Award Winning Graphic Novel
With imaginative storytelling, vivid imagery and art, and an ark of surprising characters, you should read these award-winning graphic novels.
What defines a graphic novel? It tackles themes and issues with the most complex prose. It shows readers the dynamic visuals of Hollywood blockbusters. It pushes the boundaries of traditional storytelling.
These are just some of the many reasons why graphic novels are so popular with readers around the world. Whether you already know all of this and are looking for something new to read, or you're a layman interested in the world of graphic novels, Great Winners is an excellent place to start.
The Awards A Graphic Novels Can Win
Graphic novels have not always received the recognition they deserve in traditional literary awards and, as such, have historically been neglected, necessitating the creation of new awarding bodies. There are several different awards for graphic novels, but chief among them are the Eisner, Ignatz, and Hugo Awards (which also includes prose fiction).
One of the most captivating award-winning graphic novels is Art Spiegelman's Rats, the first graphic novel ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Twenty-six years later, in 2018, the only other winner is Jake Halpern's graphics The novel "Welcome to the New World".
The Best Of The Best
The Eisner Awards are named after Will Eisner, a noted cartoonist in the graphic novel field. One of the most famous novels to win an Eisner Award is the legendary "Watchmen" by the visionary Alan Moore, which tells the story of how to limit power (Watchmen) and features Dr. Manhattan. To this day, it's still considered one of the best graphic novels of all time.
Another terrific winner who recently gained new audiences with a Netflix adaptation was Neil Gaiman's "Sandman," which explores how the Dreaming God takes captivity, seeks revenge, and restores the wounds caused by his absence. The world is out of balance.
The most widely known award that often honors graphic novels is the Hugo Award, which was awarded to N.K Jemisin's "Far Sector" in 2022 for their work in the world of Green Lantern.
The graphic novel awards aren't just about the big DC and Marvel authors, as the Ignatz Awards specifically target work produced by smaller presses to highlight the industry's up-and-coming voices industry. Craig Thompson is one of the recipients of the Ignaz Award for "Blankets," an autobiographical account of his upbringing in an evangelical Christian home .
Honorable Mentions
While awards can be a useful indicator of the quality of work, it's no secret that many outstanding authors are overlooked, so it's important not to limit your reading list to only those in the spotlight. For example, if you look at a list of the best graphic novels that aren't superhero-centric (superheroes are often the focus of the winning entries), you'll find things like Brian K. Vaughn's Baghdad The Pride of Baghdad escaped the Pride of the Lions after the US airstrikes in Iraq. Other notable works include Garth Ennis' Preacher and Grant Morrison's WE3 (a self-proclaimed Western comic) that explores the supernatural in ways never before possible free will.
