Shelf Abuse

Storytelling, comic books and self-publishing

Tag: superhero comics

  • DC: The New Frontier TPB Review

    DC: The New Frontier TPB Review

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    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…

  • Young Avengers vol. 1: Sidekicks TPB Review

    Young Avengers vol. 1: Sidekicks TPB Review

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    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…

  • JSA: The Golden Age TPB Review

    JSA: The Golden Age TPB Review

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    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…

  • The Immortal Iron Fist: The Last Iron Fist Story TPB Review

    The Immortal Iron Fist: The Last Iron Fist Story TPB Review

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    Marvel, 2007 Writer: Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction Art: David Aja, Travel Foreman, Derek Fridolfs, Russ Heath, John Severin, Sal Buschema, Tom Palmer Colours: Matt Hollingsworth, Dean White, Laura Marti Every great superhero has his defining moment, an essential work which all fans of that hero will have read. Some of the greatest have several. Miller’s…

  • Batman and the Monster Men TPB Review

    Batman and the Monster Men TPB Review

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    Originally published 2006, DC Vertigo Writer: Matt Wagner Artist: Matt Wagner Colours: Dave Stewart Matt Wagner presents the Dark Knight’s first foray into the bizarre, in this Frankenstein flavoured pseudo-sequel to Miller’s Year One. The Batmobile, Robin and crew are all absent, and Batman’s relationship with James Gordon, not yet commissioner, is under development. Wagner’s…

  • Batman Year 100 TPB Review

    Batman Year 100 TPB Review

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    2006, DC Story, art: Paul Pope Colours: Jose Villarrubia Strangely, the Year 100 trade paperback has not been tattooed with the Elseworlds tag; like Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, Pope’s rendition is more a possible future for our current Batman. When he inevitably reaches his 100th birthday, I am confident the caped crusader will have…

  • Batman: Face the Face TPB Review

    Batman: Face the Face TPB Review

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    2006, DC Writer: James Robinson Art: Leonard Kirk, Don Kramer Inks: Andy Clarke, Wayne Faucher, Keith Champagne, Michael Bair Colours: John Kalisz Reading Face the Face I was reminded of the old comic adage, “nobody stays dead in comics except Bucky and Uncle Ben.” Similarly, when a Bat-villain is captured and sentenced to ten years…

  • No More Heroes Any More – The Death of Captain America

    No More Heroes Any More – The Death of Captain America

    by

    Carl Doherty
    in

    In a genre where finales are rarely final, and resurrections are a daily occurrence, why did the death of comic book hero Captain America garner such widespread attention?   Captain America is dead. Again. Probably. Indefinitely. For the foreseeable future. Until comic sales begin to flag yet again. To the embittered fan acclimatised to the…