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Thunderbolts vol. 1: Faith in Monsters TPB Review
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2008, Marvel Writer: Warren Ellis, Paul Jenkins Artist: Mike Deodato Jr., Mark Silvestri, Marc Guggenheim, Leinil Yu Colours: Rainier Beredo, June Chung, Dave McCaig, Frank D’Armata Okay, so it’s another year, another reboot for the Thunderbolts, a series that has always been enjoyable but never exceptional. With sales magnet Warren Ellis on board, and a…
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Hancock Movie Review
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2008 Dir: Peter Berg Script: Vince Gilligan, Vincent Ngo Cast: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron, Eddie Marsan Formerly a hot property which numerous studios fancied making but could not conceive the special effects on a feasible budget, Tonight He Comes’ decade-long journey from screenplay to screen has attracted an equal share of interest and…
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The Ultimates vol. 1: Super-human TPB Review
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2002, Marvel Story: Mark Millar Pencils: Bryan Hitch Inks: Andrew Currie Colours: Paul Mounts From the very first issue, The Ultimates defines its intentions with a suckerpunch; this is the Avengers in our world, driven by our politics and prone to our vices. Back to that first issue. The last hurrah of World War II…
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Wanted Movie Review
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2008 Dir: Timur Bekmambetov Script: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Chris Morgan Cast: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann, Konstantin Khabensky, Marc Warren, Terrence Stamp I must confess to having had a difficult time reading Mark Millar’s superhero satire Wanted the first time around, and further difficulty in reviewing it. How could I objectively…
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Batman: Dark Victory TPB Review
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1999, DC Story: Jeph Loeb Art: Tim Sale Colours: Gregory Wright Dark Victory follows on directly from the events of Loeb and Sales The Long Halloween. With the supposed Holiday killer Alberto Falcone behind bars, a new serial killer, the Hangman, is targeting Gotham City’s corrupt cops. As you can imagine, there’s a veritable buffet…
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Songs from the Punisher Movies
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in FeaturesSo you loved the Punisher movie, right? And it goes without saying that you’ve bought the obligatory skull T-shirt, joined the nearest gym and began on building a physique befitting Thomas Jane? Whether you’ve already assembling an arsenal large enough to stage a rebellion, or have decided that the obnoxious clerk down at the deli…
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Alan Moore’s Top 10 Book 1 TPB Review
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2000, America’s Best Comics Writer: Alan Moore Art: Gene Ha, Zander Cannon Though Alan Moore has never bettered his eighties output, and likely never will, it’s amazing how strong his work for America’s Best Comics has been. At first glance The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Tom Strong and Promethea are all typical high-concept ideas, of…
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The Incredible Hulk Movie Review
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Dir: Louis Leterrier Script: Zak Penn, Edward Norton Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson Best described as a noble failure, Ang Lee’s Hulk was the Lisa Simpson of Marvel’s recent film output. Brave and ponderous, its shades of Oedipus didn’t exactly thrill an audience who simply craved a big…
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.