Stumptown, Vol. 2: The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case

Stumptown #2

by Greg Rucka, Matthew Southworth (Illustrator), Rico Renzi (Colorist)

From Eisner Award-winning writer Greg Rucka and acclaimed artist Matthew Southworth comes a new Stumptown mystery! Dex Parios has finally opened her own office, and her first case is to find rock star Mim Bracca's baby - her prized guitar - which disappeared after her band Tailhook's Portland show. Mim has no leads, and she doesn't want to go to the police, but Dex needs the case, and besides, it shouldn't be that hard to find a missing guitar. As long as the D.E.A. doesn't get involved ... or the Skinheads.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

152 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2013

About the author

Greg 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.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mim Bracca is the guitarist for Tailhook and her guitar (The baby in the velvet case) has been stolen. Enter Dex to track it down. There's an absolute killer car chase in this. I loved how it worked visually. Southworth's art looked much better in this. Maybe it was bringing on Rico Renzi to do the coloring. The art was much less murky and the characters actually looked different in this arc.

I love the easter eggs Rucka put in this for his long time readers. Mim first appeared in Rucka's novel A Fistful of Rain. The troubles that are mentioned she went through, all occurred in this book. And yes, Rucka's novels are well worth reading.

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Guitar Case

I particularly like the double use of the word case there.

Dex Parios, Private Eye, gumshoes her way around Portland once more, only this time she won't have to walk those darkened streets alone. Rucka's second entry in the series falls a little flat, in eschewing the darkness and violence of the first Dex Parios case in favour of something more akin to a Kinsey Millhone adventure he dropped the ball a little; it's light and breezy, all surface but no feeling. Oh look there's some skinheads who never put a shirt on and are always angry (Portland hipsters can you confirm whether this is a regular occurrence out your way?) now here's a car chase taking up a whole chapter, everyone is in conflict for no apparent reason, it's OK though cos Kinsey is going to find the baby and everything is going to be sunshine and roses until the next book, C is for Casual Lesbian References in Every Case.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one even more than the first one! Better plot, and fun tie-in with Hector Marenco at the end. Most importantly, this features the coolest car chase I've ever seen in a graphic novel.

[CS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

Absolutely fantastic! I love how it's mostly a standalone story, with a thread from the last book carrying to a sequel.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one as much as the first. Though it does point towards a larger story arc at the end. It is a good series though because Dex is such a good character.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second volume with a mystery that will connect in volume 3 to the bad dude in volume 1. The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case is about a musician named Mim who is a character, I am told, in one of Rucka's novels, borrowed for this series, who has a guitar stolen. There's no real addition to character development, and the plot is not surprising, though it's fun enough, and the art by Matthew Southwork is expressive and engaging. I bet I like the next one better, as the the volumes link together.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of the same than vol.1. Basic plot handled on the absurd/funny side, low violence, lovable characters. Nice and easy reading.

Matt Southworth’s art somewhat improved a bit and even tried some stuff- the car chase kinda stands out- but I still can’t reasonably call it "good".

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this volume marginally more than the first, as the situations seemed a little more humorous even as story developments seemed just as random. I'm starting to warm up to Dex a bit.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

The case of the baby in the velvet case isn't what you think. Have you ever loved a possession so much that you called it baby? Thats what happens here with a guitar.
Mim os in a very sucessful band and her baby goes missing. She hires Dex to find her baby without involving the police. Things go from weird to super strange. Skinheads, methed out skinheads, million dollar guitar, car jumping a bridge and of course a "mob" boss.
This was the best book to come out of the monthly crate Comic Bento. It had a lot of good qualities to make this outstanding, but the end was kind of a given if you really pay attention to what Dex says in the beginning.
It does make me want to pick up more from this series.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stumptown Vol 2 offers another solid mystery with a charmingly belligerent protagonist. Greg Rucka continues to be an excellent writer of characters and an above-average writer of mysteries. The only letdown in this second volume is Matthew Southworth's art, which seems to have fallen off a cliff into murky waters. Literally murky in that the coloring in half the book seems to have been rubbed in with the side of someone's hand. Plus, a third act car chase takes place wide-screen, meaning that you have to turn the book sideways to read it. Conceptually neat, but in practice it adds little to the story. I'll definitely be back for the next cozy Portland mystery in volume three, but I'm hoping the artistry improves a bit.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine mystery. It's certainly not in the same league as Queen & Country, but it's got some of the same vibe, so it's fun to read.

The only thing keeping me reading these out of the library instead of buying them myself is ONI's production: an overpriced hardcover that nonetheless has low-quality matte pages. I'd except or the other, but not both. Hoping this someday comes out in a TPB or omnibus that I'll be willing to buy

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous installment in Rucka's Stumptown series. This one is a fast-paced head rush with plot twists and a series revelation that leaves you feeling sucked further in to the muck and mire that is Stumptown.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than volume 1. Still dark. Still crime. Still Portland. This one has its silly points in the plot. And the art is occasionally off. But a good strong ending that hints of possibilities. Will probably read the sequel.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here, in this 2nd volume of Stumptown, we follow P.I. Dex Parrios in “The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case.” This installment is enjoyable enough but it’s a lot less memorable this time around. The character work is a lot lighter here (I wish we kept getting more insight on Dex’s character and her quirks, like touching on her gambling problem), and the plot is also more lightweight and by the numbers.

[Andrew A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent volume of stumpdown.

We delve more into dex's past. We have a central mystery which still holds twists even as it is revealed more

And a wonderful crossover into ruckas prose work which is a wonderful nod to those who have read that, but doesn't detract at all.

A touch more actiony in places for good and bad.

But all in all a great volume

[Tanja L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters were just angry at each other for no reason or explanation, I guess just for the drama. The character of the guitar player was just ridiculous.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dex Parios finally has her own private detective office in Portland and just in time for a new case to come along. When a guitar is stolen from the band Tailhook, Dex is on the case, but things aren't what they seem. Especially when the guitar's owner, Mim, doesn't want to go to the police.

There are skinheads looking for the guitar and DEA agents questioning Dex. When the guitar mysteriously shows up, that isn't the end of the case either. Things heat up and all is resolved as the mystery is uncovered.

It's a good mystery story by Greg Rucka, who also includes an essay on private eyes and how they have influenced him. The art by Matthew Southworth is good and shows the seamier side of Portland. Especially cool are the iconic train station and the Burnside Bridge which feature in the story. Dex is a capable detective that can hold her own amongst any other fictional detectives I've read. I'd like to read more stories featuring her.

I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last of the books I received in the Powerless Comic Bento box. It is a detective story set in Portland, OR.

A musician has a guitar stolen at the end of a long tour and hires the detective, Dex Parios, to find it. She is a very typical private eye, but that is just fine for this book. Of course, Dex discovers that there is more to the story as she digs into the investigation. She runs across band members and roadies and is confronted by the DEA.

The art is great. There is a chase sequence about halfway through the book that is fantastic. I always enjoy when creators are willing to take a chance on doing something different like that.

Not much to say on this one. It fits within the genre very well, but I would have liked to have seen some more development on Dex.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautifully styled volume of Stumptown; a detective procedural that is a simple joy. When a local band made big's guitarist has her favorite guitar stolen, Dex gets called in. But when the guitar gets returned to her, things take a turn for the confusing. The mystery is interesting, and there's a fun car chase sequence, but the real draw is the characterizations; these really feel like real people, and everything plays out in a fairly realistic fashion. The artwork is okay, but the coloring is very unique and impressive. This isn't a big over-the-top action book, but it still manages to be a very enjoyable detective story. With lots of personality.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/eUO3Yr5mXHk

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an exciting little romp!

Greg Rucka's Stumptown: The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case has everybody's favorite Portland PI Dexedrine "Dex" Parios investigating a guitarist's missing guitar. Originally, Dex believes it's going to be a simple open and shut case, thinking one of the roadies sold it to make a quick buck on Ebay. However, things get trickier when a pair of skinheads get involved which causes the D.E.A. to get involved. It begs the question: why is this guitar the subject of a D.E.A. investigation?

I really enjoyed this volume. It was solid storytelling from Rucka. I like that Dex was setting up her own business. She didn't seem as impulsive as she did in the previous volume. Even though, she did some bombastic things, i.e. that epic car chase. The thing I have always liked about Dex is even when she's a few steps behind, it isn't for very long as she is always thinking.

I still love her relationship with her brother, Ansel. That's the heart of Stumptown, right there. As for the case itself, it was very interesting for an idea that's been done before. I loved how it all connected with ubër boss, Hector Marenco because of course, it does. Matthew Southworth's art is still great. It goes well with the gritty noir of the story. Dex looked absolutely gorgeous in some of the panels. That aforementioned epic car chase was beautiful to look at.

I am so grateful to the show because I got to discover this great graphic novel.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dex gets a case to find a missing guitar belonging to Miriam 'Mim' Bracca. Fabrizio Pullano handles and tunes the guitars for the tour, so he is Dex's first lead. She saves him from a couple of skinheads who attacked him in his home, asking for the guitar. Cathy Chase is from the Drug Enforcement Agency and warns Dex to stay off the case. David 'Click' Mayes is the band's drummer and is worried about Mim going through another stressful situation with bad press. As was the case in the first volume, the events unfold progressively and pretty much everybody has something to hide.

Dex figures out that the DEA's involvement means the band is suspected of smuggling drugs. The guitar turns up at Dex's house and she gives it the DEA and it almost gets returned to Mim because the skinheads return for it. A cool car chase is next and a cop is shot by the skinheads. All ends well with a police roadblock.

There is still the matter of who is responsible for the guitar going missing. One of the band's roadies found meth in the guitar case and throws it away. It was put there by the skinheads working for Marenco, so they start looking for it. Dex tricks the skinheads into following her to where the DEA arrest them and the roadie.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg Rucka writes great characters, especially great women characters, and in comics, that's pretty rare. His Dex Parrios is a mess, but a likable, smart, mess, and makes for a great protagonist. I like the rock & roll setting of The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case, and Rucka fills out supporting cast, both new and returning characters well. The artwork by Matthew Southworth and coloring by Rico Renzi and Southworth compliment the comic book medium, and the noir genre well, using muted color washes to give a dark and gritty feel.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't as keen on this one. Plot is straight-line and wrapped up too easy, without any of the back and forth of volume 1. Lack of back story on Dex is big negative now that we are done with the 2nd volume. Rucka's essays at the end of each chapter about PIs are also meandering and don't really nail his points. Art is ok, bit like a newspaper comic strip. Car has scene was pretty good, though.

[Melissa Jacobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5

This was such a great follow up to volume one. Even though I did not love the main mystery as much as episode one I am such a fan of the characters and the way that the overarching plot is going. I cannot wait to read volume 3!

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid volume. Great writing and beautiful artwork. There were some cool experimentations with the page layouts too. I found a couple of spots that were hard for me to follow what was happening, but it did not detract from the overall story.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it better than the first volume, mainly in that there are more people that you can find likable.

There are still some really nasty ones, and a terrible foreboding that at least some from volume 1 will come back.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that’s one way of drawing a car chase.

[Payto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up from a free library box so I haven't read issue one.
Pretty good! Nice comic-effects getting you to turn the page and stuff

[Derrick Adair · Rating 4 out of 5]

chapter 4 was one of the most epic installments for any graphic novel.