The 10 Biggest Comic Stories From SDCC '16

Believe it or not San Diego Comic-Con was once a convention that was primarily focused on comic books.  This was long before it became the annual mecca of genre television and film we know today - SDCC actually has very humble beginnings.  Launched in 1970 as the Golden State Comic-Minicon, the first gathering attracted only 300 people and has held in a hotel conference room.  The biggest draw at that first event was an appearances from Ray Bradbury and Jack Kirby.  The focus shift away from comics occurred in  1976 , following a name change to San Diego Comic-Con and the arrival of the first film to be promoted at the convention, Star Wars! 

With sci-fi and comic book films slowly gaining dominion over public interest in the decades to come, the focus at SDCC slowly shifted from comics to pop culture.  But even though Hall H and the reveals from Marvel and Warner Bros. dominate the convention today, lets show respect for where things began. Here are the top 10 comic book stories coming out of SDCC '16.  

10. The Fantastic Four Aren't Coming Back Anytime Soon

As of issued #645, the Fantastic Four were no more in the Marvel universe.  Following he Secret Wars storyline, Ben Grimm is a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Human Torch is an Avengers and ambassador to the Inhumans while Mr. Fantastic and his immediate family exist outside of time and space - continuing their repairs to the multiverse.  Peter Parker has purchased the Baxter Building for his Parker Industries New York Headquarters, but it's a move that Peter secretly made to keep the building in safe hands for the day when Mister Fantastic and his immediate family return. 

With Secret Wars wrapping in January, there's been no mention of the FF4, anywhere. Conspiracy theorist say this decision by Marvel was a tongue-wagging move at 20th Century Fox as part of a larger effort to get the team's film rights back into the hands of Marvel Studios.  In reality, the Fantastic Four were one of Marvel's worst-selling titles at the time of their cancellation and the company had only kept publishing the series for nostalgic purposes.  At Marvel's Cup O' Joe panel at SDCC, a young fan asked if the Fantastic Four would be returning soon (which earned massive applause from the audience), however Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso crushed those hopes, stating that Marvel's First Family would not be returning anytime soon.

9. DC Will Bring Milestone And Wildstorm Back... Eventually

The New 52 effectively incorporated the entire DC line into one universe.  That meant characters from Milestone and Wildstorm were free to appear and interact with longtime DC superheroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.  And initially, that was the case.  Characters like Grifter, Apollo, Midnighter, Static Shock and Icon and many others were visible across the entire New 52 landscape.  But as time passed, many of these characters faded to the background and eventually entered "comic book limbo." 

However, at his "DC: Meet the Co-Publishers" panel at SDCC, Jim Lee confirmed to the audience that  Wildstorm characters would be returning very soon and in a major way. He went on to add that he'd have a big announcement at NYCC later this year in October.  As for Milestone characters, with DC: Rebirth reestablishing the existence of alternate realities, it was announced that the Milestone characters would be moving to "Earth-M," with graphic novels, one-shots and miniseries being released annually.  However, Lee cited the busy schedule of Milestone founder Reggie Hudlin as the primary hurdle preventing Milestone material from being produced.  

8. Details On Marvel's Insider Program

Everyone has a loyalty rewards program these days.  Spend a certain amount of money at Starbucks and you'll earn free food and drinks.  Earn a certain number of credits at Regal Cinemas and you'll earn free movie tickets and concession upgrades.  As such, it's surprising it took Marvel so long to roll out its own program.  Announced during SDCC, the Marvel Insider program is a "digital service that tracks your Marvel purchases across various channels" and rewards you with digital comic books and collectibles as you accrue more points. 

What's cool about the Marvel Insider program is that you can earn points in a variety of ways, not just by purchasing comics.  Listen to a Marvel podcast and you earn points.  Engage with Marvel accounts on Twitter and you earn points.  Watch the latest Marvel Studios trailers online and you earn points.  You get the picture.   Eventually, you'll rack up enough points for free comics, tee-shirts, posters and more. 

7. DC Rebirth Plans For Batman 

During the DC Rebirth: Batman panel at SDCC, key Bat-book creators were dishing on what they had planned for their respective titles.  In attendance were Batman editor Mark Doyle, All-Star Batman writer Scott Snyder, Batman writer Tom King, Detective Comics writer James Tynion IV, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey writers Shawna and Julie Benson, and DC Vice President of Content Strategy John Cunningham.  For his title, everyone's current favorite Batman writer, Scott Snyder, stated that he actually won't focus too heavily on The Dark Knight.  "I came up with an idea to investigate all these villains I didn't get a chance to use [during my run on the main Batman series] like Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Mister Freeze and Mad Hatter." Snyder also confirmed that KGBeast, Killer Moth and Firefly will appear as well.

As things currently stand the overarching storyline across the family of Batman books will obviously take place on Tom King's Batman book.  James Tynion IV will tackle themes of teamwork and Bat-family relationships in Detective Comics.  With Birds of Prey, Sisters Shawna and Julie Benson will explore issues of methodology in Birds of Prey, where you have Huntress - who won't hesitate to kill, Batgirl - who doesn't kill in any situation and Black Canary - who lies somewhere in the middle.  Snyder joked that with such organization among the different titles, it left him free to go "off-roading in the Batmobile."

6. X-Men vs Inhumans Limited Series Announced

In recent years, it seems like the X-Men have been willing to throw down with any and everyone who so much as looks in their direction.  After the infighting of  X-Men: Schism (2011) and taking on Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers vs X-Men (2012), it will be an all-out war between the Inhumans and X-Men later this December.  One things for sure, Marvel has assembled some impressive talent for the six-issue miniseries as it will be written by Jeff Lemire and Charles Soule and drawn by Leinil Yu.

The conflict between the two superhero groups stems from the Terrigen Mists, which is used to create new Inhumans but is deadly poisonous to mutant kind.  As a fallout from the Infinity storyline, a Terrigen Bomb was detonated in Earth's atmosphere to create new Inhumans or Nuhumans, in an effort to repulse an invading Thanos.  With the T-bomb now reaching it's highest saturation point, mutants all over the Earth are in great peril.  At SDCC Jeff Lemire gave the quick tease, "Old Man Logan vs. Everyone [was a battle he was excited to write]. But really, there were so many fun combinations of characters and conflicts it was an embarrassment of riches when planning the story. I will say that Medusa and Storm both rise to the occasion and become key figures in the story. And as the X-Men writer, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Karnak."

5. Tom Taylo Will Write The Injustice 2 Prequel Comic

Big news Injustice fans!  Tom Taylor will be back to write the digital-first comic book series as it makes the transition from telling the events that led up to the first game to bridging the story between Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2. Said Taylor in an official press release, "Having had such a big role in tearing apart the Injustice universe and its characters, I'm very excited for the opportunity to return and do it again.  To be given so much freedom to play with the world’s greatest Super Heroes and Super-Villains every week is a dream, and I want to thank everyone at DC, WBIE and NetherRealm for their continued faith in me, editor Jim Chadwick, and our incredible team."


Taylor went on to poke fun at the fact that there aren't really a whole lot of "Gods" left in the Injustice universe.  "Our overarching goal is to tell one complete story between the comics and the games.  In writing Injustice 2, there are a lot less ‘Gods Among Us’ than when we started our story, but I hope to join Batman and the world's finest heroes in cleaning up the mess an evil Superman and his regime left behind. I hope to repair Earth and bring back hope... but this is Injustice. Prepare for tears, comedy, triumph, devastation, shocking tragic twists involving DC’s most beloved characters…and Harley Quinn stealing every scene she's in."

Taylor left the Injustice series in Year 3 and was replaced by Brian Buccellato.  At the time, Taylor was simply too busy working on other titles such as the New 52's Earth-2 and Marvel's Superior Iron Man.  This year will see the Gods Among Us prequel comic series wrap its five-year story which detailed the events leading up to the first game.  Injustice 2 will be released on the PC, Xbox One and PS4 in 2017. 

4.Surprise! Peter Parker's Life Is About To Take A Turn For The Worse

During Marvel's Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends SDCC Panel, the next few storylines for Marvel Spider-books were outlined for those in attendance. Though the panel was supposed to focus on Spider-Man 2099, Silk and Spider-Gwen,  Marvel editor Devin Lewis dropped a ton of details on what's to come over in the Amazing Spider-Man title, written by Dan Slott. As previously teased, Doc Ock will be back but with a twist.

Apparently, Doctor Octopus will be returning soon but following his turn as the Superior Spider-Man, Doctor Otto Gunther Octavius' brain is trapped inside The Living Brain.  Eventually he brakes free and returns in full, with his original mind/psyche inside a freshly cloned body.  It was also revealed that the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, which many intentionally thought would undo the (still) controversial One More Day (2007), is sadly, set in an alternate universe.    

3. DC Rebirth Clues - What You Should Be Reading

The original Wally West is back and the DC Universe is in danger from Watchmen's  Dr. Manhattan.  If that premise doesn't get you excited about comic books then nothing will.  During the DC Rebirth: Behind The Scenes panel at SDCC, Dan DiDio and Geoff Johns teased that there are plenty more surprise revelations coming down the line.  According to Johns, the decision to move away from the New 52 ideology stemmed from many of the top DC executives feeling a sense of nostalgia for all the things they fell in love with back when they were all reading comics for the first time.  "It was really a sense of history and legacy, and most importantly the emotional relationships between the characters. That's where Wally West came in."

According to Johns and DiDio, the titles which readers to watch closely are Detective Comics, Superman, Green Arrow and Titans (not to be confused with Teen Titans).  However, Jim Lee stressed that the Rebirth was not a Reboot as the entire continuity of the New 52 is still contained within Rebirth, DC has simply just brought back all the past lore as well.  

2. Richard Rider's Nova Is Returning

As of today, there's no word on the creative team that will write and draw the new Marvel NOW! Nova series but we'll let you know as soon as Marvel reveals the details.     

1. The 2016 Eisner Award Winners

Along with the Harvey Awards, the Eisner Awards make up the top two awards given out to comic book professionals.  Think the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.  This year, the Eisner's were full of both surprise and triumphant repeat-winners.  Check out the full list of nominees and winners below (winners in bold).

Best Short Story

• “Killing and Dying,” by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #14 (Drawn & Quarterly)
• “Black Death in America,” by Tom King and John Paul Leon, in Vertigo Quarterly: Black (Vertigo/DC)
• “Hand Me Down,” by Kristyna Baczynski, in 24 x 7 (Fanfare Presents)
• “It’s Going to Be Okay,” by Matthew Inman, in The Oatmeal, 
• “Lion and Mouse,” by R. Sikoryak, in Fable Comics (First Second)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

• Silver Surfer #11: “Never After,” by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)
• A Blanket of Butterflies, by Richard Van Camp and Scott B. Henderson (HighWater Press)
• I Love This Part, by Tillie Walden (Avery Hill)
• Mowgli’s Mirror, by Olivier Schrauwen (Retrofit/Big Planet)
• Pope Hats #4, by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse)

Best Continuing Series

• Southern Bastards, by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (Image)
• Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)
• Giant Days, by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Serin (BOOM! Studios/BOOM! Box)
• Invincible, by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cliff Rathburn (Image/Skybound)
• Silver Surfer, by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)

Best Limited Series

• The Fade Out, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
• Chrononauts, by Mark Millar and Sean Murphy (Image)
• Lady Killer, by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich (Dark Horse)
• Minimum Wage: So Many Bad Decisions, by Bob Fingerman (Image)
• The Spire, by Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely (BOOM! Studios)

Best New Series

• Paper Girls, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (Image)
• Bitch Planet, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro (Image)
• Harrow County, by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook (Dark Horse)
• Kaijumax, by Zander Cannon (Oni)
• Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Marvel)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

• Little Robot, by Ben Hatke (First Second)
• Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosion, by Dominque Roques and Alexis Dormal (First Second)
• The Only Child, by Guojing (Schwartz & Wade)
• SheHeWe, by Lee Nordling and Meritxell Bosch (Lerner Graphic Universe)
• Written and Drawn by Henrietta, by Liniers (TOON Books)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

• Over the Garden Wall, by Pat McHale and Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)
• Baba Yaga’s Assistant, by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll (Candlewick)
• Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War, by Jessica Dee Humphreys, Michel Chikwanine, and Claudia Devila (Kids Can Press)
• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor, by Nathan Hale (Abrams Amulet)
• Roller Girl, by Victoria Jamieson (Dial Books)
• Sunny Side Up, by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Scholastic Graphix)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• Super Mutant Magic Academy, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Awkward, by Svetlana Chmakova (Yen Press)
• Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
• Moose, by Max de Radiguès (Conundrum)
• Oyster War, by Ben Towle (Oni)

Best Humor Publication

• Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection, by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Cyanide & Happiness: Stab Factory, by Kris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, and Dave McElfatrick (BOOM! Studios/BOOM! Box)
• Deep Dark Fears, by Fran Krause (Ten Speed Press)
• Sexcastle, by Kyle Starks (Image)
• UR, by Eric Haven (AdHouse)

Best Digital/Webcomic

• Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain/comiXology)
• Fresh Romance, edited by Janelle Asselin (Rosy Press)
• The Legend of Wonder Woman, by Renae De Liz (DC Digital)
• Lighten Up, by Ronald Wimberly (The Nib), thenib.com/lighten-up-4f7f96ca8a7e#.u45ffr3l1
• These Memories Won’t Last, by Stu Campbell, 

Best Anthology

• Drawn & Quarterly, Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary, Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels, edited by Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Eat More Comics: The Best of the Nib, edited by Matt Bors (The Nib)
• 24 x 7, edited by Dan Berry (Fanfare Presents)
• Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, vol. 3, edited by David Petersen (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
• Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, edited by Shannon Watters (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)

Best Reality-Based Work

• March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
• The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978–1984, by Riad Sattouf (Metropolitan Books)
• Displacement: A Travelogue, by Lucy Knisley (Fantagraphics)
• Hip Hop Family Tree, Book 3: 1983–1984, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
• Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist, by Bill Griffith (Fantagraphics)
• The Story of My Tits, by Jennifer Hayden (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Graphic Album—New

• Ruins, by Peter Kuper (SelfMadeHero)
• Long Walk to Valhalla, by Adam Smith and Matthew Fox (BOOM!/Archaia)
• Nanjing: The Burning City, by Ethan Young (Dark Horse)
• Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen, by Dylan Horrocks (Fantagraphics)
• The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, by Sydney Padua (Pantheon)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson (Harper Teen)
• Angry Youth Comics, by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics)
• Roses in December: A Story of Love and Alzheimer’s, by Tom Batiuk and Chuck Ayers (Kent State University Press)
• The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal Omnibus, by E. K. Weaver (Iron Circus Comics)
• Soldier’s Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

• Two Brothers, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)
• Captive of Friendly Cove: Based on the Secret Journals of John Jewitt, by Rebecca Goldfield, Mike Short, and Matt Dembicki (Fulcrum)
• City of Clowns, by Daniel Alarcón and Sheila Alvarado (Riverhead Books)
• Ghetto Clown, by John Leguizamo, Christa Cassano, and Shamus Beyale (Abrams ComicArts)
• Lafcadio Hearn’s “The Faceless Ghost” and Other Macabre Tales from Japan, adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and Michiru Morikawa (Shambhala)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• The Realist, by Asaf Hanuka (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
• Alpha . . . Directions, by Jens Harder (Knockabout/Fanfare)
• The Eternaut, by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez (Fantagraphics)
• A Glance Backward by Pierre Paquet and Tony Sandoval (Magnetic Press)
• The March of the Crabs, by Arthur de Pins (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

• Showa, 1953–1989: A History of Japan, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Assassination Classroom, vols. 2–7, by Yusei Matsui (VIZ)
• A Bride’s Story, by Kaoru Mori (Yen Press)
• Master Keaton, vols. 2–4, by Naoki Urasawa, Hokusei Katsushika, and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ)
• A Silent Voice, by Yoshitoki Oima (Kodansha)
• Sunny, by Taiyo Matsumoto (VIZ)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

• The Eternaut, by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez, edited by Gary Groth and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
• Beyond Mars, by Jack Williamson and Lee Elias, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
• Cartoons for Victory, by Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics)
• The Complete Funky Winkerbean, vol. 4, by Tom Batiuk, edited by Mary Young (Black Squirrel Books)
• Kremos: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi, vols. 1 and 2, edited by Joseph P. Procopio (Picture This/Lost Art Books)
• White Boy in Skull Valley, by Garrett Price, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

• Walt Kelly’s Fairy Tales, edited by Craig Yoe (IDW)
• Frank Miller’s Ronin Gallery Edition, edited by Bob Chapman (Graphitti Designs/DC)
• Craig Russell’s Murder Mystery and Other Stories Gallery Edition, edited by Daniel Chabon (Dark Horse)
• The Puma Blues: The Complete Saga, by Stephen Murphy, Alan Moore, Michael Zulli, Stephen R. Bissette, and Dave Sim (Dover)
• Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Don Rosa Library, vols. 3–4, edited by David Gerstein (Fantagraphics)

Best Writer

• Jason Aaron, Southern Bastards (Image), Men of Wrath (Marvel Icon), Doctor Strange, Star Wars, Thor (Marvel)
• John Allison, Giant Days (BOOM! Studios)
• Ed Brubaker, The Fade Out, Velvet, Criminal Special Edition (Image)
• Marjorie Liu, Monstress (Image)
• Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist

• Bill Griffith, Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist (Fantagraphics)
• Nathan Hale, Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor (Abrams)
• Sydney Padua, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage (Pantheon)
• Ed Piskor, Hip-Hop Family Tree, vol. 3 (Fantagraphics)
• Noah Van Sciver, Fante Bukowski, Saint Cole (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

• Cliff Chiang, Paper Girls (Image)
• Michael Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel); Art Ops (Vertigo/DC)
• Erica Henderson, Jughead (Archie), Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Marvel)
• Joëlle Jones, Lady Killer (Dark Horse), Brides of Helheim (Oni)
• Nate Powell, March, Book Two (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

• Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)
• Federico Bertolucci, Love: The Tiger and Love: The Fox (Magnetic Press)
• Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain)
• Carita Lupattelli, Izuna (Humanoids)
• Tony Sandoval, A Glance Backward (Magnetic Press)

Best Cover Artist

• David Aja, Hawkeye, Karnak, Scarlet Witch (Marvel)
• Rafael Albuquerque, Ei8ht (Dark Horse), Huck (Image)
• Amanda Conner, Harley Quinn (DC)
• Joëlle Jones, Lady Killer (Dark Horse), Brides of Helheim (Oni)
• Ed Piskor, Hip-Hop Family Tree (Fantagraphics)

Best Coloring

• Jordie Bellaire, The Autumnlands, Injection, Plutona, Pretty Deadly, The Surface, They’re Not Like Us, Zero (Image); The X-Files (IDW); The Massive (Dark Horse); Magneto, Vision (Marvel)
• Laura Allred, Lady Killer (Dark Horse); Silver Surfer (Marvel); Art OPS (Vertigo/DC)
• Elizabeth Breitwiser, The Fade Out, Criminal Magazine, Outcast, Velvet (Image)
• John Rauch, The Beauty (Image); Batman: Arkham Knight, Earth 2: Society (DC); Runaways (Marvel)
• Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD Hell on Earth, Fight Club 2, Frankenstein Underground, Hellboy in Hell, Hellboy and the BPRD, (Dark Horse); Sandman: Overture, Twilight Children (Vertigo/DC), Captain America: White (Marvel), Space Dumplins (Scholastic Graphix)

Best Lettering

• Derf Backderf, Trashed (Abrams)
• Steve Dutro, Blood-C, Midnight Society, Plants vs Zombies (Dark Horse)
• Lucy Knisley, Displacement (Fantagraphics)
• Troy Little, Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Top Shelf/IDW)
• Kevin McCloskey, We Dig Worms! (TOON Books)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• Hogan’s Alley, edited by Tom Heintjes (Hogan’s Alley)
• Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
• Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)
• Comic Riffs blog by Michael Cavna, washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/
• Jack Kirby Collector, edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)

Best Comics-Related Book

• Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America, by Bill Schelly (Fantagraphics)
• King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
• Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear (Abrams ComicArts)
• Out of Line: The Art of Jules Feiffer, by Martha Fay (Abrams ComicArts)
• Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel, by Paul Levitz (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

• The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art, edited by Frances Gateward and John Jennings (Rutgers)
• Boys Love Manga and Beyond: History, Culture, and Community in Japan, edited by Mark McLelland et al. (University Press of Mississippi)
• Graphic Medicine Manifesto, by M. K. Czerwiec et al. (Penn State University Press)
• Superheroes on World Screens, edited by Rayna Denison and Rachel Mizsei-Ward (University Press of Mississippi)
• Unflattening, by Nick Sousanis (Harvard University Press)

Best Publication Design

• Sandman Gallery Edition, designed by Graphitti Designs and Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios (Graphitti Designs/DC)
• Beyond the Surface, designed by Nicolas André, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro, and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
• The Eternaut, designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics)
• Eventually Everything Connects, designed by Loris Lora, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro, and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
• King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate, designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
• Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, designed by Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)

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