Review: Hard to Swallow #2

Artist(s): Dave Davenport, Justin Hall, Steve MacIsaac.

Justin Hall and Dave Davenport are back for a second helping of Hard to Swallow, and this time, they brought Steve MacIsaac with them. The formula is the same as the first issue’s: a blend of fantasy and real-life stories, and it works as well as the first time (you can buy the comic here).

Dave Davenport's fantasy story

Dave Davenport gives us a tale of Feral, his werewolf, in a long and oddly arousing story–oddly, because it involves a man using his dead boyfriend’s finger as a dildo. And a ghost, a werewolf and that man having it off. So, necrophilia, zoophilia… and love. What a fun mix. Davenport’s art style, a combination of cartoony and manly, sweaty bodies, gives us men who look real, even though one is a ghost and another a werewolf. Sexy and unexpectedly tender. And then, Dave Davenport comes back with a cute two-page blowjob story.
Justin Hall gives us two real-life stories, the first one told by a guy who was working in a porn film, trying to cum… and not managing to. I guess it shows porn work can be hard work too. His second story demonstrates that there is an Internationale of gay men. Or that US gay men can feel welcome at a leather bar in Barcelona. By the bouncer. Who sucks cock quite well. Who knew?
Hall also tells the second part of his pirate story Tales of the Hard Roger, which is as disturbing as the first one, at least for me. But as with Dave Davenport, it’s interesting to see Justin Hall telling such different stories in the same comic, and shows the artistic range he’s shooting for. With a less cartoony style than his accomplice’s, his stories look more grounded, but no less sexy.
Steve MacIsaac’s story is a wordless tale of bear sex and bar cruising, full of energy, with a very strong and dead straight (no pun intended) storytelling that I really enjoy.

Hard to Swallow is definitely not a comic for people who like only twinks. The others will find hot men engaged in equally hot activities, drawn in varied art and varied settings.

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