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The Eisner Awards are the defining place where critics, creators, and those working in the comics industry decide what is the best comics, comic books, graphic novels, and associated material are of the year prior. This year, those winners (and the nominees) were celebrated in a lush banquet hall in the shadow of Comic-Con International: San Diego, where a who's who of comic creators show up to find out if they won, who won, and to celebrate the medium known as comics.

The big winner of the weekend was DC Comics, and specifically its Absolute Universe line. Titles from that 2-year-old imprint. Titles from that line won for 'Best Continuing Series' (Absolute Batman), 'Best One-Shot/Single Issue' (Absolute Batman 2025 Annual), and Best Limited Series (Absolute Martian Manhunter, and Absolute Martian Manhunter artist Javier Rodriguez won for both 'Best Penciller/Inker' and 'Best Cover Artist,' while Absolute Wonder Woman color artist Jordie Bellaire won in her category, as did Absolute Martian Manhunter letterers Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou in theirs.

Trend-wise, formal innovation beat out commercial popularity, with the top comics in terms of Eisner Awards not lining up 1-on-1 with any of the various sales charts. With titles like Assorted Crisis Events, Drome, Physics for Cats, Nocturnos, 'Blood Harvest,'  and Practical Defense Against Piracy beating out other better-selling books, it shows the awards' judges (and then the comics pros who then voted on them) favored experimentation over blockbuster status.

Continuing on that line, auteur cartooning — that is, one individual doing both the writing and the main artwork — also continued to pay off. While that type of comic creating may not be feasible in the world of monthly comic book releases, those such as Jesse Lonergan, Tom Gauld, Laura Perez, and Ben Passmore are given plaudits (and a pound or two of an award) for their singular efforts.

Interesting for me as a longtime observer of the Eisner Awards is the slow creep of manga beyond the rather pigeon-holed 'international' categories, with Akira Vol. 1 - 5 Hardcover collection winning for 'Best Archival Collection/Project - Comic Books', and Shintaro Kago's 'Blood Harvest' short beating out original english-langauge efforts in the 'Best Short Story' field. Could we see a day where a manga-ka wins for 'Best Writer,' 'Best Artist,' or 'Best Writer/Artist'? I think manga creators have shown they're ready for it, its just a matter of of the judges and comics pros who vote on the Eisner Awards are.

This year's winners are unfolded over the course of a Friday evening, with us updating this article to denote in bold the winners, and give an easy way for you to read those comics, and the others who were nominated. 

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Short Story'

• 'Blood Harvest,' in Brain Damage, by Shintaro Kago, translated by Zack Davisson (Fantagraphics)
• 'The Curse Room,' in Brain Damage, by Shintaro Kago, translated by Zack Davisson (Fantagraphics)
• 'Football Is Not War,' by R. K. Russell and Wilfred Santiago, in Come Out and Play: The Queer Sports Project (Stacked Deck Press)
• 'Red Snapper in the Rea,' by Michael D. Kennedy, in Milk White Steed (Drawn & Quarterly)
• 'trAPPed' by Anand RK, Suparna Sharma, and Natalie Obiko Pearson (Bloomberg News)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best One-Shot/Single Issue'

• Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1, by Daniel Warren Johnson, James Harren, and Meredith McClaren (DC)
• Absolute Martian Manhunter #1, by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez (DC)
• Assorted Crisis Events #4, by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki (Image)
• Coin-Op no. 10: Wet Cement, by Peter and Maria Hoey (Coin-Op Books)
• Ice Cream Man #43: “One Page Horror Stories,” by W. Maxwell Prince and others (Image)
• Something Is Killing the Children: A Monster Hunter Walks into a Bar #1, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Continuing Series'

• Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, and others (DC)
• Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, and Mattia De Iulis (DC)
• The Department of Truth, by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)
• FML, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez (Dark Horse)
• The Power Fantasy, by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard (Image)
• Storm, by Murewa Ayodele, Lucas Werneck, and others (Marvel)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Limited Series'

• Absolute Martian Manhunter, by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez (DC)
• Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring, by Patrick Horvath (IDW)
• Bronze Faces, by Shobo, Shof, and Alexandre Tefenkgi (BOOM! Studios)
• Crownsville, by Rodney Barnes and Elia Bonetti (Oni Press)
• Everything Dead and Dying, by Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips (Image)
• Out of Alcatraz, by Christopher Cantwell & Tyler Crook (Oni Press)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best New Series'

• Assorted Crisis Events, by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki (Image)
• Batman Vol. 4, by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez (DC)
• Black Cat, by G. Willow Wilson and Gleb Melnikov (Marvel)
• Exquisite Corpses, by James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh, Pornsak Pichetshote, and others (Image)
• Ghost Pepper, by Ludo Lullabi (Image)
• Temporal, by Stephanie Williams and Asiah Fulmore (Mad Cave)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Publication for Early Readers'

• All the Hulk Feels, by Dan Santat (Abrams Fanfare/Marvel)
• The Faraway Forest: Wally’s Route, by Debbie Fong (Chronicle Books)
• The Fire-Breathing Duckling, by Frank Cammuso (TOON Books)
• Night Light, by Michael Emberley (Holiday House)
• Steve, A Rare Egg, by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Publication for Kids'

• The Cartoonists Club, by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud (Scholastic Graphix)
• Chickenpox, by Remy Lai (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
• Creature Clinic, by Gavin Aung Than (First Second)
• Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship with a Side of Deliciousness! By Mika Song (Random House Graphic)
• Oasis, by Guojing (Godwin Books/Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
• A Song for You and I, by K. O’Neill (Random House Graphic)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Publication for Teens'

• Angelica and the Bear Prince, by Trung Le Nguyen (Random House Graphic)
• Clementine: Book Three, by Tillie Walden (Image Skybound)
• Everyone Sux But You, by K. Wroten (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
• Hello Sunshine, by Keezy Young (Little, Brown Ink)
• This Place Kills Me, by Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux (Abrams Fanfare)
• Trumpets of Death, by Simon Bournel-Bosson, translated by Edward Gauvin (Graphic Universe/Lerner)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Humor Publication'

• And to Think We Started as a Book Club, by Tom Toro (Andrews McMeel Universal)
• Ew, It’s Beautiful: A False Knees Comics Collection, by Joshua Barkman (Andrews McMeel Universal)
• The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt, by John Allison and Max Sarin (Dark Horse)
• Jeff the Land Shark, by Kelly Thompson and Tokitokoro (Marvel)
• Physics for Cats, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Spent: A Comic Novel, by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Anthology'

• Come Out and Play: The Queer Sports Project, edited by Meghan Kemp-Gee and Megan Praz (Stacked Deck Press)
• DC Pride 2025, edited by Andrea Shea and Jillian Grant (DC)
• Noir Is the New Black Season 2 (FairSquare Graphics)
• 2000AD 2026 Annual Featuring Judge Dredd, edited by Oliver Pickles (Rebellion)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Reality-Based Work'

• Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance, by Ben Passmore (Pantheon)
• Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me, by Mimi Pond (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Fela: Music Is the Weapon, by Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery (Amistad)
• Globetrotters: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s World Tour, by Julian Voloj and Julie Rocheleau (Abrams ComicArts)
• Muybridge, by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Daschert and Rob Aspinal (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Surrounded: America’s First School for Black Girls, 1832, by Wilfrid Lupano and Stéphane Fert, translated by Montana Kane (ABLAZE)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Graphic Memoir'

• The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)
• My Life in 24 Frames Per Second, by Rintaro, translated by Montana Kane (Kana Manga US)
• It Rhymes with Takei, by George Takei, Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger (Top Shelf)
• Precious Rubbish, by Kayla E. (Fantagraphics)
• Raised by Ghosts, by Briana Loewinsohn (Fantagraphics)
• Talking to My Father’s Ghost: An Almost True Story, by Alex Krokus (Chronicle)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Graphic Album–New'

• Cannon, by Lee Lai (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Drome, by Jesse Lonergan (23^rd St. Books)
• The Fable of Erkling Woods, by Juni Ba (Goats Flying Press)
• A Garden of Spheres, by Linnea Sterte (Peow2)
• More Weight: A Salem Story, by Ben Wickey (Top Shelf)
• Shadows of the Sea, by Cathy Malkasian (Fantagraphics)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Graphic Album–Reprint'

• Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Storybook Edition, by Patrick Horvath (IDW)
• Ginseng Roots: A Memoir, by Craig Thompson (Pantheon)
• Goes Like This, by Jordan Crane (Fantagraphics)
• Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen: The Deluxe Edition, by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber (DC)
• Tongues, by Anders Nilsen (Pantheon)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Adaptation from Another Medium'

• Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, Book 1), by Tamora Pierce, adapted by Vita Ayala and Sama Beck (Abrams Fanfare)
• The Compleat Angler: A Graphic Adaptation, by Izaak Walton, adapted by Gareth Brookes (SelfMadeHero)
• Dead Man Walking: Graphic Edition, by Sister Helen Prejean, adapted by Rose Vines and Catherine Anyango Grünewald (Random House)
• Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel, by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Setor Fiadzigbey (Little, Brown Ink)
• Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel, by William Golding, adapted by Aimée De Jongh (Penguin Classics)
• A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel, by Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted by Fred Fordham (Clarion Books)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material'

• Buff Soul, by Moa Romanova, translated by Melissa Bowers (Fantagraphics)
• Cornelius: The Merry Life of a Wretched Dog, by Marc Torices, translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Drawn & Quarterly)
• In the End We All Die, by Tobias Aeschbacher, translated by Andrew Shields (Helvetiq)
• Nocturnos, by Laura Perez, translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
• Raging Clouds, by Yudori (Fantagraphics)
• Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, by Anaïs Flogny, translated by Dan Christensen (Abrams ComicArts)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia'

• Hirayasumi, vols. 4–7, by Keigo Shinzo, translated by Jan Mitsuko Cash (VIZ Media)
• Land, vol. 1, by Kazumi Yamashita, translated by Kevin Gifford (Yen Press)
• Purgatory Funeral Cakes, by Sanho, translated by Danny Lim (Dark Horse)
• Tokyo Alien Bros., vols. 1–3, by Keigo Shinzo, translated by Casey Loe (VIZ Media)
• Yan, vols. 1–2, by Chang Sheng, translated by Vanessa Liu (Titan Manga)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips'

• Arthur Ferrier’s Pin-Up Parade Box Set, edited by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
• Barnaby, vol. 5: 1950–1952, by Crockett Johnson, edited by Eric Reynolds and Philip Nel (Fantagraphics)
• The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1928–1930, edited by J. Michael Catron and Bill Blackbeard (Fantagraphics)
• Rea Irvin’s The Smythes, edited by R. Kikuo Johnson and Dash Shaw (NYRC)
• Terminal Exposure: Comics, Sculpture, and Risky Behavior, by Michael McMillan, edited by Lucas Adams (NYRC)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books'

• AKIRA Volumes 1–5 Hardcover Collection, by Katsuhiro Otomo, edited by Haruko Hashimoto, Ajani Oloye, and Lauren Scanlan (Kodansha USA Publishing)
• The Atlas Comics Library No. 7: Girl Comics, edited by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo (Fantagraphics)
• Comics of the Movement #1, by Courtland Cox, Jennifer Lawson, Alfred Hassler, and Benton Resnik (Good Trouble Comics)
• Hothead Paisan, by Diane DiMassa, organized by Anika Banister (NYRC)
• Scream! The Specials 1985–2024, edited by Chiara Mestieri (Rebellion)
• Weird Science Vol. 1 XXL, edited by Grant Geissman (TASCHEN)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Academic/Scholarly Work'

• Comic Art in Korea, by John A. Lent (University Press of Mississippi)
• Comics of the Anthropocene: Graphic Narrative at the End of Nature, by José Alaniz (University Press of Mississippi)
• Graphic Narratives of Resistance, by Jennifer Boum Make and Charly Verstraet (Edinburgh University Press)
• Latinx Comics Studies: Critical and Creative Crossings, edited by Fernanda Díaz-Basteris and Maite Urcaregui (Rutgers University Press)
• Manga’s First Century: How Creators and Fans Made Japanese Comics, 1905–1989, by Andrea Horbinski (University of California Press)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism'

• CANON, by Colin Blanchette and Alex Eklund
• Comic Book Creator, edited by Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows)
• Dummy, edited by John Kelly (The Dummy Corporation)
• Shelfdust, edited by Steve Morris
• SKTCHD, by David Harper
• SOLRAD: The Online Literary Magazine for Comics, edited by Daniel Elkin (Fieldmouse Press)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Comics-Related Book'

• Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life, by Dan Nadel (Scribner)
• Facing Feelings: Inside the World of Raina Telgemeier, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic)
• How Comics Are Made, by Glenn Fleishman (Andrews McMeel)
• Making Nonfiction Comics: A Guide to Graphic Narrative, by Eleri Harris and Shay Mirk (Abrams ComicArts)
• Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, by Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)
• Ooops…I Just Catharted!: Fifty Years of Cathartic Comics, by Rupert Kinnard, edited by William O. Tyler (Stacked Deck Press)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Publication Design'

• The Art of Manga, designed by Tessa Lee (Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco/VIZ Media)
• The Essential Peanuts, designed by Shawn Dahl with Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)
• Fruits Basket: The Complete Box Set (Collector’s Edition #13), designed by Wendy Chan (Yen Press)
• Red Light Properties: Unfinished Business, designed by Dan Goldman (Kinjin Storylab)
• The Marvel Art of Michael Allred Slipcase Edition, designed by Kurtis Findlay (Clover Press)
• Weird Science Vol. 1 XXL, designed by Anna-Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Webcomic'

• The Accidental Undergrad by Christian Giroux (Fieldmouse Press)  
• Keeping Time by Kody Okamoto
• The Legend of Parvaterra by Raúl Arnáiz (WEBTOON)
• Sable: A Ghost Story, by Ethan M. Aldridge
• Superfish, by Peglo (WEBTOON) 
• Terran Omega: The Ghosts of War, by PJ Holden
• Tiger, Tiger by Petra Erika Nordlund

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Digital Comic'

• DeadAss, by hakei (VIZ Media)
• In the Real Dark Night, by Jimmy Gownley (G-Ville Comics)
• The Lycan, by Mike Carey, Thomas Jane, David James Kelly, and Diego Yapur (Comixology Originals)
• Overwatch 2: Against the Tide, by Brandon Chen and Velinxi (Blizzard Entertainment)
• Practical Defense Against Piracy, by Tony Cliff (delilahdirk.com)
• The World of Lublu, by Charbak Dipta (The Charbax Store)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Writer'

• Deniz Camp, Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC); Assorted Crisis Events (Image); The Ultimates (Marvel)
• Scott Snyder, Absolute Batman, Batman/Deadpool (DC); By a Thread: Book 2 (Comixology Originals), You Won’t Feel a Thing (DSTLRY)
• Mariko Tamaki, This Place Kills Me (Abrams Fanfare)
• Kelly Thompson, Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey (DC); Jeff the Land Shark (Marvel)
• James Tynion IV, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd: The Power of the Blood (BOOM! Studios); Let This One Be a Devil, Red Book (Dark Horse); The City Beneath Her Feet (DSTLRY); The Department of Truth, Exquisite Corpses, W0RLDTR33 (Image); Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man (Image Skybound)
• Stephanie Williams, Street Sharks (IDW); Roots of Madness (Ignition Press); Temporal (Mad Cave)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Writer/Artist'

• Juni Ba, The Boy Wonder (DC); The Fable of Erkling Woods (Goats Flying Press); Monkey Meat Summer Batch (Image)
• Jamal Campbell, Zatanna (DC)
• Jesse Lonergan, Drome (23^rd St. Books)
• Chang Sheng, Yan, vols. 1–2 (Titan Manga)
• Linnea Sterte, A Garden of Spheres (Peow2)
• Kazumi Yamashita, Land, vol. 1 (Yen Press)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Penciller/Inker'

• Elsa Charetier, The City Beneath Her Feet (DSTLRY)
• Sean Phillips, Giant Size Criminal #1, The Knives: A Criminal Book (Image)
• Javier Rodriguez, Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC)
• Chris Samnee, Batman and Robin: Year One (DC)
• Hayden Sherman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Batman: Dark Patterns (DC)
• Eric Zawadzki, Assorted Crisis Events (Image)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Painter/Multimedia Artist'

• Teddy Kristiansen, Black Hammer: Spiral City (Dark Horse)
• Cathy Malkasian, Shadows of the Sea (Fantagraphics)
• Qu, Slices of Life: A Comic Montage (Bulgilhan Press)
• Martin Simmonds, The Department of Truth (Image)
• Mika Song, Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship with a Side of Deliciousness! (Random House Graphic)
• Linnea Sterte, A Garden of Spheres (Peow)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Cover Artist'

• Juni Ba, The Boy Wonder (DC); The Fable of Erkling Woods (Goats Flying Press); TMNT Nightwatcher, TMNT Godzilla (IDW); Monkey Meat Summer Batch (Image)
• Nick Dragotta, Absolute Batman, Absolute Batman 2025 Annual, Batman #1, Batman/Deadpool (DC)
• Francesco Francavilla, Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars: Tales from the Nightlands (Dark Horse); Absolute Batman, Absolute Martian Manhunter, Batman: Full Moon, Nightwing variants (DC); Green Hornet/Miss Fury (Dynamite); Star Trek: The Last Starship, Twilight Zone (IDW); Dick Tracy (Mad Cave)
• Mateus Manhanini, Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Mr. Terrific: Year One variants (DC); Doctor Strange, Ironheart: Bad Chemistry, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Phases of the Moon Knight, Star Wars: The High Republic, Storm, The Ultimates (Marvel)
• Javier Rodriguez, Absolute Martian Manhunter, Batman & Robin: Year One #7, The New Gods #8 (DC)
• Hayden Sherman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Batman: Dark Patterns #3-12 (DC)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Coloring'

• Jordie Bellaire, Absolute Wonder Woman, The Nice House by the Sea (DC); The Exorcism at 1600 Penn (IDW); Assorted Crisis Events, The Department of Truth, Exquisite Corpses, W0RLDTR33 (Image); GI Joe (Image/Skybound); EC Catacomb of Torment, EC Epitaphs from the Abyss (Oni Press)
• Ninakupenda Gaillard, Chickenpox (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
• Jesse Lonergan, Drome (23^rd St. Books)
• Matheus Lopes, Batman and Robin Year One (DC); The Seasons (Image)
• Javier Rodriguez, Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC)
• José Villarrubia, This Ink Runs Cold (Alan Spiegel Fine Arts); Ghostbox (Comixology Originals); Dracula Book 2: The Brides, The Witcher: The Bear and the Butterfly (Dark Horse); Hunger (The Lab Press); It Rhymes with Takei (Top Shelf)

2026 Eisner Awards nominees for 'Best Lettering'

• Janice Chiang, Acro and the Cat, All Upon a Time, Beyond the Aural Vault, Republica, Solarblader (Sandstorm); John Carpenter’s Blood of the Taken: Next of Kin, Pause, Tales of Science Fiction (Storm King)
• Clayton Cowles, Absolute Batman, Batman, Batman & Robin: Year One, Birds of Prey, Black Canary: Best of the Best, Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman, (DC); Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell #1-3 (Marvel)
• Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Ill Vacation, Stillman (Comixology Originals); Absolute Martian Manhunter, Challengers of the Unknown, DC K.O., The Flash, Green Arrow, Poison Ivy (DC); Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Starship Godzilla, (IDW); Author Immortal (Image); Our-Soot-Stained Heart (Mad Cave)
• Nate Piekos, American Caper #1, Archie Vs. Minor Threats, Black Hammer: Spiral City, The Brood, Minor Threats: The Last Devil Left Alive, Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons, The Umbrella Academy Plan B, Welcome to Twilight (Dark Horse); I Hate Fairyland (Image)
• Ben Wickey, More Weight: A Salem Story (Top Shelf)

Interested? Here's where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here's a guide to how (and where) to read comics online.