Will Eisner was so far ahead of the game in comics, he’ll never be caught up to. How far? So far that the best comics to come out every year are given an award with his name on it. Welcome to the Eisner’s! We’re big believers in supporting lesser known comics and graphic novels, and the Eisner winners are a great place to find some of the most exciting books you might have missed. Graham Crackers is going to have the following titles available at each of our stores.
Best Graphic Album—New: Lunar New Year Love Story, by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham (First Second/Macmillan) Also won Best Writer, Best Work For Teens. This is the most acclaimed graphic novel of 2024. Gene Luen Yang’s career is filled with acclaimed works like Superman VS The Klan and American Born Chinese, so it’s not a surprise to see him on this list. Seeing a trifecta of wins? Even the Chiefs couldn’t three-peat.
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: The One Hand and The Six Fingers, by Ram V, Dan Watters, Laurence Campbell, and Sumit Kumar (Image) Ram V is well known now for his work on Detective Comics and DC’s excellent New Gods series. That kind of good press often gets earlier work re-released and here he is with an Eisner win.
Best New Series: Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman (DC Comics) The Absolute line has shaken DC out of a sales funk, with all titles being at least good (Green Lantern) to spectacular (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter). From the start, my contention has been that Wonder Woman would be at the top of my list if I needed to rank them, and clearly this means I was right, neener, neener, neener.
Best Continuing Series: Santos Sisters, by Greg & Fake, Graham Smith, Dave Landsberger, and Marc Koprinarov (Floating World) There’s a chance you’re thinking- How have I never even heard of the best CONTINUING series? Fair question considering they’re locals, so let’s go to the creators themselves to hear about their book: “One day while combing the beach, the Santos Sisters discovered a pair of beautiful medallions. What happened next changed their lives, forever. Follow Ambar and Alana, the Santos Sisters, as they balance spicy superheroics with the drama of their everyday lives. Printed in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, on classic newsprint with a 4-color web press, the Santos Sisters is sure to delight mature comic book fans, ages thirteen and up!” Existing in a beautiful place right between Archie and Love & Rockets, Santos Sisters isn’t just for fans of superhero comics, but comics of all kinds.
Best Limited Series: Zatanna: Bring Down the House, by Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodriguez (DC Comics) Our Madison manager Shawn comes from a family of steeped in the proud traditions of magic. Unfortunately, when asked for his opinion on this book, we received the following response: ‘Magic? You want me to talk about magic? My mother was afraid of water that fell from the sky! You can’t even say that word to me. Now I’m legally mandated to go back to therapy. TA DA!’ We’ll have to set all that to the side, but rest assured, this is an TNELLECXE NOITCELLOC.
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: Bilquis Evely, Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse) All I can say is that when you look at the artwork by Bilquis Evely, you’re likely to feel that certain artists aren’t giving it their all, or being drained through witchcraft, their abilities stolen, their hopes, dreams, and skills all desiccated beyond recognition.
Best Anthology: Godzilla’s 70th Anniversary, edited by Jake Williams and others (IDW) TOHO is celebrating Gojira’s 70th Anniversary for what is now three calendar years. Starting with Godzilla Minus One in 2023, he’s been more popular in the US than Japan for maybe the first time ever. During that time frame, IDW has had some excellent comics released, and eventually collected here. Eisner voters seem to agree that they hit the mark. Keep an O2 tank handy, you never know when a gasp will work the same way as an Oxygen Destroyer.
Best Adaptation from Another Medium: The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, adapted by Manu Larcenet (Abrams) A rough film, a crippling book, and now a gut-wrenching graphic novel, The Road is a brutal, beautiful adaptation. Post-apocalyptic and powerful (if you’re not familiar with the story) this is recommended for mature readers only.
Best Publication for Kids: Plain Jane and the Mermaid, by Vera Brosgol (First Second/Macmillan) The Eisner’s cover material for all ages, and we want to finish by highlighting books for our younger readers, starting with ‘Plain Jane’. Plain Jane and the Mermaid is a fairy tale about outward appearances versus inward self-worth.
Best Publication for Early Readers: Hilda and Twig Hide from the Rain, by Luke Pearson (Flying Eye) Working as the start of a prequel series to the popular ‘Hilda’ books, with a lighter touch perfect for younger readers. Sheltering in a mysterious mound in the earth, Twig quickly realizes that trouble is afoot, and that his best blue-haired friend is in danger. Unfortunately, he’s never really thought of himself as the brave one, but it looks like he’s going to have to step up and save Hilda from a whole load of big, scaly trouble! Dive into this magical comic as we follow our lovable pair on a soggy adventure.
And there you have it. 10 award winning titles, 12 award winning stores, an easy peasy list of recommendations that come pre-accredited.