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Posts tagged Greg Rucka
You Really Need to Take Advantage of This Sale on Stumptown
You like comics? You like Greg Rucka? You like smart, female characters that are drawn realistically and don’t suffer from asstititis?
You need to read Stumptown. I’ve told you this before. Kelly and I have done podcasts on this title. If you still haven’t read it, now is the time because Comixology is having a sale that ends tomorrow.
Stumptown is a detective story and focuses on a Seattle PI, Dex Parrios. The first volume is about a missing girl. The second volume is about a missing guitar. I’m not going to tell you much else because it will spoil the fun. This is Rucka at his most Ruckaiest. And you get the great art of Matthew Southworth including a car chase issue in volume 2 which was one of my best of 2012.
If you want to read it but aren’t down with the digital thing than you have a mixed bag. Stumptown, Vol. 1 has a gorgeous trade you can buy here.
Happy Birthday, Greg Rucka!
A happy, happy birthday to a great creator who has created and written some of my most favorite female characters ever including:
Kate Kane
Renee Montoya
Helena Bertinelli
Wonder Woman
As well as his his original creations, Tara Chace in Queen and Country (Read it!
So please join me in wishing a great day to one of the nicest guys in comics!
It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day!
And I can’t think of a better day for you to check out Lady Sabre the webcomic about a female Pirate by Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett. It publishes once a week (mostly) and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t read it.
Or you could pick up Conan the Barbarian by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan and meet Belit:
And I think it is fair to remind people that at one time in the 90s Wonder Woman had an arc devoted to her battling Space Pirates.
No, really.
Comics to Buy This Week, September 12
This week I have a first issue for you that I’m so excited about I did a separate post on why you should buy it. Today I highly recommend you pick up Stumptown #1 by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth.
But this week we have not only first issues, but 0 issues:
Snyder and Capullo ARE the reason I read this run of Batman.
I’ve tried to get people to read this for 12 issues, won’t you try this one?
And now we have a 0 issue that is also a first issue. I’ve been back and forth on whether I would try this, but I’m going to give it shot.
Other DC Comics to pick up:
Punk Rock Jesus #3 by Sean Murphy. Are you reading this? It’s very good.
Saucer County #7, Paul Cornell gets double dipped this week.
And in the “I’m just buying this for the kids, really!” category:
Story and Art by two women, Meredith Gran and Liz Prince, as an added bonus.
You may also want to give a new comic featuring a lead female character a try. Tomorrow Jones is a teenager who comes from a family of superheroes. I have not read the comic but this page made me laugh. You can find out more and how to buy it here.
What’s on your list?
Five Reasons to Pick Up Stumptown #1 This Week
I get a lot of requests to recommend books outside of Marvel and DC as well as books that feature good female characters. This week I have an answer to both. Oni is releasing the first issue of the second volume of Stumptown, a detective story with a female PI Dex Parios, and I highly recommend that you pick it up. Why?
1. It’s by Greg Rucka. I don’t think its a secret that I’m a huge fan of Rucka’s work and this title is no exception. If you’ve liked Rucka’s other stuff, you’ll enjoy this.
2. The character Dex Parios is complex and fully realized. I interviewed Rucka about the character last year when the trade of the first arc of Stumptown was released and we chatted a bit about the character.
3. The art is fantastic. Matthew Southworth brings Portland Oregon alive and offers up a female character that doesn’t look like other female characters in comics. That’s a good thing. (Click here to see a lovely portrait of Dex that Matthew drew for me._
4. It’s a detective story by someone who knows and loves detective stories. How much? his official bio includes this:
The best thing about USC was that he and his wife got to live in a house that he could pretend Philip Marlowe had visited. Probably to beat someone up.
5. It’s a great issue. Kelly and I will be doing a preview review of it today on “3 Chicks Review Comics” as well as speaking with the writer about the what to expect in this arc. (We also spoke to Rucka about some other things. You can imagine what they are. You’ll want to listen to this.)
If you haven’t picked up the first trade of Stumptown, I recommend you do. You can order it here.
Greg Rucka on writing women
On Tuesday I shared with you some of the thoughts Greg Rucka had about Hollywood, comics and women. Today he’s has an essay on io9 where he talks about writing female characters.
Here’s a sample:
Gender isn’t simply a biological trait; it’s a societal one. The female experience is different from that of the male, and if, as a male writer, you cannot accept that basic premise, then you will never, ever, be able to write women well. A man walking alone through Midtown Manhattan at three in the morning may have concerns for his safety, but I promise you, it’s a very different experience for a woman taking the same walk, and it’s different again for a man wearing a dress. Think about it. That’s a societal factor, and it’s a gendered one, and this is not and can not be subject to debate. If you’re looking to argue that sexism is a thing of the past, that the world is gender-blind, you’re not only wrong, you’re lying to yourself.
I recommend you go read the rest.
An interview with Greg Rucka about Stumptown
Like many others, I thought Greg Rucka’s Stumptown was one of the best comics of 2010. The four issue series (which began in 2009) follows Portland, Oregon detective Dex Parios as she searches for a missing teenage girl to settle a gambling debt. Dex is a down on her luck (or is she?) PI who struggles with her taste for gambling and being a good caretaker for her mentally-challenged brother.
Dex is quite simply a great character. She’s both tough and compassionate. She’s full of self-doubt one moment and bravado the next. And she never shies away from a fight. The book is filled, as you can imagine, with snappy dialogue and twisty plot turns via the talented Mr. Rucka. But the book is also a visual stunner with rich, atmospheric art by Matthew Southworth. He provides incredible attention to detail, stunning perspectives and a use of color which enhances Rucka’s script.
The trade came out last week and Greg was kind enough to answer some questions about the book and the lead character, what’s next for Dex and how some of his other female characters might interact with her.
What birthday wish does Greg Rucka have for Wonder Woman?
Today March 22 is Wonder Woman’s birthday per the DC Comics 1976 calender and I’ve been asking her creators what their birthday wishes or gifts are for the Amazon. I asked Greg Rucka if he had a one and he did!
The most memorable moments in DC history for women: Nominee #23
This moment is not only memorable but visually striking and, in my mind, iconic. It was also part of the start of a great relationship between a writer and a character. Once again, I am incredibly lucky to have the writer of this moment here to discuss it, the very talented Greg Rucka.
The most memorable moments in DC history for women: Nominee #19
If you go through this series you’ll notice that many of the most memorable moments are transformative making either the reader or other characters change their view of a character. I believe that’s true of this moment. My guest poster is Saranga, a long-time blogger who writes about comics and also has a wonderful resource for new comic readers.
Happy Birthday Greg Rucka
How much do I love Greg Rucka? Last year at Christmas I didn’t leave my house for three and half days and read all four volumes of the Queen and Country “definitive version” and the two Queen and Country two novels. I’ve read every issue he’s written of Wonder Woman, Checkmate, Detective, and Gotham Central and the novelization of “No Man’s Land”, twice. I watched the movie “White Out”.
Greg Rucka is an incredible storyteller. He excels at world building. He knows how to write humor and a well-paced thriller. And he creates rich characters that are so real they seem ready to walk off the page. And most of all he creates some of the most kick ass women in comics. Women who are brave and smart and sure of their purpose. None of them are perfect, although Wonder Woman came close. But they are all admirable in their own way. Rucka women. Love them all. Thanks Greg!
DC 30 Day Meme Day 7- My favorite writer
How much do I love Greg Rucka? Last year at Christmas I didn’t leave my house for three and half days and read all four volumes of the Queen and Country definitive version and the two Queen and Country two novels. I’ve read every issue he’s written of Wonder Woman, Checkmate, Detective, and Gotham Central and the novelization of “No Man’s Land”, twice. I watched the movie “White Out”.
Greg Rucka is an incredible storyteller. He excels at world building. He knows how to humor and a well-paced thriller. And he creates rich characters that are so real they seem ready to walk off the page. And most of all he creates some of the most kick ass women in comics. Women who are brave and smart and sure of their purpose. None of them are perfect, although Wonder Woman came close. But they are all admirable in their own way. Rucka women. Love them all.
I enjoyed Comic Relief’s dissection last night of ASBAR. My hate of it isn’t quite as deep because I just pretend it is a parody of Frank Miller. And speaking of parodies of Frank Miller, here is Greg Rucka parodying Frank Miller in The Adventures of Superman #638. If you haven’t read this issue, I highly recommend it. It has a wonderful fantasy story about Clark and Lois having a daughter. In addition to the Miller parody there is one of Calvin and Hobbes that is pure gold.
Rucka’s Stumptown #3 kicks ass
With Greg Rucka leaving DC, Stumptown is his only comic. Issue 3 came out this week. The series lead, Dex Parios, kicks ass (but also gets her ass kicked). Good book, pick it up.
