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Spider-man Noir: Eyes Without a Face #1 (of 4) Review
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Marvel, $3.99 Story: David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky Art: Carmine Di Giandomenico Does anyone still care for the Marvel Noir range? Marvel clearly thinks so, with this Spider-man follow-up out this week and another X-men miniseries released next week. While the various titles have all maintained a consistent level of quality, this sequel suffers somewhat as…
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Iron Man vs. Whiplash #1 (of 4) Review
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Marvel, $3.99 Story: Marc Guggenheim, Brannon Braga Art: Phillipe Briones, Matt Milla Okay, let’s not beat around the bush: Iron Man vs. Whiplash is a shameless cash-in on the impending Iron Man movie sequel. There’s no reason for this plot existing outside of the regular series, other than Marvel seeing an opportunity to cram another…
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Grim Crew Presents: Dead Future #1 and #2 Review
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2009, Grim Crew Writers: Martin Brandt II, Maceda Alves, Sebastian Piccione, Candy Hart, Daniel Palmer Artist: Paul Petyo, Martino Abreu, Roberto Maceda Alves, Julio Falkenhagen, Juha Veltti Grim Crew began several years ago with Martin Brandt’s collaborative project Grim Furry Tales, a charming collection of linked fairy tales, journal extracts and prose stories all written…
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Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #1 Review
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IDW, $3.90 Story: Joe Hill Art: Gabriel Rodriguez, Jay Fotos Having heard nothing but praise for Joe Hill’s original supernatural series, I bull-headedly decided to jump on the train at the third carriage. Yup, this third volume/act in the series isn’t exactly welcoming to new readers. Not that is necessarily should be, but I’d advise…
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Chew Volume 1: Taster’s Choice TPB Review
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2009, Image Story: John Layman Art: Rob Guillory Detective Tony Chu is a cibopath – a telepath whose psychic abilities are connected to his taste buds. When Tony eats an apple, he visualises it being plucked for the tree. When he eats meats, he’s left with far more horrific recollections. After a strain of bird…
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S.W.O.R.D. #1 Review
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Marvel, $3.99| Story: Kieron Gillen Art: Steven Sanders, Craig Yeung, John Cassaday, Laura Martin From the pages of Astonishing X-Men, S.W.O.R.D. is essentially a S.H.I.E.L.D. for extraterrestrial threats. Jointly headed by the green-haired alien hybrid Abigail Brand and shady nerd Henry Peter Gyrich, it looks to be a fun little series that doesn’t take itself…
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First Wave: Batman/Doc Savage Special #1 Review
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DC, $4.99 Story: Brian Azzarello Art: Phil Noto This one-off special is the first in Brian Azzerello’s First Wave imprint, a universe that harks back to the increasingly popular era of pulp heroes, such as Doc Savage, and an impulsive rookie Batman who isn’t afraid to pack a firearm. When Batman is framed for the…
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Strange #1 Review
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Marvel, $3.99 Story: Mark Waid Art: Emma Rios, Christina Strain After Brian K. Vaughan’s excellent miniseries and a recent stint in New Avengers that saw him lose his powers, Steven Strange is a doctor no more, hence the abbreviated title. Given the gravitas of Strange’s previous position in the Marvel Universe and his recent dismissal…
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.