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A Brief History of Comic Books
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in FeaturesIn this unrepentantly subjective feature I look at the evolution of Western comic books, the present state of sequential art, the medium’s digital potential and what publishers must do to ensure future interest. Depending on whom you ask, the comic book is dying, enjoying a creative renaissance, or slowly being integrated into largely non-profitable webcomics…
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Batman: Arkham Asylum PS3 Review
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Simply put, Batman Arkham Asylum is the best superhero videogame ever made. Why are so many comic book videogames substandard? As a staunch comic geek first and a videogame enthusiast a very close second, I often find it baffling that so little effort is put into superhero or comic-based games. Part of this is perhaps…
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Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1 Review
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Marvel Writer: Gregg Hurwitz Pencils: Jerome Opeña Colours: Dan Brown Moon Knight has always lurked on the periphery of the Marvel Universe; never popular enough to sustain his own series for more than few years but always welcomed by fans when he appears in games as Ultimate Alliance and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Mark Spectre’s…
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Batman: The Widening Gyre #1 Comic Review
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DC Writer: Kevin Smith Pencils: Walt Flanagan Inks: Art Thibert Colours: Art Lyon Following the critically lambasted Cacophony miniseries, Kevin Smith and Walt Flanagan unite once more to bring us another ill-conceived Batman limited-series. Six-part series The Widening Gyre – the title presumably taken from Yeat’s ‘The Second Coming’ – is a moderate improvement on…
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X-Men vs. Agents of Atlas #1 Comic Review
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Marvel Writer: Jeff Parker Pencils: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, Chris Samnee Colours: Wil Quintana,Veronica Gandini I’m generally not a fan of these “versus” titles, as they usually culminate in little more than a punch-up between two popular properties; or in this case, one extremely popular team of mutants and the heroes of a criminally undervalued…
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Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim PC Review
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Majesty 2 provides intricate and engrossing real-time strategy and a depreciative sense of humour frequently bordering on barmy.
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Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War (vols. 1&2) Review
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2009, DC Writers: Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, Peter Tomasi Pencils: Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Angel Unzueta, Pascal Alixe, Dustin Nguyen, Jamal Igle Inks: Ethan Van Sciver, Oclair Albert, Prentis Rollins, Drew Geraci, Vicente Cifuentes… and a million others Colours: Moose Baumann, Guy Major, Rod Reis, David Curiel, JD Smith With The…
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Kisenja Fuses Superheroes and Fashion
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in Comic NewsIncreasingly in webcomics and self-published fiction, a little industry savvy is not only a plus but a prerequisite. Much to the chagrin of traditional comic creators, artistic proficiency and a knack for a good story aren’t going to be enough without a level of business strategy. www.kisenja.com, however, has to be a first. It’s a…
Shelf Abuse
Storytelling, comic books and self-publishing
To better focus my efforts, Bothersome Books, my wee publishing imprint and home to my novel and short stories, has merged with Shelf Abuse. Expect several new releases this year.
Shelf Abuse: Sporadically Singing the Unsung Since 2006
Welcome to Shelf Abuse, the blog of British writer, web/graphic designer and occasional illustrator Carl Doherty.
What started out in 2006 as a blog about comics, gradually leaning more towards self-published and creator-owned works, has slowly transitioned into a home for my own self-published efforts, and a place to share my opinions on art, literature, cinema, storytelling, publishing, design, animal rights, depression… and yes, still comics. You’ll also find the occasional guest article amidst my mercifully brief rants.
Current Site Status
Due to an increasingly dense schedule, I’m no longer officially accepting review submissions. Hopefully this will eventually change, but not looking likely any time soon.
However, my love for indie comics hasn’t diminished in the slightest. Please do feel free to follow me on social media, add me to your mailing list or inform me of your new book. I can’t always reply, but I always appreciate hearing about new books.