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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Manly!, October 6, 2008
This review is from: Manly (Hardcover)
Manly is beautiful. The book is divided into 3 stories, scripted by Dale Lazarov who wrote Sticky with Steve MacIsaac. The illustrations were done by Amy Colburn, who rocks, and color by Dominic Cordoba.
Each story has a uniting theme of men doing what they do best! The first story, Busted, is about a cop and an innocent bystander who helps out. After they both get awarded for their contributions there is a spark of attraction between them and it is all on! The second story is Clinch. Two boxers, a Latino guy and an older Irish bloke, who have to get creative without a condom. The last, and my favorite, is the Hot Librarian. This was funny, sweet and oh the leather! Or maybe it was the whole library thing... I am after all a total book geek and do love the library! heh.
According to an interview done by the gorgeous Patrick Fillion, Dale had to approach the book with an international audience in mind - hence the lack of text. To me, this was a huge part of its charm. Dale and Amy convey emotion and tension to drive each story with just a look, expression or touch within the panels. I think this also makes it more of a personal read as you invariably wonder what the boys would be saying and you end up with your own spin on events.
The facets of masculinity displayed in the book and what it is to be manly is also interesting and thought provoking. But, I guess the one thing that struck me the most in all 3 stories was the affection and warmth between the characters. I am a bit of a mush and things like the kiss and blush in Busted, had me smiling with bit of a sigh. Don't get me wrong either, I don't mean romance as in fade to the fire burning shot. No. These boys go hard and the sex is totally hot, sensuous and sexy as all get out! I liked it. A lot!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you're more into "M2M" than "gay"..., July 3, 2009
This review is from: Manly (Hardcover)
I highly recommend "Manly" if you're a fan of director Joe Gage -- because, as in Gage's movies, the explicit man-to-man activity takes place in a world where there are no gay ghettos nor even necessarily a well-defined "gay identity" -- rather, the essential naturalness of male-to-man physical love that transcends artificial straight/bi/gay boundaries is affirmed.
Mr. Lazarov, a bear of very little artistic ability (but with a great brain), did the storyboarding, while Ms. Colburn (who's bisexual, I think) created the illustrations -- which are stylistically a blend of Japanese anime/manga and Disney's human male characters, such as Hercules or Gaston. No voice balloons here; instead, silent-movie gestures and facial expressions supply the "dialogue."
A few of the things that I adored about "Manly" (and also "Sticky", Lazarov's earlier collaboration with illustrator Steve McIsaac):
* The men are strong, mature, often hairy, and thoroughly non-twinkish; if you want gay cartoon characters who look "barely legal," this ain't the book for you.
* The fact that "they're just cartoon characters and it's only a fantasy" is not used as an excuse to portray high-risk "bareback" sex -- the men either use highly visible condoms, or they choose to get off without anal penetration.
* The sex is always "versatile." None of that "the older, hairier, and more muscular guy must be the Top" nonsense -- these men take turns and swap roles (Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander!)
* Finally, the endings of each story clearly hint that these aren't impersonal one-night stands between "tricks" -- though whether the guys will ultimately become long-term boyfriends, husbands, or simply enjoy a stable "sex buddy" sort of arrangement is left to the reader's imagination. There is, in any case, plenty of _filios_ and _agape_ (as Paul of Tarsus would've said it) balancing out the _eros_.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Silence is golden..., October 16, 2008
This review is from: Manly (Hardcover)
"Manly" consists of three homoerotic (and that's an understatement!) graphic-novel type stories with some interesting twists. Most notably, they have no dialog. No text balloons cluttering up the page, detracting from the art. So these stories are the graphic equivalents of silent movies. But in their silence they speak a universal language. Anyone, no matter what language they speak, can enjoy them. That is, assuming they enjoy very graphic depictions of man-to-man sex. Fortunately, artists Amy Colburn and Dominic Cordoba do a fantastic job of depicting scripter Dale Lazarov's hunky protagonists.
Each of the three stories follows a similar pattern. The first third or so of the story is the "setup," in which two really manly guys (hence the title) first meet, pretty much by accident. They're certainly butch types, but not unrealistically, exaggeratedly so. After overcoming some minor hurdles (at least in two of the stories), they hook up for the remaining two-thirds. And do they hook up--repeatedly! Mind you, these are not your daddy's cartoons. Or if they are, then I wouldn't mind meeting your daddy.
The best of the stories is the first, "Busted," in which a middle-aged cop gets an unexpected assist from a not-so-innocent bystander in taking down an escaping felon. The second story, "Clinch," deals with a couple of boxers who find they have more than just the sport in common. The final story, "Hot Librarian," is in some ways the most complex and unexpected, in which the two heroes fail to connect in the gay-bar environment where you would expect them to, only to get a second chance the next day in the workday world.
The stories are fun and the artwork appealing--but, again I alert you, *extremely* graphic. This is NOT for the prudish. But if it sounds like your cup o' tea, then it probably is.
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