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New Avengers vol. 2: Sentry TPB Review
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2006, Marvel Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Pencils: Steve McNiven Inks: Mark Morales, John Dell Colours: Morry Hollowell, Laura Martin Fans anticipating Marvel’s New Avengers were left strangely confused after the initial story arc failed to include two members pictured in the promotional material; the Sentry (Marvel’s Superman) and Ronin (at this point, identity undisclosed). Volume…
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New Avengers vol. 3: Secrets & Lies TPB Review
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2006, Marvel Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Pencils: David Finch, Rick Mays, Frank Cho Inks: Danny Miki, Jason Martin Colours: Frank D’Armata, Rob Schwager, Jason Keith The New Avengers continues its rather slow set up; 17 issues later we have the official roster being publicly announced. Whereas volume two dealt with the Sentry’s inclusion into the…
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Marvel Zombies TPB Review
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Marvel, 2006 Writer: Robert Kirkman Art: Sean Phillips Colours: June Chung Covers: Arthur Suydam The two big ones do thrive on gimmicks. If it’s not the next Death of A Nobody, it’s the obligatory annual Big Event, the repercussions of which are never anything but minimal. Dragging its rotting corpse onto the back of the…
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The Exterminators vol. 2: Insurgency TPB Review
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2006 DC/Vertigo Writer: Simon Oliver Pencils: Tony Moore, Chris Samnee Inks: Ande Parks, Sean Parsons, Tony Moore Colours: Brian Buccellato Essentially, Simon Oliver’s Exterminators is Repo Man set in a pest control institution. This is not to say that Exterminators is in any way derivative of Alex Cox’s cult classic, but that it presents a…
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Whiteout TPB Review
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Originally published 1998, Oni Press Writer: Greg Rucka Art: Steve Lieber Whiteout: a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow and diffuse lighting from overcast clouds. U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko feels the same way about her current predicament; emotionally vacuous and struggling to lose her past, she is only given…
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DC: The New Frontier TPB Review
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DC Comics Story, Art: Darwyn Cooke Colours: Dave Stewart It would be easy to dismiss Darwyn Cooke’s The New Frontier as another retro inspired reinterpretation of the currently stagnated superhero genre. Essentially, that is all it is. Comparisons to James Robinson’s The Golden Age are also inevitable, but Cooke avoids that book’s descent into darker…
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Young Avengers vol. 1: Sidekicks TPB Review
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Marvel Writer: Allan Heinberg Pencils: Jim Cheung Inks: John Dell, Mark Morales, Drew Geraci Colours: Justin Ponsor In the genre specific confines of the comic medium it is so rare to be surprised by a superhero book, let alone one published by Marvel. Sidekicks is everything it shouldn’t be, fresh, energetic and intelligent. I cannot…
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JSA: The Golden Age TPB Review
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DC, 1993 Story: James Robinson, Paul Martin Smith Writing: James Robinson Art: Paul Martin Smith Colours: Richard Ory Letters: John Costanza The DC universe has become a daunting, temporally retarded place of late, never moving forward, always looking back. While this is not essentially a bad thing – the costumed vigilante has changed very little…
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.