Manga Guide to the Eisner Awards 2024
by Lynzee Loveridge,
Every year, a jury awards some of the best comics of the year the prestigious Eisner Award. For those honing their artistic craft, from inking to webcomics, the Eisner Awards are the industry's Oscars. The jury highlights the best in the field in over 30 categories while also acknowledging professionals who broke new ground in the Comic Industry's Hall of Fame. Manga is no exception, with luminaries like Osamu Tezuka, Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Katsuhiro Ōtomo, Hayao Miyazaki, Rumiko Takahashi, Moto Hagio, and Keiji Nakazawa joining the Hall of Fame's ranks.
Recent years have seen Asian comics expand beyond its Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia category, with this year including nominees in Best Publication for Teens, Best Writer/Artist, and more. We've gathered all the manga and manhwa entries together in one spot to introduce our readers to this year's promising nominees, including ANN's own reviews and sample pages to browse to help get a sense of the mood and artistry on display.
The Nominees for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
#DRCL midnight children
by Shin-ichi Sakamoto (translated by Caleb Cook)Published by: Viz Media
Also nominated for Best Adaptation From Another Medium (Bram Stoker's Dracula)
What's It About?
A new adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel, #DRCL midnight children features luscious art by Shin-ichi Sakamoto (Innocent). Sakamoto's art style is immediately distinctive for its gothic sensibilities and attention to fashion and style; his work "Ōhi Antoinette, Mona Lisa ni Au" (Queen Antoinette Meets the Mona Lisa) was previously featured in The Louvre. #DRCL midnight children reimagines the horror novel's story from a queer angle while still closely aligning with what made the original story a masterpiece.
From Our Reviewers
"Even with this fidelity to the source material, this is still very much its own story...But it also does more than its best to give us a new skin for this old tale, and the changes make it feel like more than just another Dracula story. If you're into Stoker, you do not want to miss this, but anyone looking for a good vampire story also shouldn't hesitate to pick it up." -Rebecca Silverman
"That depiction of the big D himself is the feather in the cap of Sakamoto's stunning art. As a truly unknowable creature, an impermanently formed entity, Dracula brings a whole new level of literary respect to his name each time he appears here." -Christopher Farris
Read more of our reviews of #DRCL volume one in the Fall 2023 Manga Guide.
Click here to view five pages of #DRCL MIDNIGHT CHILDREN, courtesy of Viz Media.
All Images copyright #DRCL MIDNIGHT CHILDREN © 2021 by Shin-ichi Sakamoto/SHUEISHA Inc.
My Picture Diary
by Maki Fujiwara (translated by Ryan Holmberg)Published by: Drawn & Quarterly
What's It About?
Maki Fujiwara, the wife of Garo mangaka Yoshiharu Tsuge, chronicles her daily life with Tsuge and their four-year-old son Shosuke in 1981. Although placid on the surface, the story becomes less a gift for her son when he's older and more a space for Fujiwara to express the quiet frustrations of a woman forced into a role that she doesn't want to play. The manga also describes domestic abuse inflicted on Fujiwara by her husband. My Picture Diary isn't a manga, at least not in the traditional sense. It's more of a picture book for an adult audience, with each entry comprised of a text entry and a full-page illustration facing it.
From Our Reviewers
"Even if you've never read Tsuge's manga or heard of Maki Fujiwara – and you may not have; today, she's probably best known for being Tsuge's wife – the more you digest her story, the more you begin to notice what's going on... It isn't until you begin to think about her words and images that the cracks begin to show...The easiest way to quantify this book is to say that it changes the more you think about it."-Rebecca Silverman
Read more about My Picture Diary in ANN's review.
Click here to view four double-pages of My Picture Diary, courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly.
Goodbye, Eri
by Tatsuki Fujimoto (translated by Amanda Haley)Published by: Viz Media
What's It About?
Popular with both fans and critics alike, Tatsuki Fujimoto penned Goodbye, Eri (and several other one-shot stores) while in between arcs of Chainsaw Man. The story follows young filmmaker Yuta contemplating suicide after the death of his mother, but a chance meeting with a mysterious girl will alter his life in an explosive way. The manga struck a chord after its debut in Japan. Goodbye, Eri came in at #2 for male readers in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook and #7 in the 16th Manga Taisho awards rankings. Its trip over the Pacific garnered similar praise, including a Harvey Nomination (it lost to Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man).
From Our Reviewers
"Imagine reading a story with love, tragedy, suspense, mystery, fantasy, and at least one mindfuck within 200 pages... Goodbye, Eri is a quiet story that plays with your expectations to the point where it feels like you're questioning reality by the time you reach the end."-MrAJCosplay
Read more about Goodbye, Eri in ANN's review.
Click here to view five pages of Goodbye, Eri, courtesy of Viz Media.
All Images copyright SAYONARA ERI © 2022 by Tatsuki Fujimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.
River's Edge
by Kyoko Okazaki (translated by Alexa Frank)Published by: Kodansha Comics
What's It About?
Kyoko Okazaki is perhaps best known for her award-winning manga Helter Skelter, the story of an in-demand model on the edge of mental collapse. Her stories often take a frank look at the cross-section of fame, body image, and sex. River's Edge takes all those elements and casts them against the backdrop of a high school. Students on the precipice of adulthood struggle with sexuality, pressure to conform, violence, and their unknown futures.
From Our Reviewers
"Like her previously translated works Pink and Helter Skelter, River's Edge takes a period and gives us a harsh close-up view of the people living it. Nothing is too pretty to break, no relationship is too good to survive, and the starker moments of human existence are the focus, warts and all."-Rebecca Silverman
Read more about River's Edge in ANN's review.
Click here to view five pages of River's Edge, courtesy of Kodansha Comics.
All Images copyright RIVER'S EDGE ©Kyoko Okazaki / Takarajimasha, Inc.
The Summer Hikaru Died
by Mokumokuren (translated by Ajani Oloye)Published by: Yen Press
Also nominated for Best Writer/Artist (Mokumokuren)
What's It About?
In a rural town in the Japanese countryside are two friends, Yoshiki and Hikaru. One summer, Hikaru goes for a hike only to slip and fall to his death. Yoshiki and the rest of the town fear the worst, but not long after going missing in the wilderness, "Hikaru" returns, and only Yoshiki seems to notice that this "Hikaru" is different. Wavering between fear and denial, Yoshiki decides to accept this new creature with his old friend's face.
Mokumokuren's manga work began as an online endeavor, but their debut work shot up in popularity, garnering almost a quarter million copies in sales. The story is inspiring a recently announced anime adaptation and has made recommendation lists, including YALSA's 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens and MyAnimeList's Manga Recommendations.
From Our Reviewers
"There's an elegance to how it interacts with the conventions of both the horror and BL genres, finding their common elements and using them to tie everything together into a cohesive story where longing, loneliness, and vulnerability feed into the sense of creeping dread."-Caitlin Moore
Read more about The Summer Hikaru Died in ANN's review.
Click here to view five double-pages of The Summer Hikaru Died, courtesy of Yen Press.
The Horizon
by JH (translated by ULTRAMEDIA Co. Ltd.)Published by: Ize Press
What's It About?
Creator JH's previous works include the sports series The Boxer and sci-fi manhwa Mosquito Wars. Their apocalyptic drama series The Horizon hones in on the tragedy of war as its nameless pair of children continue on a seemingly endless trek to find safety. Through symbolism and parallels, the Korean comic lays out the inhumanity of humankind and its many, many victims.
From Our Reviewers
"The two longest story arcs in the series are the children's time with The Man and the flashback to how The Girl ended up on the school bus herself. The latter is heartrending because JH doesn't indulge in the sort of symbolism that gets too heavy-handed in the rest of the series; it's just a human tragedy playing out against a backdrop of an ending world. We don't know where the story takes place – North America seems to be a safe bet...but the goal is to portray it as something that could happen anywhere. That is likely why the characters don't have names; they could be anyone at any time, and we're meant to see them as someone we know, or possibly ourselves."-Rebecca Silverman
Read more about The Horizon in ANN's review.
Click here to view five double-pages of The Horizon, courtesy of Ize Press.
The Nominees for Best Publication for Teens
My Girlfriend's Child
by Mamoru Aoi (translated by Hana Allen)Published by: Seven Seas Entertainment
What's It About?
Despite the title, My Girlfriend's Child's first volume predominantly takes place from the girlfriend's (Saki) point of view as she navigates teenage pregnancy. Aoi's manga gives a realistic portrayal of the emotional difficulties that come with a life-changing decision following her apprehensive appointments and discussions with her boyfriend.
The manga has the endorsement of Vinland Saga creator Makoto Yukimura, who said last year, "It is a manga that very earnestly and seriously considers its theme. Mamoru Aoi's precise skill and earnest approach to creation touched my heart."
From Our Reviewers
"[My Girlfriend's Child] is one of the few [manga] to come out in English and treat the subject with clear, nonjudgmental eyes. It's not promoting any “right” answer in this volume, and it takes a very calm and realistic view of Sachi's anxiety."-Rebecca Silverman
Read about My Girlfriend's Child in ANN's review.
Click here to view five pages of My Girlfriend's Child, courtesy of Seven Seas Entertainment.
All images copyright ©2021 Mamoru Aoi.
My Girlfriend's Child is competing against Blackward by Lawrence Lindell, Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson, Frontera by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo, Lights by Brenna Thummler (Oni Press), and Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer.
The Nominees for Best Adaptation From Another Medium
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
by Gou Tanabe (based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft, translated by Zack Davisson)Published by: Dark Horse Comics
What's It About? Gou Tanabe's adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft's horror stories continue in The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Set in the winter of 1927-28, the isolated coastal settlement of Innsmouth, Massachusetts was assaulted by U.S. government agents—its waterfront burned and dynamited, and its people were taken away to internment camps. Yet that was neither the beginning nor the end of the horror uncovered by a young antiquarian who traveled to Innsmouth in search of rumors from the town's dead past.
Tanabe's startling artwork paired with Lovecraft's classic horror has previously earned accolades and a previous Eisner nod for H.P. Lovecraft's The Hound and Other Stories. His work on At The Mountains Of Madness earned two nominations for Angoulême's top prize and a nomination at the 22nd annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
From Our Reviewers
"Gou Tanabe's art is deceptive; at first, the narrator's wide-eyed expression, which is a constant and often the focus of entire panels, feels like a flaw in the art. But as the story unfolds and we start to put the pieces together, it becomes clear that this is not only purposeful, but a major piece of the overall puzzle, and the build-up to that reveal is masterfully done."-Rebecca Silverman
Read more about The Shadow Over Innsmouth in ANN's review.
Click here to view five pages of The Shadow Over Innsmouth, courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
All images copyright ©Tanabe Gou 2021.
The Shadow Over Innsmouth is competing against #DRCL midnight children (see above), The Monkey King: The Complete Odyssey adapted by Chaiko, and Watership Down adapted by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin.
The Nominees for Best Humor Publication
The Yakuza's Bias
by Teki Yatsuda (translated by Max Greenway)Published by: Kodansha Comics
What's It About?
Teki Yatsuda's comedy series follows a high-level yakuza who finds himself bitten by the fandom bug after attending a K-pop concert with his boss's daughter. The humorous story juxtaposes the intimidating aura of its protagonist with the extreme dedication only K-pop's biggest fans could relate to.
Yasuda is a relatively new mangaka; their previous work includes the one-volume tragic BL manga Haruka Tooki Ie and their current series, Kami no Fune de Nemuru about a pair of struggling artists who find love with one another during Showa-era Japan.
From Our Reviewers
"Thankfully, while still spun around that singular setup, The Yakuza's Bias soon proves that Yatsuda realizes the full breadth of material available from this idea. It's not just "Ken does a stereotypical idol-stanning activity while looking like a hard-boiled yakuza." It instead depicts interaction with idol fandom in ways that uniquely intersect with the mob lifestyle."-Christopher Farris
"The Yakuza's Bias does have only one joke. At this point, it's making the most of it, but I could see this becoming tedious if the series runs for too long. However, for now, it provides a lot of silly fun, and if you've ever been a fan of anything and didn't care who knew it, I'd recommend picking it up."-Rebecca Silverman
"Be it getting merch through illicit memes, arguing about who's Best Boy with the boss's wife, or getting insanely popular with his fanfic, Ken drags his fellow subordinates through the world of idol fandom by hook or crook. The pinnacle is when we get to see Jun's reaction to such a classical tough guy being one of his groupies—this manga knows what it's doing."-Jean-Karlo Lemus
Read more of our reviews of The Yakuza's Bias in ANN's Spring 2023 Manga Guide.
Click here to view five pages of The Yakuza's Bias, courtesy of Kodansha Comics.
All images copyright The Yakuza's Bias © Teki Yatsuda/Ichijinsha Inc.
The Yakuza's Bias is competing against How to Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone by Alex Norris, I Was a Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, and Other Musical Meanderings by Keith Knight, It's Jeff: The Jeff-Verse #1 by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru, and Macanudo: Optimism Is for the Brave by Liniers.
The Nominees for Best Limited Series
Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons
by Frank Tieri and Inaki MirandaPublished by: IDW
Also nominated for Best Penciler/Inker (Inaki Miranda)
What's It About?
This take on perhaps Japan's most famous kaiju transplants him from 20th-century Tokyo to pirate-filled waters of the 1500s. In this reimagining, historical figure Sir Francis Drake is on the hunt to find Monster Island and its treasure only to discover the monsters are very real.
Writer Frank Tieri has penned multiple comic runs at Marvel and DC, including Wolverine, Deadpool, and Gotham Underground. Inaki Miranda and Tieri previously worked together on issues of Catwoman and Harley Quinn.
From Our Reviewers
"There are a few too many plot elements fumbling its otherwise strong setup and execution...[but] there's a lot to love about [the historical] element of the comic—the setting and storytelling breed an entertaining, fascinating look into the beliefs and mythology of the time period."-Sean Aitchison
Read more about Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons in ANN's review.
Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons is competing against The Cull by Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis, Kill Your Darlings by Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, and Robert Quinn, PeePee PooPoo by Caroline Cash, and Superman: Lost by Christopher Priest and Carlo Pagulayan in the Limited Series category.
Inaki Miranda is competing against Jason Shawn Alexander with Germán Erramouspe (Killadelphia), Tula Lotay (Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Murder), Dan Mora, (Batman/Superman: World's Finest, Shazam!), Chris Samnee, (Fire Power), and Jillian Tamaki (Roaming) for Best Penciler/Inker.
The Nominees for Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Orange Complete Series Box Set
by Ichigo Takano (translated by Amber Tamosaitis)Published by: Seven Seas Entertainment
What's It About?
Originally published in English in 2014 and opted to become an anime series and live-action film, Orange was a best-seller in English and Japanese. The time-traveling story follows 16-year-old Naho who, after receiving a letter from her future self, does everything in her power to try to prevent her friend Kakeru from committing suicide.
This is the manga series' second Eisner nomination. The series made the Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia nominee list in 2017 but lost to Sonny Liew's The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. The series was also nominated for the 20th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2016. Since concluding Orange, creator Ichigo Takano began serializing Become You in 2018.
From Our Reviewers
"Orange's first omnibus does make it clear why it has been such a success in Japan. Its bittersweet story and tough emotional content make it stick with you, even as it might be hard to handle. A lot of us have regrets about the way we might have handled something in the past, whether it had consequences as dire as those in the book or not."-Rebecca Silverman
Read more about Orange in ANN's review of omnibus one and two.
Click here to view five pages of Orange, courtesy of Seven Seas Entertainment.
Orange is competing against Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise Treasury Edition by Tradd Moore, The Good Asian by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi, Hip Hop Family Tree: The Omnibus by Ed Piskor, and Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott.
The Nominees for Best Publication Design
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun First Stall Box Set
by Iro Aida (set designed by Wendy Chan)Published by: Yen Press
What's It About?
Inspired by popular ghost, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun reimagines the red-jumper wearing school girl apparition as a mischievous boy ghost voiced by Megumi Ogata. He meets first-year student Nene Yashiro when the lovelorn girl attempts a ritual to get a wish granted. Her pursuit of love ends in a curse of her own and Nene's daily life only gets more supernatural as the days go on.
Iro Aida's manga series inspired a TV anime in 2020, with a second season on the horizon. A short spin-off anime, After-School Hanako-kun, is also streaming. The manga's nomination is focusing on its impressive boxset design by Wendy Chan. The collected volumes are housed in what looks like the Hanako-kun's own toilet stall.
From Our Reviewers
"That dark undercurrent is one of the more interesting aspects of this series, even as it indulges in other, happier, genre tropes. With its mix of story elements and themes and interesting art, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun is one of the most interesting school manga to come out in recent memory."-Rebecca Silverman
Read more about Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun in ANN's review.
Wendy Chan's Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun First Stall Box Set is competing against the Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein boxed set designed by Mike Kennedy, the Gratuitous Ninja release designed by Chloe Scheffe, Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes designed by Benoit Dahan and Donna Askem, and Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind designed by Josh Bernstein and Rob Schwager.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global, and J-Novel Club are subsidiaries of KWE.
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