-
“Lucas Raped My Childhood” – The Inevitable Disappointment of Indiana Jones
by
in ColumnI came prepared. The nineteen year wait was over. The forth Indiana Jones movie was here. I knew it featured in some level of depth Kingdoms and Crystal Skulls, both of which I had already extensively researched in frantic preparation. I’d donned my finest fedora, packed my favourite whip and hammered my youthful features with…
-
Thor vol. 1 (J. Michael Straczynski) TPB Review
by
2008, Marvel Story: J. Michael Straczyinski Pencils: Olivier Coipel Inks: Mark Morales Colours: Laura Martin, Paul Mounts In the midst of Civil War, many fans believed that Thor would make a triumphant return, and sway the win for the Registration Act opposition. Unfortunately, the resurrected Son of Odin turned out to be a cybernetic clone,…
-
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Review
by
2008 Dir: Steven Spielberg Script: David Koepp (screenplay) George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson (story) Cast: Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent Let’s face it: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is never going to top, or even compare to, the holy trinity of action movies. Raiders of the Lost…
-
Iron Man Movie Review
by
2008 Dir: Jon Favreau Script: John August, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Arthur Marcum, Matthew Hollaway Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges Like an off-course stealth missile, Iron Man hits multiplexes with a fraction of the anticipation that preceded the third instalments of the Spider-Man and X-Men series. Jon Favreau’s fourth directorial…
-
Jar of Fools Graphic Novel Review
by
2001, Drawn and Quarterly Story, Art: Jason Lutes Tormented magician Ernie Weiss and his estranged girlfriend Esther separately struggle to get their lives back on track after the death of Weiss’s brother, Howard, whose death during an underwater escape stunt may or may not have been deliberate. Fighting to keep his senile mentor Al Flosso…
-
Un-Men vol. 1: Get your Freak On! TPB Review
by
2008, DC/Vertigo Story: John Whalen Art: Mike Hawthorne, Tomer Hanuka (covers) Colours: Tanya and Richard Horie Creations of mad scientist Anton Arcane, the abominable Un-Men first appeared in the pages of Swamp Thing. They were later re-imagined in the early nineties mini American Freak, the events of which this new incarnation continues a further decade…
-
The Orphanage (el Orfanato) Film Review
by
2008 Dir: Juan Antonio Bayona Script: Sergio G. Sánchez Cast: Belén Rueda, Geraldine Chaplin, Fernando Cayo, Mabel Rivera, Roger Príncep, Montserrat Carulla, Edgar Vivar With The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth Guillermo del Toro revitalised a horror subgenre long subsided to slasher pics and gore-porn attractions. Though he retreats to a producer position here, The…
-
World War Hulk TPB Review
by
Marvel, 2008 Writer: Greg Pak Pencils: John Romita Jr., Al Rio, Lee Weeks, Sean Phillips, Leonard Kirk, Rafa Sandoval Inks: Klaus Janson, Scott Hanna, Lee Weeks, Tom Palmer, Leonard Kirk, Gary Erskine Colours: Christina Strain, William Murai, Moose Baumann, Guru eFX After the sword & sandal fantasy departure Planet Hulk, World War Hulk feels long…
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.