With this week’s release of issue five, writer Greg Rucka wraps up the second volume of his detective series Stumptown. While the first volume can be chalked up to a fairly typical detective tale, the second volume has challenged that. Instead of focusing on the mystery, the journey is the main draw.

The story was definitely an interesting one. Detective Dex needs to track down a stolen guitar. This drags her into a world involving drug trafficking, DEA, meth, skinheads and pissed off Portland Police department.

But, the series felt like a bridge to the third volume. This was a bit more of a low key story, especially compared to the first. The ending of this second volume makes me think I’m pretty close on that one. Dex needed to get from point A to point C and this helped achieve that.

That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with this volume. It’s really entertaining a fun ride, the fourth issues featuring a solid car chase and art to go with that, is a perfect example of why. The art by Matthew Southworth is solid, with a vibe that’s perfect for a noir comic series.

This volume is really about Dex and her attempts to figure out what’s going on. It’s almost detective work 101 where the focus is on the small details and quieter moments instead of the action. Overall though, it’s one of the few comics out there with a strong female lead and one that’s so interesting. A lot of that came from this series’ first volume.

This second volume isn’t quite as good as the first, but is an entertaining entry. For those that enjoy a good detective story, especially one with a great female lead, this is an absolute buy. If you haven’t, grab the entire series this week and if you can’t, absolutely get the trade.

Story: Greg Rucka Art: Matthew Southworth Colorist: Rico Renzi

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provides Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review