Comic Book News

Eisner Winners 2007

The Eisners are the comic book equivalent of the Oscars. The winners have been posted. The full list of nominated entries can be found here. The full results are found below, with commentary by me for the categories of particular interesting:

Best Short Story
“A Frog’s Eye View,” by Bill Willingham and James Jean, in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)
This is a pretty cool story but I dunno if it’s worthy of the best short story. The artwork is brilliant but it was over before it started. Maybe I’m being hypercritical about this but as I’ve not really read the other stories in this category.

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Batman/The Spirit #1: “Crime Convention,” by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke (DC)
I actually read and heard a lot of great things about this here little story. Definitely going to pick it up when it’s in a nice little collection, which hopefully should be pretty soon. Once again I’ve not actually read any of the other entries in this category. A couple of Adhouse stories in there, which makes me wonder why I’ve not been buying much from them.

Best Continuing Series
All Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)
I’ve read and reviewed the first issue of this series, which I thought was great. The first collection has been released as a hardcover, but I’m waiting for it as a trade as I don’t feel it warrents me getting it in the DC hardcover format. Maybe if they employed the Marvel oversized hardcover format I’d be there. Still it beat some pretty solid competition. The only series on that list I’m not familiar with, that I’m going to definitely check out is Naoki Urasawa’s Monster. Viz has always done well with the quality of books the generally publish.

Best Limited Series
Batman: Year 100, by Paul Pope (DC)
I read an article about this in both the Comics Journal and Wired. Both sung it’s praises greatly, so I’m definitely going to be buying this book. I actually flicked through it in the airport a month ago but for some strange reason didn’t buy it. I think it’s time to remedy that mistake. I’ve heard great things about “The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M” and I’m currently reading “The Other Side”, which is seriously excellent, so it’s obviously a good one to have beaten both of those books.

Best New Series
Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
Finally Ed and Sean get some proper recognition. After 4 volumes on Sleeper, the duo that could have won their first Eisner. Mad props to the boys as they’ve deserved one of these for many years, so it’s nice to see them winning for something that’s creator owned. Expect a review for this excellent series soon on Splash Panel. I’ve got to say that I’ve not really enjoyed Jack of Fables as much as others seem to have. It’s no where near as good as Fables, which is partly due to the weaker character that is Jack. I’ve recently picked up Lone Ranger as well, which seems to be an exceptional package. I’m sure to talk about this series in the not so distant future, as it’s gone the Alex Ross route, and provided John Cassaday with the title of ‘art director’, so he’s responisble for the character designs and the covers and the general direction (I guess it also includes the colouring etc). Still Criminal is a more than worthy winner.

Best Title for a Younger Audience
Gumby, by Bob Burden and Rick Geary (Wildcard)

Best Humor Publication
Flaming Carrot Comics, by Bob Burden (Desperado/Image)

Best Anthology
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, by Bill Willingham and various (Vertigo/DC)

Best Digital Comic
Sam and Max, by Steve Purcell

Best Reality-Based Work
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin)

Best Graphic Album - New
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)
Well, I’ve already talked about this brilliant graphic novel, it’s on my top 10 of this year so I’m extremely happy that the panel has also acknowledged that this story is worthy of everyone’s attention that need to read a great story. Well done Gene, much deserved.

Best Graphic Album - Reprint
Absolute DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)

Best Archival Collection/Project - Strips
The Complete Peanuts, 1959-1960, 1961-1962, by Charles Schulz (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project - Comic Books
Absolute Sandman, vol. 1, by Neil Gaiman and various (Vertigo/DC)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
The Left Bank Gang, by Jason (Fantagraphics)
It’s really strange that I’ve never bought anything from Jason. He’s been on my radar for a good long while now, as there’s something odd by special about his brid character with the jacket and his other qirky characters. Definitely will have to look into getting something, ANYTHING by this creator.

Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Japan
Old Boy, by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi (Dark Horse Manga)

Best Writer
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil (Marvel); Criminal (Marvel Icon)
FINALLY. Seriously, I rate Brubaker a great deal, so for the man to win this is excellent. It’s a bit sad that it only came now after he’s left DC, but alas he’s hitting (and has consistently hit) everything he’s touching out of the park.

Best Writer/Artist
Paul Pope, Batman: Year 100 (DC)

Best Writer/Artist - Humor
Tony Millionaire, Billy Hazelnuts (Fantagraphics); Sock Monkey: The Inches Incident (Dark Horse)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)
This is another well deserved Eisner (what the hell is going on, I’m actually in tune with the panel this year). Mark Buckingham is one of the nicest guys around. I’ve met him a couple of times and every time he was extremely gracious to me and those I dragged along with me. He’s definitely taken Fables by the neck and put his stamp on it. He shines when he goes mental with the border details, which is a sign of someone having a great deal of fun with what they’re doing. After years on Spiderman, he’s finally drawing something that he was born to draw, and it’s nice that he’s got this acknowledgement as well.

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Jill Thompson, “A Dog and His Boy” in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters; “Love Triangle” in Sexy Chix (Dark Horse); “Fair Division,” in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)

Best Cover Artist
James Jean, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)

Best Coloring
Dave Stewart, BPRD, Conan, The Escapists, Hellboy (Dark Horse); Action Comics, Batman/The Spirit, Superman (DC)

Best Lettering
Todd Klein, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall; Pride of Baghdad, Testament (Vertigo/DC); Fantastic Four: 1602, Eternals (Marvel); Lost Girls (Top Shelf)
Not that I disagree with this, but Todd Klein has won this category consistently since forever. I can’t remember anyone else who won this award in recent memory? Where’s the Richard Starklings of the comic book work? The Chris Eliopoulos? C’mon peeps. This was far too safe a decision.

Special Recognition
Hope Larson, Gray Horses (Oni)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)

Best Comics-Related Book
The Art of Brian Bolland, edited by Joe Pruett (Desperado/Image)

Best Publication Design
Absolute DC: The New Frontier, designed by Darwyn Cooke (DC)

Hall of Fame
Judges’ Choices (2): Robert Kanigher and Ogden Whitney
- Ross Andru & Mike Esposito
- Dick Ayers
- Wayne Boring
- Joe Orlando

© 2007 Splash Panel.