What’s better than a great writer? A great writer who can draw. Some of the strongest comics come from the minds of individuals who know not only how to tell the story brewing inside of them, but how to convey it visually.

Emmanuel Guibert, Alan’s War (First Second) and Cyril Pedrosa, Three Shadows (First Second)

Emmanuel Guibert solidifies the life of G.I. Alan Cope in a new type of history: a colorless graphic novel that details his war memories. However, Guibert’s interpretation of both the charming and dark stories Cope accounted to him translates into an admirable level of honesty and genuine respect beyond its black and white pages. Alan’s War boasts roughly 300 pages from Cope’s past, and even though history might not be your Boston Harbor cup of tea, reading Cope’s recollections of World War II will draw you in until the very last panel.

Cyril Pedrosa’s black-and-white Three Shadows, on the other hand, delivers a solid and heartbreaking tale of untimely loss. When the lives of young Joachim and his parents, Louis and Lise, are disrupted by the sudden appearance of three mysterious shadows lingering outside their home, fear and anger soon replace the happiness and quiet days they knew. Once the family figures out who the shadows are coming for, they turn to different and sometimes dangerous sources in order to fight the inevitable. Joachim’s stubborn father refuses to give in, taking his son on a trip across the sea in the hope of escaping the shadows. They meet many new faces on their voyage and ultimately reach an unexpected destination of personal acceptance, harboring the knowledge that life will bring better times.

The beautiful Three Shadows story will comfort anyone who’s endured the loss of a child, and touch the hearts of those who have been lucky enough not to have witnessed such grief. –WITA

Jason Lutes, Berlin (Drawn & Quarterly)

Taking on the role of both writer and illustrator is an intensely personal endeavor. Critiques of the story or visuals fall squarely upon one set of shoulders. But if you’ve got talent like Jason Lutes, the payoff can be that much more rewarding. Nominated for Best Writer/Artist, Lutes’ Berlin saga began back in 2001 with Berlin: City of Stones and continues with Berlin: City of Smoke.

The first book spans personal relationships and political intrigue. Unfolding in a pre-World War II Germany, the first compilation details several fictional characters up to the real events on May 1, 1929, also known as the massacre of International Workers Day. The second book follows lovers as their relationship fades, details the lesbian nightlife in Berlin and introduces an African-American troop of jazz musicians who capture a wandering eye at a Berlin nightclub. Amongst this personal strife, international turmoil is brewing with WWII just over the horizon. Society begins to faction and Berlin’s characters try to keep normalcy in their lives—but ultimately booze, drugs and seedy behavior become the more prominent way to deal with upheaval.

City of Smoke is a quiet contender for the Eisner win. Nothing about the book is flashy. Its cover wouldn’t catch your eye amongst its peers, and the illustrations, while skillfully done, lack color and an abundance of detail. So why then is it nominated for such a prestigious award? Because despite Berlin’s meager appearance, what’s hidden on the subsequent pages is golden. Lute’s masterful ability to weave a cohesive story from the plights of many is gripping, and it gives the reader a historical look at both the downtrodden and decadent residents of Berlin alike. –VirtualGirl

Ricky Geary, A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child (NBM); J. Edgar Hoover (Hill & Wang)

There are advantages and disadvantages to being the sole artist and writer of a book. You have an idea in your head and you are able to lay it out on paper exactly as you had imagined. Unfortunately, there’s no one to blame but yourself if your book isn’t good. On the other hand, when it is successful, you get to enjoy the spoils of something you’ve poured your heart and countless hours into.

Geary has that kind of joy twice over, as he’s nominated for two of his reality-based works. In The Lindbergh Child, he gives us a step-by-step account of one of the most famous crimes in history: the Linbergh kidnapping. I’d heard of the case before, but here it’s laid out with every piece of evidence and every witness and suspect so well that I almost feel as if I had been living through it in 1932. Maps and diagrams go hand-in-hand with the large cast strictly in pen and ink that fits perfectly in a fact-based creation. It’s the same in J. Edgar Hoover, a graphic biography of the FBI’s creator. Geary deftly explores the man’s life while at the same time including the important historical figures surrounding him. I’m excited to see what subject or individual Geary takes a crack at next. –Jill aka TheNerdyBird

Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)

Swallow Me Whole stands as a fantastically moving piece that explores the issues we have with mood-altering medication and psychological disorders. Nate Powell devises a top-notch story complete with mesmerizing illustrations and enigmatic messages.

Ruth and her brother Perry both suffer from severe psychological conditions. Ruth is racked by an obsessive-compulsive disorder and has delusions where she can hear insects speak. Perry also suffers from delusions and sometimes sees a small wizard who attempts to inform Perry of his destiny. Though sounding a bit whimsical, the story harbors no such atmosphere and instead communicates a tragically flawed reality: Both Perry and Ruth are aware of their conditions and yet do nothing to move past them. The elusive foreshadowing of their dying grandmother’s words marks it as a truly depressing tale that will no doubt end in heartbreak.

Powell draws the reader into the character’s mind through the use of his beautiful ruminations. Black, swirling clouds laced with voluminous words surround Ruth during her schizophrenic head trips. The author’s plays on dark and light values both elicit the proper response at the appropriate points in the story and also stir up feelings of despair and unease within the reader. Powell does more than paint a pretty picture or tell a good story with Swallow Me Whole: He manages to capture the emotional and mental breakdown of two troubled young souls with his dexterous simplicity in storytelling and intricate weave of visuals. –Melissa Kay

Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library (Pantheon)

The ACME Novelty Library is indeed worthy of praise, but it’s not the type of book that someone will be eager to re-read. Chris Ware presents his bitter tales in the forms of 1950s style advertisements and comic strips. The parody of get-rich-quick schemes targeting overweight readers with “Fatty Chat” to earn pastries while talking on the phone is an example of the meager amount of comic relief in this otherwise somber collection.

Opening the cover, the reader is presented with the ads formerly seen in magazines and comic books: “For prizes or cash, fill out this form and mail it in now.” Each page is busy with graphics and text that range from sensationalizing banners to minuscule fine print. Flipping through, you’ll be enticed to “Pep up with Cherry Pintos”—a cheery tidbit, but it’s the darker messages that will make every reader feel inevitably responsible for all of society’s failures.

The essentials are the broken-up sequential storyboards of various time periods and pathetic characters. From the evolution of misunderstood artists to the mundane life of a pop culture collector who swindles his best friend and then to a rowdy Texan who tries to murder his loser son, the story truly makes the reader feel immersed in a negative view of life. The ACME Novelty Library is beautifully illustrated and intelligently written, but be prepared to loathe yourself when you’re finished. –Amber Love

Related Posts:

• Best Coloring
• Best Short Story
• Best Cover Artist
• Best Penciller/Inker
• Best Writer