Welcome back to the 2024 edition of ComicBook’s Golden Issue Awards! This is an annual event where the ComicBook staff gets together to celebrate the movies, TV shows, comics, video games, anime, and manga we’ve enjoyed the most this year. The article you’re reading right now focuses on the comics side of pop culture, which includes the ongoing titles, limited series, graphic novels, and more. For 2024 we celebrate the comic book writers, artists, and creators in nine categories, including the best writers, artists, colorists, and letterers, as well as the best ongoing and limited series.
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Our 2024 nominees come from across the comic book industry, from the Big Two to the independents. It’s not all superhero comics either. Some of the best stories are coming from creator-owned titles, showing that variety really is the spice of life. There is something for comic book readers and collectors of all walks of life, with some of the biggest creators attached to them. So let’s see who made the list of the 2024 Golden Issue nominees in the comics category.
Best Ongoing Comic
First up we have Best Ongoing Comic, and it’s some stiff competition to come away as the winner. Birds of Prey has been one of the hottest titles at DC, while fans have flocked to the return of Ultimate Spider-Man and Al Ewing’s new take on the “Immortal” theme in Immortal Thor. Meanwhile, Skybound’s Energon Universe shook up the industry this year, with Transformers helping to lead the charge. Meanwhile, Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard are redefining the super power genre in The Power Fantasy. The nominees for Best Ongoing Comic are:
- Birds of Prey
- Immortal Thor
- The Power Fantasy
- Ultimate Spider-Man
- Transformers
Best Limited Series
On the other end of the spectrum from ongoing comics is limited series. Some stories are best served by having a definitive ending. Or in most cases, ending and then continuing in a follow-up comic. Big name franchises like Alien, Avengers, and Universal Monsters are among the crowded list of nominees for Best Limited Series, though their competition should not be slept on since we have an Eisner Award nominee in the field. The nominees for Best Limited Series are:
- Alien vs. Avengers
- Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
- Hack/Slash: Back to School
- The Moon Is Following Us
- Universal Monsters: Frankenstein
Best Graphic Novel/One Shot
Graphic novels are part of the backbone of the comic book industry. While individual issues may get the most attention from “Wednesday Warriors,” a large part of the comic reading community spend their time enjoying the larger story format that graphic novels offer. Being able to sit and read a complete story in one book and one sitting should never be taken for granted. The same can also be said for oversized one-shots. The nominees for Best Graphic Novel/One Shot are:
- Barda By Ngozi Ukazu
- DC Pride 2024 #1 (May)
- DOOM (May, 2024)
- In Utero by Chris Gooch
- The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation – Illustrated by Manu Larcenet
Best Writer
Writers craft the stories that make it into our favorite comics. Many of their ideas that make it into the comic we pick up are what drive readers to comic book stores week after week. Many of these names are industry veterans at this point, bringing their very best in the titles that released this year. The nominees for Best Writer are:
- Kieron Gillen – The Power Fantasy
- Jonathan Hickman – Ultimate Spider-Man, Wolverine: Revenge, Aliens vs. Avengers
- Gail Simone – Uncanny X-Men
- Scott Snyder – Absolute Batman
- Mark Waid – Batman & Robin: Year One, Absolute Power
Best Artist
While writers are known as the wordsmiths, artists are the ones who bring their words to life. There’s nothing like opening up a comic and gazing at the wonderful art inside its pages. The style and sizzle they deliver is truly beauty to behold. The nominees for Best Artist are:
- Jonathan Marks Barravecchia – Bear Pirate Viking Queen
- Jorge Corona – Transformers
- Bilquis Evely – Helen of Wyndhorn
- Manu Larcenet – The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
- Martin Simmonds – Universal Monsters: Dracula
Best Colorist
The tone of every comic is set by the colorist. The artist’s linework is given mood and an extra dimension of character, immediately catching the reader’s eye. Colors help pages pop with vibrant flair, bringing readers closer to the action. The nominees for Best Colorist are:
- Jordie Bellaire – Birds of Prey, Absolute Wonder Woman, GI Joe
- Matheus Lopes – Batman & Robin: Year One, Helen of Wyndhorn
- Frank Martin – Absolute Batman, Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII, Dead X-Men
- Ronda Pattison – Night People, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024)
- Ruth Redmond – Thanos, Venomverse Reborn, Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Best Letterer
Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of making comics is the work done by letterers. It’s a craft where the work they do is heralded when it doesn’t draw attention to itself. But they play a pivotal role in delivering the complete story to readers. The nominees for Best Letterer are:
- Becca Carey – Amazons Attack, Power Girl, Absolute Wonder Woman
- Clayton Cowles – Birds of Prey, Absolute Batman, The Power Fantasy
- Ariana Maher – Superman, Justice League Unlimited, Ministry of Compliance
- Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou – Zatanna: Bring Down the House, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
- Joe Sabino – Immortal Thor, Exceptional X-Men, NYX
Best Cartoonist
For the sake of this category, we’re defining “cartoonist” as a creator who at minimum handles the writing and drawing of a comic. In a lot of cases, this also includes colors and letters as well. Think of them as a “jack of all trades.” The nominees for Best Cartoonist are:
- Patrick Horvath – Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
- Jeff Lemire – Minor Arcana
- Peach Momoko – Ultimate X-Men
- Ben Stenbeck – Our Bones Dust
- Zoe Thorogood – Hack/Slash: Back to School
Best Cover Artist
Our last category features the art you see when you first glace at a comic, whether that be in person in a comic shop or on a digital storefront. A lot of importance is placed on a cover’s art, since it’s mean to be an advertisement to entice customers to pick up the book. Some of the best art you’ll find in comics comes from a cover, and they can tell their own story, while also teasing what’s inside of a comic. The nominees for Best Cover Artist are:
- Sweeney Boo – Harley Quinn, Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil
- Jenny Frison – Hello Darkness, Vampirella, Scarlet Witch
- Dan Mora – Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Absolute Power
- David Nakayama – Catwoman, Thundercats
- Leonardo Romero – Birds of Prey, The Powerpuff Girls
