The 2008 Eisner Award nominations are in and there are quite a few things to highlight.
First off, we’d like to congratulate iFanboy’s own Jonathan Hickman for his nomination in the Best Limited Series category for The Nightly News!
Some iFanboy favorites were recognized as well, including Scalped, The Homeless Channel, iFanboy Book of the Month Godland, and Essex County, which got two nominations. Strangely, Captain America received nominations for Best Writer and for Best Penciller/Inker Team but not Best Series.
The strangest category of all? Best Publication for Teens. Whuh?
Last year was a big year for DC Comics at The Eisners. This year, not so much. But all-in-all it looks to be a pretty good sampling of the industry as a whole. There’s nothing here I have any major disagreements with, at least not that I can see.
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I don’t see anyone other than Brubaker bringing home best writer, maybe Whedon but I think that the Direct-Market retailers will probably lean towards the guys who’se giving them four high-selling books a month.
I hope Buffy wins her nominations
I don’t think direct market retailers get a vote— aren’t eisners nominated by a jury, and then voted on by a panel of professionals? Or am I getting my self confused with how the Harvey’s operate?
I stand corrected. The Eisner’s consider retailers comic book professionals.
The fact that Uncanny X-Men is not listed as one of Brubaker’s books made me chuckle.
I assume teen books would be ones aimed specifically at the YA market (and hence at bookstores and libraries moreso than direct market comic stores). Possibly the publisher/imprint is a factor in determining what goes in this category.
@flapjaxx Well they didn’t list Joss as writer of Runaways,… so…
I’m content with these nominations… There’s a lot I haven’t read, but it always comes out that way… I haven’t ever heard about some of these and I always wonder if they’re really really that good… Hmmmm…
There are some fantastic nominations on here. This is the first Eisner’s I’ve ever really paid attention to and I’m excited.
Question: Both mainstream and indie books are well represented but why is no Manga represented on the list? Those are, indeed, comic books, right? I can understand ths divide in an opinion-oriented site like iFanboy, but the Eisner’s are suppose to recognize the best work in all of sequential art, correct?
@HudsonPhillips – CUP NOODLE was nominated last year, but really it’s up to the whims of the judges. It’s a western award so it’s logically going to skew towards western comics.
everything nominated that I’ve read has been wonderful, I don’t envy the judges.
Positivity first, to maintain karmic balance: that Matt Fraction Spider-Man annual, universally praised for its treatment of the Parker marriage, is up for an award. That’s nice to see. And while it seems sort of weird to see a licensed Buffy comic on the list, I can’t disagree.
So… Best Ongoing Series… The Boys?
Really?
Not a single series being published by Image or Marvel this year was better than The Boys, huh? Aaaaall right.
Thanks again for all the support guys. You’ve been super generous with your coverage of The Homeless Channel. I owe you all round of drinks.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
I hope Jeff Lemire wins for Graphic Album, and writer artist. I loved both of the Essex Counties and you can tell he put a lot of his heart into the stories.
I’m surprised about Johnny Hiro. I read an issue and it wasn’t good. The art was okay, but the story was kind of dumb.
Scalped is definitely my favorite on the list.
Where is Johns? Hurm.
Awesome to see Buffy and Y get the love they deserve. Boy, Vaughan and Whedon are all over these noms, huh.
Really glad Pia Guerra’s in there, and also cool to see Brian Wood get a nod for DMZ.
The following nominations really pleased me:
Best Continuing Series – The Spirit (Darwyn Cooke)
Best New Series – The Immortal Iron Fist (Brubaker and Fraction)
Best Writer – Ed Brubaker
Best Penciler, etc. – Steve Epting, et al (Captain America)
Best Cover Artist – John Cassaday
Best Coloring – Dave Stewart
Great to see these nominations – Nightly News, Scalped, Monster, Agents of Atlas HC. I’ve been eyeing that Satchel Paige book, and this cinches that I’ll pick it up.
I might take this opportunity to suggest that our Beloved Hosts might really dig Super Spy by Matthew Kindt – a novel of interlocking espionage tales.
I read Lakia in the bookstore. Soooo depressing.
I feel like Geoff Johns got ripped off in more than a few categories here.
Ditto on the Geoff Johns.
I was happy to see Darwyn Cooke’s Spirit though
I really like some of these nominations. The writer category is strong, as are pretty much all the ones involving art in the slightest (yay for Pia!). But man, again, the best ongoing category is pretty bad. Last year they nominated two books (All Star Supes and Young Avengers) that had put out a combined 5 issues in the year nominated for, and this year there’s The Boys and Buffy? Don’t get me wrong, I love both those books and they’re better than about 70% of what I read/buy, but that’s it. So many stronger options to be had there.
But oh well. Hickman got some love, SCALPED got some love, SENTENCES is floating around which is awesome. Overall, I’d give it a thumb and a half up.
I don’t know if anyone caught Mister Wonderful from the NY Times Magazine that got a nod, but it was pretty good. I’m not sure if these are being reprinted anywhere
I’m really glad to see Jeff Lemire’s Essex County getting some Eisner love.
I’m totally surprised that The Boys got nominated. I don’t think that is even anywhere as good as Punisher MAX. Maybe it got some love just to give Dynamite some credit for picking it up after DC dropped it, or conversely to stick it to DC.
Super excited Scalped got a nomination, it should definitely win.
I can see why All-Star Superman didn’t get a nom for best continuing series (it hardly ever comes out and it won last year), but Issue 10 should have gotten nominated for best single issue. I will be very surprised if Issue 10 isn’t my favorite single issue for this year. And JLA #11, was good at best just saying.
I TOLD YOU ALL TO READ JOHNNY HIRO!
I loved the inky shadows and creepy atmosphere illustrated in Marvel’s "The Dark Tower," but Jai Lee’s page layouts were very boring. There was no variety to the pattern of panels, page after page looked the same.
Not like David Mack’s New Avengers, those pages were dynamic and added a lot the issue.
BKV, I’m with ya buddy!