OneMetal.com ARTICLE:
Must Read Special: The Eisner Awards

The 2010 Eisner Awards winners have been announced at the San Diego Comic Con, with a Captain America vampire story taking comic of the year. The annual awards, which recognise the best in comicbooks and graphic novels, are named after the late comic artist and writer Will Eisner, most famous for his character The Spirit. So get your tuxedo and / or designer dress on, step out on to the red carpet and join Must Read at the comic industry equivalent of the Academy Awards.

The big winners were:

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot):
Captain America #601: “Red, White, and Blue-Blood,” by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)

A somewhat unexpected choice for Best Single Issue, and one that I’m hoping wasn’t a bit of a political choice, what with Marvel going into Captain America overdrive to start hyping the upcoming movie. Released in July 2009, the 601st issue of Captain America was a double sized all-star special, that takes a flashback look at Cap’s adventures during World War II. It focused on Cap, Bucky, and (go with me on this) the impact that vampires would have in the war-torn trenches of Europe. Although it sounds like it shouldn’t work, it actually does. With artwork by the absolutely legendary Gene Colan (one of the elder statesmen of Marvel Comics at a spritely 83 years old), it offered the artist one more chance to draw vampires after making his name spending over seven years pencilling the entire Tomb of Dracula run in the late 1970’s.

It’s well written and fun, and darker than you’d expect from one of Marvel’s most patriotic and flag-flying heroes. As something of a double whammy, issue 601’s author Ed Brubaker picked up Best Writer too. No stranger to Eisner Awards, this 2010 prize is his third – and well earned it is, too.

Best Continuing Series:
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

We love zombies at OneMetal, and have shown that love by reviewing The Walking Dead, tracking the development of the TV series based on it, and generally following every shambling and undead footstep the franchise has taken. It’s great to see the Robert Kirkman-created series getting this kind of acknowledgement, and further proves what we’ve known for ages: The Walking Dead is brilliant, and well worth your time.

Best Limited Series or Story Arc and Best Publication for Kids:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Little needs to be said about this 8 issue run from Marvel. It’s everything you’d expect from an Oz adaptation, doesn’t really push the world of Oz into new or unexpected realms (read Wicked if you want that), and looks great. Perfect for the audience it’s aimed at. Still a little creepy to me, though.

Best New Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

The concept behind Chew is beautifully twisted: it’s essentially a detective story, focusing on the investigations of Detective Tony Chu. The thing that makes this Image Comics series different is that the investigator in question is a psychic detective – a cibopath – but rather than touching the belongings of the dead to pick up on psychic impressions left behind, he has to eat their food instead. Yes, it is as random as it sounds and while the concept might not have the longevity to take it to a hundred or so issues, while it lasts, it’s great.

Best Digital Comic:
Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart (www.sintitulocomic.com)

Now in its third year, Sin Titulo has been described as a David Lynch movie but in the form of an online comic – and that’s a perfect way of summing up this Eisner-winner. It focuses on the bizarre journey that main character Alex takes after collecting the belongings of his recently departed grandfather. From there, we’re introduced to a retirement home orderly that gets intimate with the residents, sexually aware femme fetales that have been plucked straight from old-school film noir movies, murder plots, mental breakdowns and a bearded man who explodes for no apparent reason. It’s also the only Eisner-winner that you can access for free, in full, and 100% legally online, so is well worth a look.

Best Reality-Based Work:
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

It’s always risky when authors make themselves the subject of their work, especially when the work isn’t fully autobiographical, but isn’t fully fictional either. Thankfully, A Drifting Life manages to avoid the pitfalls of being self-indulgent by telling the story of how Tatsumi (renamed in the book as Hiroshi Katsumi) breaks into the competitve world of Japanese comicbooks. For anyone with a passing interest in the world of manga, it’s an intriguiging insider view on the industry as a whole and the creative process in particular. Fans of Tatsumi’s work will really eat this up though, and will enjoy it on a completely different level.

Other winners included:

Best Publication for Teens
Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)

Best Humor Publication
Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe, by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)

Best Anthology
Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Cover Artist
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com)