The 2026 Eisner Award nominations have just been released and as usual there are many deserving and underseen works picked…as well as some of the year’s biggest hits, including the Absolute line. Showing off the breadth and depth of the current comics industry, even categories like Best Humor Publication and Best Reality Based work show a strong line up of nominees that is going to make it hard to pick just one.
Deniz Camp led the pack with five nominations, followed by James Tynion IV with 4. Coming in with three each: Juni Ba, Javier Rodriguez, Jesse Lonergan, Linnea Sterte, Kelly Thompson, and Eric Zawadski.
Among publishers the tally goes like this:
DC Comics – 16 (plus 10 shared), led by Absolute Martian Manhunter with 6 (3 standalone and 3 shared) and Absolute Batman with 5 (2 standalone and 3 shared).
Image Comics – 12 nominations (plus 9 shared), including 5 for Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadski’s Assorted Crisis Events (3 standalone and 2 shared) and 4 for James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ Department of Truth.
Fantagraphics – 14 nominations
Abrams – 9 nominations
Drawn & Quarterly – 6 nominees
Random House – 5 nominees
Dark Horse – 4 (plus 4 shared)
Henry Holt – 4
First Second – 4
VIZ Media – 4
Marvel – 3 (plus 5 shared
Top Shelf – 3 ( plus 1 shared).
Publishers with 3 nominations include Andrews McMeel, New York Review Comics, Pantheon, Peow2, Stacked Deck, and Yen Press.
41 companies or individuals have 1 nomination.The nominees in 32 categories represent over 170 print and online titles from some 75 publishers.
Nominees were chosen by a panel of judges including Tiffany Babb, Jerry Dear, Dr. Randy Duncan, Katie Pryde and Regine Sawyer.
Voting for the awards is being held online. All professionals in the comic book industry are eligible to vote. Those who voted in 2025 or who registered to vote by May 14 will automatically be invited to fill out the new ballot. The deadline for voting is June 5.
The Eisner Award trophies will be presented in a gala awards ceremony to be held at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront Hotel during Comic-Con on the evening of July 24.
And now…the list:
Eisner Award Nominees 2026
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)
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 Zawadski (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 Walks into a Bar #1, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)
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)
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 Alexanre 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)
Best New Series
Assorted Crisis Events, by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadski (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, Pornsak Pichetshote, Michael Walsh, and others (Image)
Ghost Pepper, by Ludo Lullabi (Image)
Temporal, by Stephanie Williams and Asiah Fulmore (Mad Cave)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Stardust the Super Wizard Anthology, edited by Van Jensen (Blue Creek Creative)
2000AD 2026 Annual Featuring Judge Dredd, edited by Oliver Pickles (Rebellion)
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 (ABLAZE)
Best Graphic Memoir
The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)
My Life in 24 Frames Per Second, by Rintaro (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)
Best Graphic Album–New
Cannon, by Lee Lai (Drawn & Quarterly)
Drome, by Jesse Lonergan (23rd 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)
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)
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)
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)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia
Hirayasumi, vols. 4–7, by Keigo Shinzo, translated by Jan Mitsulo 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)
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)
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)
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)
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, www.shelfdust.com
SKTCHD, by David Harper, www.sktchd.com
SOLRAD: The Online Literary Magazine for Comics, edited by Daniel Elkin, www.solrad.co (Fieldmouse Press)
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. Schultz 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)
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)
Best Webcomic
The Accidental Undergrad by Christian Giroux (Fieldmouse Press)
Keeping Time by Kody Okamoto (keepingtimecomic.com)
The Legend of Parvaterra by Raúl Arnáiz (WEBTOON)
Sable: A Ghost Story, by Ethan M. Aldridge (sablecomic.com)
Superfish, by Peglo (WEBTOON)
Terran Omega: The Ghosts of War, by PJ Holden (pauljholden.com)
Tiger, Tiger by Petra Erika Nordlund (tigertigercomic.com)
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)
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)
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 (23rd St. Books)
Chang Sheng, Yan, vols. 1–2 (Titan Manga)
Linnea Sterte, A Garden of Spheres (Peow2)
Kazumi Yamashita, Land, vol. 1 (Yen Press)
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)
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)
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)
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 (23rd 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); It Rhymes with Takei (Top Shelf)
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)
Eisner Awards Voting Announcement
NEW IN 2026!
This year, all prospective Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards voters will have to apply to be considered to vote before the nominees are announced. Please note that this is a change to previous years. No new applications will be processed once nominees are announced.
Online voting will be available to professionals in the comics industry, including creators, editors, publishers, distributors, and retailers.
Those who were invited to vote for the 2026 Hall of Fame are already eligible to vote for the Eisner Awards and do not need to re-register to vote.
To ensure that all eligible voters are aware of this change, an email is being sent to all currently registered voters today, April 28, 2026. If you do not receive this email, you are not registered to vote, so please apply prior to the deadline of May 13, 2026.
The link to apply to vote is Here
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