it and find out!

I really liked this first volume of this series. I love any kind of police procedural/drama type of show on TV and this falls into a similar vein. If you also like that kind of thing then I think this book will be a great fit for you.

*A copy of this book was given by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

“I gamble, I drink, I smoke, and I’ve got a car that runs half the time. I just took out my second mortgage, half my bills are past due, and my mentally retarded brother pulls a steadier income than me [….] My word is all I have.”

It opens in a strange way, with Dex getting into so much trouble I wondered if I had been given the wrong volume. It starts with flashbacks, 24 hours, 8 hours, then it only becomes chronological. I didn’t hate it, but I was very confused.

Dex is around 30, gambled a number close to 5 digits, reckless, flirtatious, and has close to nothing going well in her life. When she receives a mission from Sue-Lynne to find her missing granddaughter in return to pay back her debts, she is left with close to no choice. The chase results in hitmen, bad luck for Dex, family drama, more bad luck for Dex and elements that hold a lot more depth than I expected this graphic novel to have.

The protagonist, Dex, has made some questionable life decisions however she is incredibly brilliant. She isn’t Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, instead, she is more of a mess however her misfortune and personality pays off. Despite her tough exterior, she has a caring side that she shows towards her brother. I hope to understand their relationship more in the next few volumes of the series as it did strike me as odd how her brother reacts to Dex coming back all bloodied and beaten up from time to time.

I believe the best part of the book is the second half of it. The first half was rocky, it was difficult to understand what was happening due to the time jumps, it was difficult to differentiate some characters but the second half becomes raw. You’re able to see things from the other characters’ perspective and it makes you (well, me) feel sorry for them and try to understand them in a way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m still blown away by the ending despite it being a few months since I read it.

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 <i>Stumptown</i> TV show currently airing on ABC. The pilot changes the ending and removes some of the bad guys, but the core is still there.

Stumptown is a graphic novel that follows the story of Dex Parios. She is a private investigator who runs Stumptown Investigations. Dex is also a gambler who has been very unlucky. She owes the tribal casino a whole lot of money. Dex is offered the chance to have her debt forgiven is she takes on the case of a missing girl, who happens to be the granddaughter of the casino manager.

This is a story with a very strong lead female character. I mean, Dex is tough! She gets beat up a couple times, gets shot, and survives and comes back strong. Like most private detectives, Dex struggles financially, but she takes care of her younger brother too. He is a kid with special needs who is pretty lovable and everyone watches out for him. The story takes place in Portland.

There are some very bad people also looking for the missing girl, who ran away to get away from them. These guys are connected to organized crime and not someone too tangle with, but Dex ends up taking them on.

Overall, this was surprisingly good for a graphic novel. I didn’t expect that this format would yield a decent story line, but I was surprised. It’s a pretty solid detective story and the art is well done. The art is a bit noir-style in appearance, which seems appropriate for the theme of the story. It’s interesting that, in this format, the artwork is an integral part of the story and conveys part of what you normally would read in a text-based novel. So, it requires some coordination between author and artist to get it right. I was actually impressed. I haven’t read many graphic novels and they did a good job with this one. I recommend it.

Stumptown is the raucous and rapid story of Dex, a PI in Portland, Oregon. Hired by a casino owner she owes money to, Dex has to find a missing woman before it's too late.

With an explosive storyline and highly expressive illustration, this comic will capture your attention all the way through, The dialogue is punchy, and the images very evocative. I particularly loved the nature shots, and enjoyed Dex's smart mouth.

This has recently been adapted for TV, and I can see how it would make a great show.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this comic.

'Stumptown' has been on my radar here and there, but I'm glad I was finally able to crack it open, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the neo-noir PI vibe of Portland, Oregon. Some of the supporting characters could be a little better written, and I'd like a little more background on Dex, but I'd guess some of that will come in the next 3 volumes.

This was a great story!

I liked the main character, Dex. She was kind of a mess in her personal life, with racking up debt and being disorganized, but she put her younger brother first. She also worked hard to solve the mystery of where Charlotte had disappeared.

The story moved quickly. It was a detailed plot, with many characters. I didn’t guess what had happened to Charlotte. This was a great crime story.

I really enjoyed this introduction to the series.

Thank you Oni Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Caught my eye because I'd heard of the show. Plus, you can't really go wrong with Greg Rucka stories. This was well done, engrossing and not overly formulaic for a PI piece. It might even get me to watch the show!

I wanted to give this volume a shot after seeing the new ABC show. It was great but I had some download issues. In general I would recommend it to noir fans and also those looking to test the waters with graphic novels.

I lived in Portland for a good long while, so I enjoyed the novelty of seeing places and hearing names that are well-known there. The story itself is interesting as well, with a Jessica Jones type lead character and lots of action to keep things moving. Looking forward to Vol. 2 (as well as the TV show).

I have never really read comic books before, but since I love Stumptown the show, I thought reading the comic book would be fun. I overall liked this comic, I think especially since I watch the show I was able to compare the two and I already loved Dex as a character so much and this just reinforced that. One thing that made me really uncomfortable was that the author chose to put the r word into the comic, which seemed really unnecessary. This comic has great representation, and I respected that a lot, but choosing to put the r word in reference to a character with Down's syndrome diminished that for me a bit. I felt like the plot was a little bit convoluted just since there were so many characters, and I think a part of my problem was how the comic differed from the show, especially since I watched the show first. 3.5 stars

I love me a female PI story. Put it in comic/graphic novel form and I may love it even more. Stumptown Vol. 1 serves up a sweet little palate cleanser of a mystery with a great female lead. Dex Parios is a hot mess of a PI - addicted to gambling, drowning in debt and booze, and unable to shake the worst luck any one person may encounter in the span of 24 hours. She is brittle and tough, with soft spots reserved mainly for her special-needs brother.

Dex gets an offer she can't refuse from the owner of the casino where she owes money she would otherwise never be able to pay off. The offer leads Dex down a winding path of gang families, goons with ready fists, and potential damsels in distress who may or may not be in want of rescue. All in all, it's a fun ride.

The art is very good, not great, but very good.

I was a bit taken back by some of the derogatory ableist language -so, beware of you are not keen on that.

Thank you to netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.