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Public Enemies Review
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in NewsAn empty, apathetic movie that makes the mistake of treating the notorious gangster like a misunderstood rock star. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s eternally feuding cat and mouse were driven by the purest of designs. Tom to kill Jerry, Jerry to rid his environment of his predator. As a cartoon this simplicity works; immediately, instinctively…
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Punisher: War Zone DVD review
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The Punisher is a bit of an anomalous comic book creation. Inspired by 70s revenge movies such as Death Wish, his rise to infamy can perhaps be attributed to three factors. Firstly, he was a gun-waving psycho in an age when the comic book antihero was still relatively fresh. Secondly, he killed his enemies, which…
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Freddy vs Jason vs Ash: The Nightmare Warriors #1 Review
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Dynamite Entertainment/Wildstorm Writers: Jeff Katz, James Kuhoric Art: Jason Craig Colours: Gabe Eltaeb There was a time when Bruce Campbell was God to all geeks. A B-list actor who just happened to be the best looking out of a gang of aspiring filmmakers. An everyday guy amongst pretentious stars, who seemed quite happy performing cameos…
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Batman Reborn: Detective Comics #854 Review
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DC Writer: Greg Rucka Art: J.H. Williams III, Cully Hamner Colours: Dave Stewart I must confess that I had no real interest in the new Batwoman fronted Detective Comics, and only bought the issue for J.H. William’s art. But I’m glad to be proven wrong. Greg Rucka’s work on this series has the making of…
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Predator #1 Comic Book Review
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Dark Horse Writer: John Arcudi Art: Javier Saltares Colours: Wes Ozioba, Andrew Alder The first issue of Dark Horse’s Aliens comic resurrection released several weeks ago was a solid if pedestrian return to the franchise, saved by some decent dialogue and a genuinely unexpected twist. Hot on that series’ heels is the Predator, that other…
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Dark Reign: Amazing Spider-man #598 Review
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Marvel Writer: Joe Kelly Art: Paulo Siqueira, Marco Checchetto, Santos Colours: Jeremy Cox After a spate of mediocre standalone issues and the pointless ‘24/7’ arc, Spidey’s assimilation into the Dark Reign event has given the series a much needed shot of adrenaline. For anyone left dangling by last issue’s shocking cliff-hanger, I think it’s fair…
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Transformers Augmented Reality: Much More Than Meets The Eye
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in Movie NewsThe invisible devil and angel that reside on my left and right shoulders, respectively, have been having a bit of a row. Lil’ Angel tells me not to bother spending my cash on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It’ll only make Michael Bay richer, me poorer, and encourage more similarly mindless blockbusters in the near…
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Paralysis Comic Book Review
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2008, Attackosaur Comics Story: Martin Ian Smith Art: J.C. Grande Paralysis is the first book by Martin Ian Smith and J.C. Grande under Smith’s Attackosaur Comics. Set in 1942 London, it’s a gruesome little standalone tale that flitters between psychological thriller, creature feature and wartime romance… well, maybe a little less of the latter than…
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.