Shirtlifter #3 Perfect Paperback – December 1, 2008

this book is part of a series, although each volume can stand on its own. the stories about "real" men. They have average looks. They lead lives that reflect the contemporary gay world. They are explicit without being lurid or pornographic. The stories and illustrations make me feel like they way inhabit the world I do. They do their best to get along. I like porn to get off. These are more reflective, more elusive fantasy.

Shirtlifter 3 starts off McIsaac's longer "Graphic novel" type work, "Unpacking" which also showcases his hilarious inability to draw women. There are two other shorter stories in the collection, a small excerpt about a charming drifter by Justin Hall "The Liar", and a musing on real sex versus erotica by Fuzzbelly, "FBuds". McIsaac's art improved in this story, as did his storytelling skills. And what might have devolved into another cliche "straight dude finds out he's not straight, much to the chagrin of wife/parents/religion" story becomes fairly complex and interestingly characterized. While the art still sometimes falls flat and awkwardly into the uncanny valley, McIsaac improves slowly and that's a ton better than nothing. The dialogue is interesting and the sex is pretty sexy; it lends an interesting contrast to the dialogue-heavy portions with the sex scenes being completely without dialogue, thought bubbles, or text of any kind-- the simplicity of sex at the time lends to more complexities to living with it. McIsaac even continued the story "Unpacking" online here as well as Shirtlifter 1: [..] . The short story "FBuds" is probably the best thing in the book: it is an adorable send up to "real sex" with charmingly simple and gestural art. Another Big-Gay-Harvey-Pekar story, but better written. The soliloquizing about wishing porn to be more sincere hits me pretty personally, wishing for it to be more tender, less raunchy-- "Nobody wants to hear about real sex. Real romance. Real intimacy... Forget about your soul mate, let's hear abut your cell mate." Eventually it gets to a sex scene among buddies, two chubby dudes going at it, the protagonist narrating how nice his partner's small penis is; it is a fairly simple two pages of vanilla, but nicelooking, but not idealized or overly fetishized, sex. Afterward comes some adorable post-coitus pillow talk. I'd like to see more Fuzzbelly comics, but unfortunately he seems to mostly just do design work. The Justin Hall excerpt here is as unidealized as you can get though; the whole thing is about an aimless drifter artist, seemingly just caught up in moving around, and obviously (as the title suggests) never really telling anyone anything and paying off whoever helps him with sex. The little portion of the story here made me want to read more; I can't really think of a whole lot to say about it now.

I like that Steve MacIsaac varies the format and style of these Shirtlifter books. It's a thoughtful balance he successfully strikes between connecting the individual books into a cogent series, and allowing each book to stand individually on its own merits. Nicely done. This #3 in the series gets into some very intricate and complicated matters of relationships -- future, current, and past -- and here again, as in the first two books, I found myself connecting with the characters and their thoughts, interactions, and feelings. Not because I've been in any of the exact situations I see portrayed in the book, but because the the _kinds_ and _types_ of questions and challenges and situations in the book are very true-to-life. Masterful!This is uppercase-A Art. I'll explain what I mean: My other half is an artist, so I have maybe more than the average amount of "training", if you will, on how to look at and think about art. I am also reminded of a Q&A with author Stephen King, in which the interviewer asked why he writes about such dark things, and King's answer was "What makes you think I have a choice?". There's plenty of artwork out there of whatever genre or medium that's not especially deep or thoughtful...maybe it has nice lines or pretty colours or fine technique, but not much more than that. It makes the cash register ring, because a lot of people aren't looking for anything more thannice lines or pretty colours or fine technique.But when the artist really shares of himself, puts himself into his work, it comes through. And that is very much the case with Steve MacIsaac's "Shirtlifter" series. The characters are not just hot and drawn with great skill, talent, thought, and love, but are also deeply dimensional and very real. So's their internal and external discourse. My own experience with life is substantially different in the details and scenarios, but the manner in which the characters think and act and fret and decide and screw up and fix it and make it work are in close accord with my own life; I was very quickly drawn (as it were) into the stories of the characters' intertwined, complicated lives, and the plots get real traction with me. I have already read this twice and and am in the middle of time number three; I seem to discover new detail and nuance each time through.This is not a one-dimensional, one-handed whack book to be tossed (off or aside). It's got a permanent place on my bookshelf together with #1, #2, and #4. I can scarcely wait for #5.

First Installment of Unpacking! I do so love this story line. And, though I was familiar with Justin Hall's work before, I was pleased to see him in this book. Mr. Hall's, The Liar, is just an except but it was full enough to really peak my interest. I HATE waiting for the next installment LOL. (Patience as a virtue is WAY overrated!) Unpacking by Mr. MacIsaac is a wonderful story and I'm now totally invested in finding out what happens. The next book is out and now (since I forgot to review this when I first got it at a con) the last one is out. Mr. MacIsaac's work is always excellent, as is Mr.Halls. Fuzzbelly is a new artist for me and I loved that story, too. This book is a winner and well worth the purchase price. You won't be disappointed. Three artists and stories in one well published book!

This is by far one of my favorite of MacIsaacs graphic novels. The unpacking story is simply amazing, it will hit too close to home to many gey men out there, guaranteed. Not only is his drawing amazing but the way MacIsaac manages to convey the message he wants to give the reader is, well, unique and innovating, I love when he uses separate squares where characters are having a telephone conversation for example, very well put together. You have to buy this book.