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The Eisner Awards take place in late July at the San Diego Comic Con. This year comics, graphic novels and mangas that were published in 2023 have been nominated and have the chance to win an Eisner Award in 32 categories.
We've been happy to see that a lot of works and authors that we appreciated last year have been nominated! Some of yours too? Not sure yet? Well, there's are a few Eisner Awards themed collections that we've created for you. And magic man Walt put an additional 10% on all the 2024 nominated books, so really go check it out!
But what is all the fuss about the Eisner Awards? Aside from being one of the most prestigious comics awards, it is also a sign. A sign that the book you're reading, or thinking about reading, is soooo good that it was nominated for one of the 32 Eisner Awards that can be won each year.
And what's great about working in a comic book store? Aside from the weekly critiques of each other's tastes, there's also the daily appreciation and recommendations of great comics, manga, and graphic novels we've read. And a lot of the books I've read were personal recommendations from my dear colleagues, from our newsletters, or from Heiko's weekly comic recommendations.
So we thought, hey, why not recreate that, but for everyone? So here are our very personal, very unsolicited favorite Eisner Awards nominated books of 2024.
Heiko's Eisner Awards recommendation
Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees
Well, I was asked to pick one of the 2024 Eisner Awards nominees to write a few praising words about it so that you good people get inspired.
I had the option of choosing two as well. But then that doesn't make any difference. It's on the same gut-wrenching level as "What's your favorite band?" or "Can you recommend a good song?".
But hey, I'm willing to go through this agony for you.
So I did. And I chose one.
I then simply decided on the series that inspired me most current. And since that wasn't enough to make a clear choice, I decided on the greatest effort.
Thus, the Heiko Award clearly goes to Patrick Horvath's Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees. Simply because Horvath is solely responsible for the idea, story and artwork. And simply masters in all of these.
Okay, the idea is not necessarily mint for a Dexter enthusiast like me, but the realization is unique enough to let it pass as near mint.
Beneath The Trees, the fabulous comic thriller about small-town serial killer Samantha is one of those rare pieces that has no panel, stroke or splash of color, no speech bubble and not one word too many.
The plot is gripping right from the start and remains surprising until the end. Not a shocking wow-surprise, but a gentle one.
The humor is subliminal, the thrills straight on. The characters are unique and thanks to the fable concept, the horror always remains a little sweet.
But, to bring the whole thing to a close here (because even though Gloriana wrote that fateful phrase: there is no word limit, I'll try to keep it short-ish) I was most impressed by Patrick Horvath's incredible artwork. And I don't need to explain why, it's obvious.
So, Beneath The Trees is not only a welcome methadone program for Dexter fans, but also an exciting, flawlessly entertaining gem for anyone who likes … well, comics!
Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees TP
€16,19
€17,99
Live, laugh, shed blood. Dexter meets Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town in this twisted debut graphic novel! Don’t. Murder. The locals. This is small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule. After all, there’s a… read more
Jakob's Eisner Awards recommendation
Local Man
Local Man TP Vol 01 Heartland
€14,99
€16,99
STRAY DOGS creator TONY FLEECS teams with REVIVAL's TIM SEELEY for a widely critically acclaimed story that combines rural crime noir and superhero action. Once, JACK XAVER, star recruit of the media sensation super-team THIRD GEN, had it all. But… read more
Transformers
Transformers TP Vol 01
€14,44
€16,99
THE TRANSFORMERS JOIN THE ENERGON UNIVERSE!?**Optimus Prime was supposed to have led the Autobots to victory. Instead, the fate of Cybertron is unknown, and his allies have crash-landed far from home, alongside their enemies—the Decepticons.?As these titanic forces renew their… read more
Gloriana's Eisner Awards recommendations
The Cull
When I started working at Walt's Comic Shop in July 2023, my boss had a subscription to a series called "The Cull". He opened it for a few seconds and said no and asked me if I wanted to read it. I said yes, only because I make a spiteful effort to love everything he doesn't love, but now that effort has resulted in one of my favorite reads of 2023, that has been nominated in the 'Best Limited Series' category of the Eisner Awards!
Although I have to admit that Mattia De Iulis art was unusual for me at first, I came to love it. Even more so Kelly Thompson's writing and the characters.
The worst thing about The Cull is that it's only a limited series. Even though it's a limited series, you get to know our five main characters and enough of their backstories to empathize with them, but never too much to keep you hooked.
You'll want to know more about their broken relationships, their broken family life, this weird forbidden place on the beach where they want to shoot their movie, why this place is forbidden, why Cleo is so emo, and why, why, why?
This graphic novel has put Kelly Thompson on my life list of must-read authors.
The Cull TP Vol 01
€8,99
€14,99
Eisner-winning writer KELLY THOMPSON re-teams with superstar artist MATTIA DE IULIS for their first creator-owned work together—a dark tale of five friends setting off in the middle of the night to shoot a short film on a forbidden rock near… read more
Black Cloak
Surprise, Kelly Thompson makes the list again, with Black Cloak. It's a detective solving mysterious murders story with enough lightness to not make it dark and gloomy. And yet it is sometimes dark and gloomy. And Kelly Thompson makes it work!
You're thrown into the story, all at once. A new world, a war ridden history, different factions, royal and love drama, a murder, human eating mermaids with fangs and a detective duo that reminds of Jake and Terry in Brooklyn 99.
I think what I like most about Black Cloak is that it reminds me that stories don't have to be serious, comics and graphic novels don't have to be serious, they can be funny. Even though I often feel that comics have to be more to prove to people that they are not just for kids, it is really nice to see great and funny works like Black Cloak nominated for an Eisner Award.
Black Cloak TP Vol 01
€8,99
€14,99
From Eisner Award-winning writer KELLY THOMPSON (Black Widow, Captain Marvel) and superstar artist MEREDITH McCLAREN (HINGES, Jem & The Holograms), BLACK CLOAK is a delectable fantasy and sci-fi blend with a detective procedural shot straight through its heart. Essex and… read more
Walt's Eisner Awards Recommendations
Marvel Comics #1000
Marvel Age #1000
€12,00
IT'S A CELEBRATION OF THE MARVEL AGE OF COMICS - AND YOU ARE INVITED! This massive commemorative issue includes contributions from some of the most storied creators in Marvel history, as well as a few surprises, as the classic days… read more
Barnstormers: A Ballad Of Love And Murder
Barnstormers: A Ballad Of Love And Murder TP
€21,99
€24,99
A high-flying, post WWI-era historical fiction graphic novel that’s an intimate portrait of love and war—and a meditation on the dangerous level of trust required in both romance and aviation. It’s 1927—the late days of the barnstorming era, when pilots… read more
Simone's Eisner Awards recommendations
Great Beyond
How many people know your name?
If your very life depended on the answer to the previous question, would you sleep peacefully?
The premises of the world that Léa Murawiec builds are captivating, with obvious parallels to the reality we live in. However, what truly drew me into the pages of “Great Beyond” is the sense of vertigo experienced when observing the megalopolis illustrated by the author: immense skyscrapers with perspectives that stretch into infinity, an incessant sequence of neon lights and billboards that obsessively repeat the names of the inhabitants. Even the bodies stretch and expand, trying to grasp their surroundings. But in “Great Beyond,” even though everything gains its own volume, a tangible corporeality on the pages of the comic, the feeling you get is that of being lost: Of being a name among many others.
One of the most beautiful graphic novels I've read recently.
Great Beyond by Léa Murawiec GN HC
€29,66
€32,95
How would you live with nothing but your name?Manel Naher wants out. In a world where your name is currency, it’s tough to make ends meet. It’s even tougher when you share a name with a rising pop star. The… read more
Goodbye, Eri
I love stories where authors play with the narrative itself, with the rules that distinguish a good story, and with the medium they use. Tatsuki Fujimoto shows us that the success achieved with Chainsaw Man is not a fluke, but the result of an author who understands well what it means to create a comic.
Fujimoto plays with two mediums at the same time, taking the space of a comic to unfold on paper what is effectively a film. Or rather: a film within a film within a film. A narrative that might seem complex but follows a clear line for the reader. This is what happens when stories talk to us about something that concerns us all, such as losing a loved one.
How do we process grief? What happens when we try to tell that pain? Is there a way to tell someone's story without betraying their true nature?
I can't wait to read the next story from this author.
Goodbye, Eri GN
€13,49
€14,99
An explosive story from the mad genius behind Chainsaw Man and Look Back! Young filmmaker Yuta contemplates suicide after the death of his mother, but a chance meeting with a mysterious girl will alter his life in an explosive way.… read more
