Writers shoulder a heavy burden: the life of a comic book and its characters. One slip could mean the untimely demise of a story to which readers are firmly attached. The following nominees, though, hold true to the spirit of the comics they write.

Joe Hill, Locke & Key (IDW)

Joe Hill’s Locke & Key continues to hold as steadfast as the locked doors in Keyhouse, cementing it as a popular and successful limited series from IDW. Its characters are as well-fleshed out and intriguing as the lost, powerful keys and mysterious old secrets that haunt the charmed estate in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. From the first six-issue run, “Welcome to Lovecraft,” to the current “Head Games,” Gabriel Rodriguez’s art creepily matches the heart-pounding story, whose stakes only rise higher with each issue.

The writer doesn’t slack off. He faithfully gives readers more and more to love and drool over each time they open the pages of his comic. Hill manipulates the plot with a tasteful, creative air that you don’t often encounter, and his ability to dauntingly top his work proves rare in the unpredictable comic industry—where issues are often aggressively judged and shoved aside. However, Locke & Key reveals no problems with earning high praise from even the farthest corners of its audience. We might not know how the story is going to end, but one thing’s for sure: when it’s all said and done, the comic will be sorely missed. –WITA

Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

Madame Xanadu gained admirable momentum this year, nominated for Best New Series, Best Cover Artist and not surprisingly, Best Writer. Matt Wagner’s work on Madame Xanadu is inspiring, perfectly reflecting the serenity-turned-chaos of Nimue’s life. At first the book reads soft and poetic, similar to the way Nimue reads her incantations. But each change in station results in a change of pace and voice. From a revered forest nymph to a respected sooth-sayer in a Mongol Kingdom and ultimately an outsider on the Parisian streets, Wagner fleshes out Nimue when she holds power or lacks it, is tranquil or desperate and even when she fears for her own life. The strength, emotion and vulnerability of Madame Xanadu have no conflict being housed in one semi-mortal vessel thanks to Wagner’s words.

While fleshing out a new series is quite a task on its own, Wagner’s work on Zorro is a much bigger feat. Zorro, a character literally made of legend, has been imagined and re-imagined as myth, fodder for children’s stories and blockbuster movie material. For Wagner to take the character and develop a fresh perspective is no small task. Wagner takes his time developing Zorro, spending a good share of issues honing in on his childhood, family and future plight. Instead of simply introducing the masked crusader and expecting us to understand him through his actions, we get to see Zorro mature into the man history made him. Wagner sets up conflict, compassion and love and balances character growth with exciting escapades in each issue to keep things fresh. Any fan of action, righteousness and romance should pick up the series. Thanks to Wagner, it’s not the same old Zorro that you’re used to. –VirtualGirl

Bill Willingham, Fables, House of Mystery (Vertigo/DC)

Once upon a time there was a man named Bill Willingham. He had a knack for storytelling. Some might shout “blasphemy!” for the variety of unseemly situations he put our favorite Fables through, but others, well … others just saw it for what it was: a modern Grimm creating a whole new generation of characters and stories to pass down to our children. Ok, maybe teenagers. Definitely friends and neighbors.

This past year in “War and Pieces,” Willingham brought six years of stories to a head as the Fables finally decided they had enough sitting around and collectively went to war to take back the Homelands from the evil Emperor. He covered every aspect of a genuine war from Cinderella’s espionage to Bigby’s, shall we say, more direct tactics? Not everyone walked out alive—or awake—and now Willingham is ready to take Fables into an entirely new era. In “The Dark Ages,” a new dark power emerges that destroys their Manhattan sanctuary, ensuring that serious changes really are on the way.

Of course, Willingham had a lot more on his plate this past year when bringing back the classic horror series House of Mystery. Main character Fig, a former architecture student, finds herself trapped in a house that is eerily similar to one she’s dreamed of her whole life. Waiting for her inside are a group of strangers (not all of them human) getting to know each other (and paying for drinks) by telling their own tragic tales. How and why they are all there is something still being explored, but just when you think you’ve got the House of Mystery figured out, you find a giant antlered creature in the basement. Dynamic characters, extreme situations—the end? Not by a long shot. –Jill aka TheNerdyBird

Mariko Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)

Mariko Tamaki explodes onto the scene with her advantageous debut in Skim. A moving story of rite of passage, Skim centers around a lonely goth girl by the name of Kimberly. As with most teenagers, Kimberley internally struggles with her identity and yearns for some form of acceptance. She finds that acceptance in the form of her English teacher, Ms. Archer, and begins a chimerical romance with her while dealing with the complexities of her young adult life.

Tamaki really captures the minds of today’s youth and executes it with brilliant finesse. The dialogue is both realistic and natural while still conveying an omnipresent vibe. It is easy to sympathize with Kimberly, even if not of the gothic persuasion. Her reasons for rebelling are so convincing and natural, you forget what genre you identify yourself in originally. The story moves along pleasantly yet still touches on subjects deemed a tad risqué by the public eye. Tamaki crafts a captivating drama that is highly relatable and satisfying to experience. –Melissa Kay

J. Michael Straczynski, Thor, The Twelve (Marvel)

Straczynski’s name is synonymous with scripting. He creates legends of his own but doesn’t veer from the challenges of continuing the tales of his predecessors.

Thor was a character first introduced in 1962. His magnificent mythology has certainly withstood the test of time. In 2007, JMS took the helm and rebooted the series in a way that reflects his notoriety. When a god is removed from mythos—in this case the Marvel Universe—how does one bring him back? JMS didn’t use cheap gimmicks like a magic spell; instead he created a concise plot device for Thor’s return. A true craftsman can take simple and make it stand above elaborate: The same way Arthur was able to pull Excalibur from the stone, Dr. Donald Blake was able to lift Thor’s hammer. When Thor returns, he is confronted by the Superhero Registration Act, unwelcoming locals and the trickster Loki who convinces him to resurrect all the gods—not just his allies. The series is nominated for three different Eisners (Writer, Continuing, and Penciller/Inker Team), yet it easily could have nabbed more.

Reviviscence is clearly one of Straczynski’s talents, because he did it again with The Twelve using characters who had lost their copyrights and fallen into public domain. The Phantom Reporter and others were found in cryo-stasis where they had been trapped by a Nazi villain. Awakened in modern times, the characters’ individualities affect their adaptability to life. Some of them lost their only family members; others are used to strict lifestyles of racial and religious segregation. Like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby writing Sue Storm’s part for Fantastic Four, JMS gives the only female warrior of the group the strongest and most feared superpowers. Black Widow as written by JMS is one of most compelling and mysterious comic book women of all time. –Amber Love

Related Posts:

• Best Cover Artist
• Best Continuing Series
• Best Penciller/Inker
• Best New Series
• Best Limited Series