Staff Picks
2022 Eisner Award Winners
- Thomas M.
- Tuesday, August 02, 2022
Collection
Check out the winners of the 2022 Eisner Awards, announced at San Diego Comic-Con. You can see a full list of categories, nominees, and winners here. Keep in mind that Eisner categories span across various creative roles, formats, and target age ranges. Digital copies of this year's Eisner Award winners can also be found on Hoopla.
Eternals. Vol. 01, Only Death is Eternal
Published in 2021
"What's the point of an eternal battle? For milions of years, one hundred Eternals have roamed the Earth, secret protectors of humanity. Without them, mankind would be smears between the teeth of the demon-like Deviants. Their war has waged for all time, echoing in our myths and nightmares. But today, the Eternals face something new: change! Can they--or anyone on Earth--survive their discovery? An Eternal has been murdered by one of their own, and this may not be the last such killing. But Sersi's number one suspect is...Thena?"--Back cover
The Legend of Auntie Po
Published in 2021
Part historical fiction, part magical realism, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works in a Sierra Nevada logging camp in 1885. Aware of the racial tumult in the years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Mei tries to remain blissfully focused on her job, her close friendship with the camp foreman's daughter, and telling stories about Paul Bunyan?reinvented as Po Pan Yin (Auntie Po), an elderly Chinese matriarch. Anchoring herself with stories of Auntie Po, Mei navigates the difficulty and politics of lumber camp work and her growing romantic feelings for her friend Bee. The Legend of Auntie Po is about who gets to own a myth, and about immigrant families and communities holding on to rituals and traditions while staking out their own place in America.
The Legend of Auntie Po
Published in 2021
"Aware of the racial tumult in the years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Mei tries to remain blissfully focused on her job, her close friendship with the camp foreman's daughter, and telling stories about Paul Bunyan--reinvented as Po Pan Yin (Auntie Po), an elderly Chinese matriarch"-- Provided by publisher.
Fire Power. Volume 1, Prelude
Published in 2020
Owen Johnson's journey to China to learn about his birth parents eventually leads him to a mysterious Shaolin Temple. The students there study to rediscover the Fire Power, the lost art of throwing fireballs. A power they claim will be needed soon to save the world. Will Owen Johnson be the first person in a thousand years to wield the FIRE POWER?
Salt Magic
Published in 2021
An epic graphic novel about a jealous witch, a withering curse, and one girl's journey to save her family? no matter the cost. When Vonceil's older brother, Elber, comes home to their family's Oklahoma farm after serving on the front lines of World War I, things aren't what she expects. His experiences have changed him into a serious and responsible man who doesn't have time for Vonceil anymore. He even marries the girl he had left behind. Then a mysterious and captivating woman shows up at the farm and confronts Elber for leaving her in France. When he refuses to leave his wife, she puts a curse on the family well, turning the entire town's water supply into saltwater. Who is this lady dressed all in white, what has she done to the farm, and what does Vonceil's old uncle Dell know about her? To find out, Vonceil will have to strike out on her own and delve deep into the world of witchcraft, confronting dangerous relatives, shapeshifting animals, a capricious Sugar Witch, and the Lady in White herself?the foreboding Salt Witch. The journey will change Vonceil, but along the way she'll learn a lot about love and what it means to grow up. Hope Larson is the author and illustrator of the Eisner Award nominated All Summer Long and the illustrator of the Eisner Award winning A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel . Salt Magic is an utterly unique graphic fairy tale complete with striking illustrations by Rebecca Mock. ? An ALSC Notable Children's Book An ALA Graphic Novel's & Comics Round Table Top Ten Best Graphic Novels for Children Selection A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year A Booklist Editors' Choice
Snow Angels. Volume 01
Published in 2022
Milliken and Mae have never left The Trench--it's all they've ever known. They were born in The Trench, and they'll die there, just like all their people do. The two girls, eight and eleven, are a part of The Trenchfolk, a sprawling settlement of people living inside the massive ice walls of a vast, seemingly endless frozen trench carved into the surface of an otherwise icy wasteland. The Trenchfolk survive in this hostile world by following The Three Testaments of The Trench.
Run. Book One
Published in 2021
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling, graphic novel series March comes the continuation of the life story of John Lewis and the struggles seen across the United States after the Civil Rights Movement. For John Lewis, the Civil Rights Movement as he knew it ended with the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, but his struggle in the following years echo many of the same questions of civil rights and equality that are being asked today. The movement secured the right to sit at a lunch counter, but what about the right to earn a dollar to pay for your meal? Ousted from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee due to internal disorder, Lewis went on to work on Robert F. Kennedy's campaign, to be shocked by the events of 1968. Struggling with the larger question of how to rebuild the movement, Lewis had an idea: someone should run for the 5th Congressional district seat in Georgia. Starting with the tragic death of Martin Luther King Jr., Run tells the story of how John Lewis entered politics, working within the community, and organizing a campaign that has taken him to one of the most important seats in Congress"-- Provided by publisher.
Monstress. Vol. 01, Awakening
Published in 2016
"Set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Monstress tells the epic story of Maika Halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the Arcanics. In the face of oppression and terrible danger, Maika is both hunter and hunted, searching for answers about her mysterious past as those who seek to use her remain just one step behind... and all the while, the monster within begins to awaken..."--Page [4] of cover.
You Died
An Anthology of the Afterlife
Published in 2020
A diverse comics anthology of tales both real and imagined honoring death as a natural part of life, featuring cultural expressions of death from around the world.
Wolverine
Volume 1
Published in 2022
The best is back! Wolverine has been through a lot. He's been a hero and a killer. An X-Man and an Avenger. He's been to hell and back. Now, as the nation of Krakoa brings together all mutantkind, can Wolverine finally be...happy? Or, now that he finally has everything he ever wanted -- does he suddenly have everything to lose? Old enemies cause new problems, including Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth and Dr. Cornelius -- but Logan must make an unlikely alliance when he faces the relentless evil that is Dracula! And the Flower Cartel has enlisted the deadliest foe of all: Wolverine himself?! Plus, a mysterious foe is making moves against the former members of Team X, leaving bodies in their wake...and that leads to a difficult reunion between Logan and his old ally Maverick!
Not All Robots. Vol. 1
Published in 2022
In the year 2056, robots have replaced human beings in the workforce. An uneasy co-existence develops between the newly intelligent robots and the ten billion humans living on Earth. Every human family is assigned a robot upon whom they are completely reliant. What could possibly go wrong? Meet the Walters, a human family whose robot, Razorball, ominously spends his free time in the garage working on machines which they're pretty sure are designed to kill them
American Gods
Shadows
Published in 2018
"This supernatural American road trip fantasy tells the story of a war between the ancient and modern gods. Shadow Moon gets out of jail only to discover his wife is dead. Defeated, broke, and uncertain where to go from here, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, who employs him to serve as his bodyguard--thrusting Shadow into a deadly world where ghosts of the past come back from the dead, and a god war is imminent."-- Provided by publisher.
Chibi Usagi
Attack of the Heebie Chibis
Published in 2021
"While fishing for freshwater eels, Chib-Usagi, Tomoe, and Gen rescue a Dogu, a clay creature from Japan's prehistory. The Dogu's village has been enslaved by the Salamander King and his Heebie-Chibi minions and are forced to work in their mines. Chibi-Usagi and his friends must rescue the Dogu people and eliminate the threat of the Salamander King forever in this feature-length story of adventure, humor, and slippery eels"-- Provided by publisher.
Popeye
The E.C. Segar Popeye Sundays. Volume 1, Olive Oyl & Her Sweety. March 1930 - February 1932
Published in 2021
"Well, blow me down! This new four-volume series collects the complete run of the original Popeye Sunday newspaper page adventures in an accessible and affordable slipcased paperback format!"--Provided by publisher.
The Department of Truth. Volume 01, The End of the World
Published in 2021
Cole Turner has studied conspiracy theories all his life, but he isn't prepared for what happens when he discovers that all of them are true, from the JFK Assassination to Flat Earth Theory and Reptilian Shapeshifters. One organization has been covering them up for generations. What is the deep, dark secret behind the Department of Truth?
Something is Killing the Children. Vol. 01
Published in 2020
"When children begin to go missing in the town of Archer's Peak, all hope seems lost until a mysterious woman arrives to reveal that terrifying creatures are behind the chaos - and that she alone will destroy them, no matter the cost. IT'S THE MONSTERS WHO SHOULD BE AFRAID. When the children of Archer's Peak -- a sleepy town in the heart of America -- begin to go missing, everything seems hopeless. Most children never return, but the ones that do have terrible stories -- impossible details of terrifying creatures that live in the shadows. Their only hope of finding and eliminating the threat is the arrival of a mysterious stranger, one who believes the children and claims to be the only one who sees what they can see. Her name is Erica Slaughter. She kills monsters. That is all she does, and she bears the cost because it must be done." -- Back cover
The Flight of the Prince
Published in 2021
"Wynd lives a quiet life in Pipetown -- working at the local tavern, out of sight in the secret rooms beneath the floorboards, often stealing away to catch glimpses of the son of the castle's groundskeeper as he works. But Wynd also has a secret... magical blood betrayed by his pointed ears, forbidden within the city limits. His shaggy hair has obscured them for most of his life, but now that Wynd is a teenager they are growing too unwieldy to hide. Joined by his best friend Oakley and Thorn, the groundskeeper's son, Wynd's strange dreams and an encounter with the city guard send him on the most dangerous adventure he could imagine, where Wynd will discover the magic in the world around him and, most importantly, the magic within himself."--Provided by publisher.
House of Slaughter. Volume 1, Issue 1-5, The Butcher's Mark
Published in 2022
Discover the inner workings of the House of Slaughter in this new horror series exploring the secret history of the Order that forged Erica Slaughter into the monster hunter she is today. You know Aaron Slaughter as Erica's handler and rival. But before he donned the black mask, Aaron was a teenager training within the House of Slaughter. Surviving within the school is tough enough, but it gets even more complicated when Aaron falls for a mysterious boy destined to be his competition. Dive deeper into the world of Something is Killing the Children in this first story arc by co-creator James Tynion IV (The Department of Truth, The Nice House on the Lake) and co-writer Tate Brombal (Barbalien), with art by rising star Chris Shehan (The Autumnal) and co-creator Werther Dell'Edera (Razorblades).
The Joker
Published in 2021
"After the devastating events of Infinite Frontier, the Crown Prince of Crime flees Gotham for international waters as Jim Gordon hunts him! It's been almost a decade since The Joker has had the spotlight, and with this new series James Tynion IV brings his iconic voice to the Clown Prince of Crime! The Joker is on the run, and Gordon is determined to hunt him down."-- Provided by publisher.
Bitter Root. Vol. 01, Family Business
Published in 2019
In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing, and only the Sangerye Family, once known as the greatest monster hunters of all time, can save New York -- and the world -- from the supernatural forces threatening to destroy humanity. But those days are fading and the once-great family that specialized in curing the souls of those infected by racism and hate has been torn apart by tragedies and conflicting moral codes. A terrible tragedy has claimed most of the family, leaving the surviving cousins divided between by the desire to cure monsters or to kill them; they must heal the wounds of the past and move beyond their differences ... or sit back and watch a force of unimaginable evil ravage the human race.
The Black Panther Party
A Graphic Novel History
Published in 2021
"A bold and fascinating graphic novel history of the Black Panther Party"-- Provided by publisher.
Monsters
Published in 2021
"In this pen-and-ink graphic novel, in 1964, Bobby Bailey is recruited for a U.S. military experimental genetics program that was discovered in Nazi Germany 20 years prior. His only ally, Sergeant McFarland, intervenes to try to protect him, which sets off a chain of events that spin out of everyone's control. As the titular monsters multiply, becoming real and metaphorical, literal and ironic, the story reaches its emotional and moral reckoning. Windsor-Smith has been working on this passion project for more than 35 years, and Monsters is part intergenerational family drama, part espionage thriller, and part metaphysical journey. Trauma, fate, conscience, and redemption are just a few of the themes that intersect in the most ambitious (and intense) graphic novel of Windsor-Smith's career."-- Amazon.
All of the Marvels
Published in 2021
The first-ever full reckoning with Marvel Comics? interconnected, half-million-page story, a revelatory guide to the “epic of epics”?and to the past sixty years of American culture?from a beloved authority on the subject who read all 27,000+ Marvel superhero comics and lived to tell the tale ? The superhero comic books that Marvel Comics has published since 1961 are, as Douglas Wolk notes, the longest continuous, self-contained work of fiction ever created: over half a million pages to date, and still growing. The Marvel story is a gigantic mountain smack in the middle of contemporary culture. Thousands of writers and artists have contributed to it. Everyone recognizes its protagonists: Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men. Eighteen of the hundred highest-grossing movies of all time are based on parts of it. Yet not even the people telling the story have read the whole thing?nobody?s supposed to. So, of course, that?s what Wolk did: he read all 27,000+ comics that make up the Marvel Universe thus far, from Alpha Flight to Omega the Unknown . ? And then he made sense of it?seeing into the ever-expanding story, in its parts and as a whole, and seeing through it, as a prism through which to view the landscape of American culture. In Wolk?s hands, the mammoth Marvel narrative becomes a fun-house-mirror history of the past sixty years, from the atomic night terrors of the Cold War to the technocracy and political division of the present day?a boisterous, tragicomic, magnificently filigreed epic about power and ethics, set in a world transformed by wonders. ? As a work of cultural exegesis, this is sneakily significant, even a landmark; it?s also ludicrously fun. Wolk sees fascinating patterns?the rise and fall of particular cultural aspirations, and of the storytelling modes that conveyed them. He observes the Marvel story?s progressive visions and its painful stereotypes, its patches of woeful hackwork and stretches of luminous creativity, and the way it all feeds into a potent cosmology that echoes our deepest hopes and fears. This is a huge treat for Marvel fans, but it?s also a revelation for readers who don?t know Doctor Strange from Doctor Doom. Here, truly, are all of the marvels.
All of the Marvels
A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told
Published in 2021
"The first-ever full reckoning with Marvel Comics' interconnected, half-million-page story, a revelatory guide to the "epic of epics"--and to the past 60 years of American culture--from a beloved authority on the subject who read all 27,000+ Marvel superhero comics and lived to tell the tale. The superhero comic books that Marvel Comics has published since 1961 are, Douglas Wolk notes, the longest continuous, self-contained work of fiction ever created: over half a million pages to date, and growing. The Marvel story is a gigantic mountain, smack in the middle of contemporary culture. Thousands of writers and artists have contributed to it. Every schoolchild recognizes its protagonists: Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men. 18 of the 100 highest-grossing movies of all time are directly based on parts of it. And not even the people telling the story have read the whole thing--nobody's supposed to. So, of course, that's what Wolk did: he read all 27,000 comics that make up the Marvel universe thus far, from Alpha Flight to Omega the Unknown. And then he made sense of it: seeing into the ever-expanding story, in its parts and as a coherent whole, and seeing through it, as a prism through which to view the landscape of American culture. In Wolk's hands, the mammoth Marvel narrative becomes a funhouse-mirror history of the past 60 years, from the atomic night-terrors of the Cold War to the technocracy and political division of the present day--a boisterous, tragicomic, magnificently filigreed epic about power and ethics, set in a world transformed by wonders. As a work of cultural exegesis, this is sneakily significant, even a landmark; it's also ludicrously fun. Looking over close to sixty years of Marvel's comics, Wolk sees fascinating patterns -- the rise and fall of particular cultural aspirations, and of the storytelling modes that conveyed them. He observes the Marvel story's progressive visions and its painful stereotypes, its patches of woeful hackwork and stretches of luminous creativity, and the way they all feed into a potent cosmology that echoes our deepest hopes and fears. This is a huge treat for Marvel fans, but it's also a revelation for readers who don't know Doctor Strange from Doctor Doom. Here, truly, are all of the marvels"-- Provided by publisher.