Manga Information to the Eisner Awards 2024 -

Yearly, a jury awards among the greatest comics of the 12 months the celebrated Eisner Award. For these honing their creative craft, from inking to webcomics, the Eisner Awards are the business’s Oscars. The jury highlights one of the best within the area in over 30 classes whereas additionally acknowledging professionals who broke new floor within the Comedian Trade’s Corridor of Fame. Manga is not any exception, with luminaries like Osamu Tezuka, Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Katsuhiro Ōtomo, Hayao Miyazaki, Rumiko Takahashi, Moto Hagio, and Keiji Nakazawa becoming a member of the Corridor of Fame’s ranks.

Latest years have seen Asian comics develop past its Greatest U.S. Version of Worldwide Materials—Asia class, with this 12 months together with nominees in Greatest Publication for Teenagers, Greatest Author/Artist, and extra. We have gathered all of the manga and manhwa entries collectively in a single spot to introduce our readers to this 12 months’s promising nominees, together with ANN’s personal opinions and pattern pages to browse to assist get a way of the temper and artistry on show.

The Nominees for Greatest U.S. Version of Worldwide Materials—Asia

#DRCL midnight kids

by Shin-ichi Sakamoto (translated by Caleb Prepare dinner)
Printed by: Viz Media
Additionally nominated for Greatest Adaptation From One other Medium (Bram Stoker’s Dracula)

What’s It About?

A brand new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s basic novel, #DRCL midnight kids options luscious artwork by Shin-ichi Sakamoto (Harmless). Sakamoto’s artwork type is straight away distinctive for its gothic sensibilities and a spotlight to style and elegance; his work “Ōhi Antoinette, Mona Lisa ni Au” (Queen Antoinette Meets the Mona Lisa) was beforehand featured in The Louvre. #DRCL midnight kids reimagines the horror novel’s story from a queer angle whereas nonetheless carefully aligning with what made the unique story a masterpiece.

From Our Reviewers

“Even with this constancy to the supply materials, that is nonetheless very a lot its personal story…However it additionally does greater than its greatest to provide us a brand new pores and skin for this previous story, and the modifications make it really feel like extra than simply one other Dracula story. For those who’re into Stoker, you don’t want to overlook this, however anybody on the lookout for an excellent vampire story additionally should not hesitate to select it up.” -Rebecca Silverman

“That depiction of the large D himself is the feather within the cap of Sakamoto’s beautiful artwork. As a very unknowable creature, an impermanently fashioned entity, Dracula brings a complete new degree of literary respect to his title every time he seems right here.” -Christopher Farris

Learn extra of our opinions of #DRCL quantity one within the Fall 2023 Manga Information.

Click on right here to view 5 pages of #DRCL MIDNIGHT CHILDREN, courtesy of Viz Media.

my-picture-diary — My Image Diary quantity cowl

My Image Diary

by Maki Fujiwara (translated by Ryan Holmberg)
Printed by: Drawn & Quarterly

What’s It About?

Maki Fujiwara, the spouse of Garo mangaka Yoshiharu Tsuge, chronicles her every day life with Tsuge and their four-year-old son Shosuke in 1981. Though placid on the floor, the story turns into much less a present for her son when he is older and extra an area for Fujiwara to specific the quiet frustrations of a lady compelled into a job that she would not need to play. The manga additionally describes home abuse inflicted on Fujiwara by her husband. My Image Diary is not a manga, a minimum of not within the conventional sense. It is extra of an image guide for an grownup viewers, with every entry comprised of a textual content entry and a full-page illustration dealing with it.

From Our Reviewers

“Even in the event you’ve by no means learn Tsuge’s manga or heard of Maki Fujiwara – and you could not have; immediately, she’s in all probability greatest recognized for being Tsuge’s spouse – the extra you digest her story, the extra you start to note what is going on on… It is not till you start to consider her phrases and pictures that the cracks start to indicate…The best method to quantify this guide is to say that it modifications the extra you concentrate on it.”-Rebecca Silverman

Learn extra about My Image Diary in ANN’s overview.

Click on right here to view 4 double-pages of My Image Diary, courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly.

71fgxfnzayl._ac_uf10001000_ql80_ — Goodbye, Eri quantity cowl

Goodbye, Eri

by Tatsuki Fujimoto (translated by Amanda Haley)
Printed by: Viz Media

What’s It About?

In style with each followers and critics alike, Tatsuki Fujimoto penned Goodbye, Eri (and a number of other different one-shot shops) whereas in between arcs of Chainsaw Man. The story follows younger filmmaker Yuta considering suicide after the loss of life of his mom, however an opportunity assembly with a mysterious woman will alter his life in an explosive manner. The manga struck a chord after its debut in Japan. Goodbye, Eri got here in at #2 for male readers in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Superb!) guidebook and #7 within the sixteenth Manga Taisho awards rankings. Its journey over the Pacific garnered related reward, together with a Harvey Nomination (it misplaced to Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man).

From Our Reviewers

“Think about studying a narrative with love, tragedy, suspense, thriller, fantasy, and a minimum of one mindfuck inside 200 pages… Goodbye, Eri is a quiet story that performs together with your expectations to the purpose the place it feels such as you’re questioning actuality by the point you attain the tip.”-MrAJCosplay

Learn extra about Goodbye, Eri in ANN’s overview.

Click on right here to view 5 pages of Goodbye, Eri, courtesy of Viz Media.

River’s Edge

by Kyoko Okazaki (translated by Alexa Frank)
Printed by: Kodansha Comics

What’s It About?

Kyoko Okazaki is probably greatest recognized for her award-winning manga Helter Skelter, the story of an in-demand mannequin on the sting of psychological collapse. Her tales typically take a frank have a look at the cross-section of fame, physique picture, and intercourse. River’s Edge takes all these parts and casts them towards the backdrop of a highschool. College students on the precipice of maturity battle with sexuality, strain to adapt, violence, and their unknown futures.

From Our Reviewers

“Like her beforehand translated works Pink and Helter Skelter, River’s Edge takes a interval and provides us a harsh close-up view of the folks dwelling it. Nothing is just too fairly to interrupt, no relationship is just too good to outlive, and the starker moments of human existence are the main target, warts and all.”-Rebecca Silverman

Learn extra about River’s Edge in ANN’s overview.

Click on right here to view 5 pages of River’s Edge, courtesy of Kodansha Comics.

All Pictures copyright RIVER’S EDGE ©Kyoko Okazaki / Takarajimasha, Inc.

summer-hikaru-died — The Summer time Hikaru Died Quantity 1 cowl

The Summer time Hikaru Died

by Mokumokuren (translated by Ajani Oloye)
Printed by: Yen Press
Additionally nominated for Greatest Author/Artist (Mokumokuren)

What’s It About?

In a rural city within the Japanese countryside are two associates, Yoshiki and Hikaru. One summer season, Hikaru goes for a hike solely to slide and fall to his loss of life. Yoshiki and the remainder of the city concern the worst, however not lengthy after going lacking within the wilderness, “Hikaru” returns, and solely Yoshiki appears to note that this “Hikaru” is totally different. Wavering between concern and denial, Yoshiki decides to just accept this new creature together with his previous good friend’s face.

Mokumokuren‘s manga work started as a web-based endeavor, however their debut work shot up in reputation, garnering nearly 1 / 4 million copies in gross sales. The story is inspiring a lately introduced anime adaptation and has made advice lists, together with YALSA’s 2024 Nice Graphic Novels for Teenagers and MyAnimeList‘s Manga Suggestions.

From Our Reviewers

“There’s an magnificence to the way it interacts with the conventions of each the horror and BL genres, discovering their frequent parts and utilizing them to tie all the things collectively right into a cohesive story the place longing, loneliness, and vulnerability feed into the sense of creeping dread.”-Caitlin Moore

Learn extra about The Summer time Hikaru Died in ANN’s overview.

Click on right here to view 5 double-pages of The Summer time Hikaru Died, courtesy of Yen Press.

The Horizon

by JH (translated by ULTRAMEDIA Co. Ltd.)
Printed by: Ize Press

What’s It About?

Creator JH’s earlier works embody the sports activities collection The Boxer and sci-fi manhwa Mosquito Wars. Their apocalyptic drama collection The Horizon hones in on the tragedy of struggle as its anonymous pair of youngsters proceed on a seemingly countless trek to seek out security. By way of symbolism and parallels, the Korean comedian lays out the inhumanity of humankind and its many, many victims.

From Our Reviewers

“The 2 longest story arcs within the collection are the kids’s time with The Man and the flashback to how The Lady ended up on the college bus herself. The latter is heartrending as a result of JH would not indulge within the form of symbolism that will get too heavy-handed in the remainder of the collection; it is only a human tragedy taking part in out towards a backdrop of an ending world. We do not know the place the story takes place – North America appears to be a secure wager…however the aim is to painting it as one thing that would occur anyplace. That’s doubtless why the characters haven’t got names; they may very well be anybody at any time, and we’re meant to see them as somebody we all know, or probably ourselves.”-Rebecca Silverman

Learn extra about The Horizon in ANN’s overview.

Click on right here to view 5 double-pages of The Summer time Hikaru Died, courtesy of Yen Press.

The Nominees for Greatest Publication for Teenagers

my-girlfriend-child — My Girlfriend’s Youngster Quantity 1 cowl

My Girlfriend’s Youngster

by Mamoru Aoi (translated by Hana Allen)
Printed by: Seven Seas Leisure

What’s It About?

Regardless of the title, My Girlfriend’s Youngster‘s first quantity predominantly takes place from the girlfriend’s (Saki) perspective as she navigates teenage being pregnant. Aoi’s manga offers a practical portrayal of the emotional difficulties that include a life-changing resolution following her apprehensive appointments and discussions together with her boyfriend.

The manga has the endorsement of Vinland Saga creator Makoto Yukimura, who stated final 12 months, “It’s a manga that very earnestly and critically considers its theme. Mamoru Aoi‘s exact ability and earnest strategy to creation touched my coronary heart.”

From Our Reviewers

“(My Girlfriend’s Youngster) is among the few (manga) to return out in English and deal with the topic with clear, nonjudgmental eyes. It is not selling any “proper” reply on this quantity, and it takes a really calm and lifelike view of Sachi’s anxiousness.”-Rebecca Silverman

Examine My Girlfriend’s Youngster in ANN’s overview.

Click on right here to view 5 pages of My Girlfriend’s Youngster, courtesy of Seven Seas Leisure.

My Girlfriend’s Youngster is competing towards Blackward by Lawrence Lindell, Hazard and Different Unknown Dangers 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 Greatest Adaptation From One other Medium

a1vswhqtdsl — The Shadow Over Innsmouth cowl

The Shadow Over Innsmouth

by Gou Tanabe (based mostly on the story by H.P. Lovecraft, translated by Zack Davisson)
Printed by: Darkish Horse Comics

What’s It About?
Gou Tanabe‘s diversifications of H.P. Lovecraft‘s horror tales proceed in The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Set within the winter of 1927-28, the remoted coastal settlement of Innsmouth, Massachusetts was assaulted by U.S. authorities brokers—its waterfront burned and dynamited, and its folks had been taken away to internment camps. But that was neither the start nor the tip of the horror uncovered by a younger antiquarian who traveled to Innsmouth in quest of rumors from the city’s lifeless previous.

Tanabe’s startling paintings paired with Lovecraft’s basic horror has beforehand earned accolades and a earlier Eisner nod for H.P. Lovecraft’s The Hound and Different Tales. His work on At The Mountains Of Insanity earned two nominations for Angoulême’s high prize and a nomination on the twenty second annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

From Our Reviewers

“Gou Tanabe‘s artwork is misleading; at first, the narrator’s wide-eyed expression, which is a continuing and sometimes the main target of total panels, seems like a flaw within the artwork. However because the story unfolds and we begin to put the items collectively, it turns into clear that this isn’t solely purposeful, however a serious piece of the general puzzle, and the build-up to that reveal is masterfully executed.”-Rebecca Silverman

Learn extra about The Shadow Over Innsmouth in ANN’s overview.

Click on right here to view 5 pages of The Shadow Over Innsmouth, courtesy of Darkish Horse Comics.

The Shadow Over Innsmouth is competing towards #DRCL midnight kids (see above), The Monkey King: The Full Odyssey tailored by Chaiko, and Watership Down tailored by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin.

The Nominees for Greatest Humor Publication

yakuza-bias-cover — The Yakuza’s Bias cowl

The Yakuza’s Bias

by Teki Yatsuda (translated by Max Greenway)
Printed by: Kodansha Comics

What’s It About?

Teki Yatsuda‘s comedy collection follows a high-level yakuza who finds himself bitten by the fandom bug after attending a Ok-pop live performance together with his boss’s daughter. The humorous story juxtaposes the intimidating aura of its protagonist with the acute dedication solely Ok-pop’s largest followers may relate to.

Yasuda is a comparatively new mangaka; their earlier work consists of the one-volume tragic BL manga Haruka Tooki Ie and their present collection, Kami no Fune de Nemuru a few pair of struggling artists who discover love with each other throughout Showa-era Japan.

From Our Reviewers

“Fortunately, whereas nonetheless spun round that singular setup, The Yakuza’s Bias quickly proves that Yatsuda realizes the complete breadth of fabric accessible from this concept. It is not simply “Ken does a stereotypical idol-stanning exercise whereas trying like a hard-boiled yakuza.” It as an alternative depicts interplay with idol fandom in ways in which uniquely intersect with the mob way of life.”-Christopher Farris

“The Yakuza’s Bias does have just one joke. At this level, it is taking advantage of it, however I may see this turning into tedious if the collection runs for too lengthy. Nonetheless, for now, it gives quite a lot of foolish enjoyable, and in the event you’ve ever been a fan of something and did not care who knew it, I might advocate choosing it up.”-Rebecca Silverman

“Be it getting merch by illicit memes, arguing about who’s Greatest Boy with the boss’s spouse, or getting insanely standard together with his fanfic, Ken drags his fellow subordinates by the world of idol fandom by hook or criminal. The top is once we get to see Jun’s response to such a classical robust man being one in every of his groupies—this manga is aware of what it is doing.”-Jean-Karlo Lemus

Learn extra of our opinions of The Yakuza’s Bias in ANN’s Spring 2023 Manga Information.

Click on right here to view 5 pages of The Yakuza’s Bias, courtesy of Kodansha Comics.

The Yakuza’s Bias is competing towards The best way to Love: A Information to Emotions & Relationships for Everybody by Alex Norris, I Was a Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, and Different Musical Meanderings by Keith Knight, It is Jeff: The Jeff-Verse #1 by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru, and Macanudo: Optimism Is for the Courageous by Liniers.

The Nominees for Greatest Restricted Collection

Godzilla: Right here There Be Dragons

by Frank Tieri and Inaki Miranda
Printed by: IDW
Additionally nominated for Greatest Penciler/Inker (Inaki Miranda)

What’s It About?

This tackle maybe Japan’s most well-known kaiju transplants him from Twentieth-century Tokyo to pirate-filled waters of the 1500s. On this reimagining, historic determine Sir Francis Drake is on the hunt to seek out Monster Island and its treasure solely to find the monsters are very actual.

Author Frank Tieri has penned a number of comedian runs at Marvel and DC, together with Wolverine, Deadpool, and Gotham Underground. Inaki Miranda and Tieri beforehand labored collectively on problems with Catwoman and Harley Quinn.

From Our Reviewers

“There are a number of too many plot parts fumbling its in any other case sturdy setup and execution…(however) there’s loads to like about (the historic) component of the comedian—the setting and storytelling breed an entertaining, fascinating look into the beliefs and mythology of the time interval.”-Sean Aitchison

Learn extra about Godzilla: Right here There Be Dragons in ANN’s overview.

Godzilla: Right here There Be Dragons is competing towards 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 Money, and Superman: Misplaced by Christopher Priest and Carlo Pagulayan within the Restricted Collection class.

Inaki Miranda is competing towards Jason Shawn Alexander with Germán Erramouspe (Killadelphia), Tula Lotay (Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Homicide), Dan Mora, (Batman/Superman: World’s Most interesting, Shazam!), Chris Samnee, (Fireplace Energy), and Jillian Tamaki (Roaming) for Greatest Penciler/Inker.

The Nominees for Greatest Graphic Album—Reprint

boxsets_orange_front-02_4x5_aac43374-b7f1-4a84-b61e-a7c3ecaf2aea_1024x1024 — Orange Full Collection Field Set

Orange Full Collection Field Set

by Ichigo Takano (translated by Amber Tamosaitis)
Printed by: Seven Seas Leisure

What’s It About?

Initially printed in English in 2014 and opted to change into an anime collection and live-action movie, 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 all the things in her energy to attempt to stop her good friend Kakeru from committing suicide.

That is the manga collection’ second Eisner nomination. The collection made the Greatest U.S. Version of Worldwide Materials—Asia nominee checklist in 2017 however misplaced to Sonny Liew’s The Artwork of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. The collection was additionally nominated for the Twentieth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2016. Since concluding Orange, creator Ichigo Takano started serializing Grow to be You in 2018.

From Our Reviewers

“Orange‘s first omnibus does make it clear why it has been so successful in Japan. Its bittersweet story and difficult emotional content material make it follow you, even because it is perhaps exhausting to deal with. Numerous us have regrets about the best way we’d have dealt with one thing up to now, whether or not it had penalties as dire as these within the guide or not.”-Rebecca Silverman

Learn extra about Orange in ANN’s overview of omnibus one and two.

Click on right here to view 5 pages of Orange, courtesy of Seven Seas Leisure.

Orange is competing towards Physician Unusual: Fall Dawn Treasury Version by Tradd Moore, The Good Asian by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi, Hip Hop Household Tree: The Omnibus by Ed Piskor, and Surprise Girl Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott.

The Nominees for Greatest Publication Design

Bathroom-Certain Hanako-kun First Stall Field Set

by Iro Aida (set designed by Wendy Chan)
Printed by: Yen Press

What’s It About?

Impressed by standard ghost, Bathroom-Certain Hanako-kun reimagines the red-jumper carrying faculty woman apparition as a mischievous boy ghost voiced by Megumi Ogata. He meets first-year pupil Nene Yashiro when the lovelorn woman makes an attempt a ritual to get a want granted. Her pursuit of affection ends in a curse of her personal and Nene’s every day life solely will get extra supernatural as the times go on.

Iro Aida‘s manga collection impressed a TV anime in 2020, with a second season on the horizon. A brief spin-off anime, After-College Hanako-kun, can also be streaming. The manga’s nomination is specializing in its spectacular boxset design by Wendy Chan. The collected volumes are housed in what appears just like the Hanako-kun’s personal rest room stall.

From Our Reviewers

“That darkish undercurrent is among the extra attention-grabbing elements of this collection, even because it indulges in different, happier, style tropes. With its mixture of story parts and themes and attention-grabbing artwork, Bathroom-Certain Hanako-kun is among the most attention-grabbing faculty manga to return out in current reminiscence.”-Rebecca Silverman

Learn extra about Bathroom-Certain Hanako-kun in ANN’s overview.

Wendy Chan‘s Bathroom-Certain Hanako-kun First Stall Field Set is competing towards the Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein boxed set designed by Mike Kennedy, the Gratuitous Ninja launch designed by Chloe Scheffe, Contained in the Thoughts of Sherlock Holmes designed by Benoit Dahan and Donna Askem, and Iron Maiden: Piece of Thoughts designed by Josh Bernstein and Rob Schwager.

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Leisure (KWE), an entirely owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Company, is almost all proprietor of Anime Information Community, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker International, and J-Novel Membership are subsidiaries of KWE.