Shirtlifter #4 Perfect Paperback – June 1, 2011

The illustrations are exotic. The stores have limited erotic illustration. These are realistic pictures of gay life, neither pornographic fantasies, nor fairy tale romances. I know men like these, and they live like this.

Fun

Stylistically interesting and a great story... When do we get to see #5

Both Mr. MacIsaac and Mr. Hall are teases in the best sense of the word (as writers/artists). Unpacking goes on and is even deeper and more riveting that installment #1! The Liar is even more intriguing! I love the layout of these books ... three scens in Unpacking by Steve MacIsaac with two other stories in between. In this issue The Liar by the uber-creative Justin Hall, a favorite of mine, and Dick by Ilya round out a wonderful book that I'm proud to have in my collection. Now to get book 5 ... once it's FINALLY back in stock! That, in and of itself, should be a big clue on how good this is. Kudos to the creators for keeping me interested and eager.

Steve MacIsaac just gets better and better as a cartoonist and this excellent new issue of Shirtlifter shows off his increasing mastery of the medium (check out in particular his gorgeous establishing shot landscapes), as well as his confidence with character and assured hand at storytelling. Shirttlifter's main feature, the multi-part graphic novella "Unpacking," which began in issue #3 continues, further exploring the relationship between romantically-ambivalent, freshly-single protagonist Matt and his even more acutely ambivalent paramour, a married Australian man named Connor. Both characters and the supporting cast feel fleshed out and true to life and though the dialogue often centers explicitly on gay issues, it never feels forced or didactic, coming off naturalistically - quite a feat. Really look forward to seeing how their story plays out in the next chapters, climaxing as it did here on a genuine "gasp" moment. The backup features for this edition of Shirtlifter include another chapter of Justin Hall's graphic novel-in-progress, "The Liar," which thematically complements "Unpacking" quite nicely, and a delightful series of "Dick" strips from UK artist Ilya, who strikes me as a real find. Hopefully we'll be seeing more from Ilya stateside in the future. Some interesting notes from MacIsaac on his artistic process wrap up the book in satisfying fashion. A triumph, cover-to-cover.

I stumbled upon Steve MacIsaac's work several years ago, and it literally shocked me at how insightful, how observant, and how relevant his stories are. I scoured his websites for everything I could preview and bought all of the available graphic novels. Each issue has captivated me more and more. Each has its own feel and all are fascinating in their own way. I appreciate his process and realize that it takes what it takes to generate new work, but I ache for the next installment. The other storytellers in this book are fine, but not up to his caliber; I only begrudge the space not given to Mr MacIsaac for more stories. The perplexing "relationship" between Matt and Connor is absolutely riveting. I cannot wait to read #5. Godspeed, Mr MacIsaac. You have a life-long fan.