| Year | Nominee | Titles | Ref. |
|---|
| 1980s | | | |
| 1988 | Alan Moore | Watchmen (DC) | [1] |
|---|
| Mike Baron | Nexus (First Comics) | | |
| Paul Chadwick | Concrete (Dark Horse) | | |
| Matt Wagner | Grendel (Comico) | | |
| 1989 | Alan Moore | Batman: The Killing Joke (DC) | [2] |
|---|
| Mike Baron | Nexus (First Comics) | | |
| William Messner-Loebs | Johnny Quest (Comico) | | |
| Grant Morrison | Animal Man (DC) | | |
| Ann Nocenti | Daredevil (Marvel) | | |
| 1990s | | | |
| 1990 | There was no Eisner Award ceremony, or awards distributed, in 1990, due to widespread balloting mix-ups.[3] | | |
|---|
| 1991 | Neil Gaiman | The Sandman (DC) | [4] |
|---|
| Steve Gerber | | | |
| Gilbert Hernandez | Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics) | | |
| Scott McCloud | Zot! (Kitchen Sink) | | |
| Frank Miller | | | |
| Alan Moore | Miracleman (Eclipse) | | |
| Grant Morrison | | | |
| Dave Sim | Cerebus (Aardvark-Vanaheim) | | |
| James Vance | | | |
| Kate Worley | Omaha the Cat Dancer (Kitchen Sink) | | |
| 1992 | Neil Gaiman | The Sandman (DC), Books of Magic (DC), Miracleman (Eclipse) | [5] |
|---|
| Peter Bagge | Hate (Fantagraphics) | | |
| Sarah Byam | Billi 99 (Dark Horse) | | |
| Alan Moore | From Hell (Spiderbaby Grafix/Tundra), Lost Girls (Spiderbaby Grafix/Tundra) | | |
| Grant Morrison | Doom Patrol (DC) | | |
| Harvey Pekar | American Splendor (Tundra) | | |
| Dave Sim | Cerebus (Aardvark-Vanaheim) | | |
| 1993 | Neil Gaiman | Miracleman (Eclipse), The Sandman (DC) | [6] |
|---|
| Peter Bagge | Hate (Fantagraphics) | | |
| Dennis Eichhorn | Real Stuff (Fantagraphics) | | |
| Garth Ennis | Hellblazer (DC) | | |
| Roberta Gregory | Naughty Bits (Fantagraphics) | | |
| Frank Miller | "Sin City," Dark Horse Presents (Dark Horse) | | |
| Alan Moore | "From Hell" and "Lost Girls," Taboo (Spiderbaby Grafix/Tundra) | | |
| Dave Sim | Cerebus (Aardvark-Vanaheim) | | |
| 1994 | Neil Gaiman | The Sandman (DC/Vertigo), Death: The High Cost of Living (DC/Vertigo) | [7] |
|---|
| Peter David | The Incredible Hulk (Marvel), The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect (Marvel) | | |
| Garth Ennis | Hellblazer (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Alan Moore | 1963 (Image), Spawn 8 (Image), A Small Killing (VG Graphics/Dark Horse) | | |
| Dave Sim | Cerebus (Aardvark-Vanaheim), Spawn 10 (Image) | | |
| 1995 | Alan Moore | From Hell (Kitchen Sink) | [8] |
|---|
| Dwayne McDuffie | Icon (Milestone) | | |
| Harvey Pekar | American Splendor: A Step Out of the Nest (Dark Horse), Our Cancer Year (with Joyce Brabner) (Four Walls Eight Windows) | | |
| James Robinson | Starman (DC) | | |
| Matt Wagner/Steven Seagle | Sandman Mystery Theatre (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 1996 | Alan Moore | From Hell (Kitchen Sink) | [9] |
|---|
| Kurt Busiek | Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Jukebox Productions/Image) | | |
| Garth Ennis | Preacher (DC/Vertigo), Goddess (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Neil Gaiman | The Sandman (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Grant Morrison | The Invisibles (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 1997 | Alan Moore | From Hell (Kitchen Sink), Supreme (Maximum Press) | [10] |
|---|
| Kurt Busiek | Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Jukebox Productions/Homage), Untold Tales of Spider-Man (Marvel) | | |
| Neil Gaiman | The Sandman (DC/Vertigo), Death: The Time of Your Life (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| John Ostrander | The Spectre (DC) | | |
| James Robinson | Starman (DC), Leave It to Chance (Homage) | | |
| Mark Waid | The Flash (DC), Impulse (DC), Kingdom Come (DC), Captain America (Marvel) | | |
| 1998 | Garth Ennis | Hitman (DC), Preacher (DC/Vertigo), Unknown Soldier (DC/Vertigo), Bloody Mary: Lady Liberty (DC/Helix) | [11] |
|---|
| Kurt Busiek | Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Jukebox Productions/Homage), The Wizard's Tale (Jukebox Productions/Homage) | | |
| Scott McCloud | Superman Adventures (DC) | | |
| John Ostrander | The Spectre (DC), The Kents (DC), Tangent Comics: Nightwing (DC) | | |
| James Robinson | Starman (DC), The Shade (DC), Tangent Comics: Green Lantern (DC), Leave It to Chance (Homage) | | |
| 1999 | Kurt Busiek | Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Homage/WildStorm/Image), The Avengers (Marvel) | [12] |
|---|
| Jeph Loeb | Superman for All Seasons (DC) | | |
| Greg Rucka | Whiteout (Oni Press) | | |
| Steven Seagle | "Drive By," Oni Double Feature (Oni Press), Sandman Mystery Theatre (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Matt Wagner | Grendel: Black, White, and Red (Dark Horse) | | |
| 2000s | | | |
| 2000 | Alan Moore | League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (ABC), Promethea (ABC), Tom Strong (ABC), Tomorrow Stories (ABC), Top Ten (ABC) | [13] |
|---|
| Ed Brubaker | Scene of the Crime (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Warren Ellis | The Authority (DC/WildStorm), Planetary, (DC/WildStorm), Transmetropolitan (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Mark Millar | Superman Adventures (DC) | | |
| Greg Rucka | Whiteout: Melt (Oni Press) | | |
| 2001 | Alan Moore | League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (ABC), Promethea (ABC), Tom Strong (ABC), Tomorrow Stories (ABC), Top Ten (ABC) | [14] |
|---|
| Brian Michael Bendis | Powers (Image), Fortune and Glory (Oni Press), Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel) | | |
| Mike Carey | Lucifer (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Garth Ennis | Preacher (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Mark Millar | The Authority (WildStorm), Ultimate X-Men (Marvel) | | |
| 2002 | Brian Michael Bendis | Powers (Image), Alias (Marvel), Daredevil (Marvel), Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel) | [15] |
|---|
| Brian Azzarello | 100 Bullets (DC/Vertigo), Hellblazer (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Grant Morrison | Fantastic Four: 1234 (Marvel), New X-Men (Marvel) | | |
| Greg Rucka | Queen & Country (Oni Press), Detective Comics (DC) | | |
| Mark Waid | Ruse (CrossGen) | | |
| 2003 | Brian Michael Bendis | Powers (Image), Alias (Marvel), Daredevil (Marvel), Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel) | [16] |
|---|
| Ed Brubaker | Catwoman (DC), Detective Comics (DC), Gotham Central (DC) | | |
| Bruce Jones | Incredible Hulk (Marvel) | | |
| Greg Rucka | Queen & Country (Oni Press), Gotham Central (DC), Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (DC) | | |
| Bill Willingham | Fables (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 2004 | Alan Moore | League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (ABC), Promethea (ABC), Smax (ABC), Tom Strong (ABC), Tom Strong's Terrific Tales (ABC) | [17] |
|---|
| Brian Azzarello | 100 Bullets (DC/Vertigo), Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and Hard Place (DC/Vertigo), Batman (DC) | | |
| Brian Michael Bendis | Alias (Marvel), Daredevil (Marvel), Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel), Ultimate X-Men (Marvel), Powers (Image) | | |
| Ed Brubaker | Catwoman (DC), Detective Comics (DC), Gotham Central (DC), Sleeper (DC/WildStorm) | | |
| Warren Ellis | Orbiter (DC/Vertigo), Global Frequency, (DC/WildStorm), Red, (DC/WildStorm), Planetary, (DC/WildStorm), Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth, (DC/WildStorm) | | |
| Greg Rucka | Queen & Country (Oni Press), Gotham Central (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), Wolverine (Marvel) | | |
| 2005 | Brian K. Vaughan | Y: The Last Man (DC/Vertigo), Ex Machina (DC/WildStorm), Runaways (Marvel) | [18] |
|---|
| Steve Niles | 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow (IDW), 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales (IDW), Aleister Arcane (IDW), Freaks of the Heartland (Dark Horse), Last Train to Deadsville (Dark Horse) | | |
| Greg Rucka | Queen & Country (Oni Press), Gotham Central (DC) | | |
| Joss Whedon | Astonishing X-Men (Marvel) | | |
| Bill Willingham | Fables (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 2006 | Alan Moore | Promethea (ABC), Top 10: The Forty-Niners (ABC) | [19] |
|---|
| Warren Ellis | Fell (Image), Down (Top Cow/Image), Desolation Jones (DC/WildStorm), Ocean (DC/WildStorm), Planetary, (DC/WildStorm) | | |
| Allan Heinberg | Young Avengers (Marvel) | | |
| Grant Morrison | Seven Soldiers (DC), All Star Superman (DC) | | |
| Brian K. Vaughan | Ex Machina (DC/WildStorm), Y: The Last Man (DC/Vertigo), Runaways (Marvel) | | |
| 2007 | Ed Brubaker | Captain America (Marvel), Daredevil (Marvel), Criminal (Marvel/Icon) | [20] |
|---|
| Bob Burden | Gumby (Wildcard Ink) | | |
| Ian Edginton | Scarlet Traces: The Great Game (Dark Horse) | | |
| Grant Morrison | All Star Superman (DC), Batman (DC), 52 (DC), Seven Soldiers (DC) | | |
| Bill Willingham | Fables (DC/Vertigo), Jack of Fables (DC/Vertigo), Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 2008 | Ed Brubaker | Captain America (Marvel), Criminal (Marvel/Icon), Daredevil (Marvel), The Immortal Iron Fist (Marvel) | [21] |
|---|
| James Sturm | Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow (Center for Cartoon Studies/Hyperion Books) | | |
| Brian K. Vaughan | Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse), Ex Machina (DC/WildStorm), Y: The Last Man (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Joss Whedon | Astonishing X-Men (Marvel), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse) | | |
| Brian Wood | DMZ (DC/Vertigo), Northlanders (DC/Vertigo), Local (Oni Press) | | |
| 2009 | Bill Willingham | Fables (DC/Vertigo), House of Mystery (DC/Vertigo) | [22][23] |
|---|
| Joe Hill | Locke & Key (IDW) | | |
| J. Michael Straczynski | Thor (Marvel), The Twelve (Marvel) | | |
| Mariko Tamaki | Skim (Groundwood Books) | | |
| Matt Wagner | Zorro (Dynamite), Madame Xanadu (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 2010s | | | |
| 2010 | Ed Brubaker | Captain America (Marvel), Daredevil (Marvel), The Marvels Project (Marvel), Criminal (Marvel/Icon), Incognito (Marvel/Icon) | [24][25] |
|---|
| Geoff Johns | Adventure Comics (DC), Blackest Night (DC), The Flash: Rebirth (DC), Superman: Secret Origin (DC) | | |
| James Robinson | Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC) | | |
| Mark Waid | Irredeemable (Boom!), The Incredibles (Boom!) | | |
| Bill Willingham | Fables (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 2011 | Joe Hill | Locke & Key (IDW) | [26][27] |
|---|
| Ian Boothby | Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book (Bongo), Futurama Comics 47 -50 (Bongo), Simpsons Comics 162 , 168 (Bongo), Simpsons Super Spectacular 11 -12 (Bongo) | | |
| John Layman | Chew (Image) | | |
| Jim McCann | Return of the Dapper Men (Archaia) | | |
| Nick Spencer | Morning Glories (Image), Shuddertown (Image), Forgetless (Image), Existence 3.0 (Image), | | |
| 2012 | Mark Waid | Irredeemable (Boom!) Incorruptible (Boom!), Daredevil (Marvel) | [28][27] |
|---|
| Cullen Bunn | The Sixth Gun (Oni) | | |
| Mike Carey | The Unwritten (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Jeff Jensen | Green River Killer: A True Detective Story (Dark Horse) | | |
| Jeff Lemire | Animal Man (DC), Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown (DC), Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (DC), Sweet Tooth (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| 2013 | Brian K. Vaughan | Saga (Image) | [29][27] |
|---|
| Ed Brubaker | Fatale (Image) | | |
| Matt Fraction | Hawkeye (Marvel), Casanova: Avaritia (Marvel/Icon) | | |
| Brandon Graham | Multiple Warheads (Image), Prophet (Image) | | |
| Jonathan Hickman | The Manhattan Projects (Image) | | |
| Frank M. Young | The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song (Abrams ComicArts) | | |
| 2014 | Brian K. Vaughan | Saga (Image) | [30][27] |
|---|
| Kelly Sue DeConnick | Pretty Deadly (Image), Captain Marvel (Marvel) | | |
| Matt Fraction | Sex Criminals (Image), Hawkeye (Marvel), Fantastic Four (Marvel), FF (Marvel) | | |
| Jonathan Hickman | East of West (Image), The Manhattan Projects (Image), Avengers (Marvel), Infinity (Marvel) | | |
| Eric Stephenson | Nowhere Men (Image) | | |
| 2015 | Gene Luen Yang | Avatar: The Last Airbender (Dark Horse), The Shadow Hero (First Second) | [31][27] |
|---|
| Jason Aaron | Original Sin (Marvel), Thor (Marvel), Men of Wrath (Marvel/Icon), Southern Bastards (Image) | | |
| Kelly Sue DeConnick | Captain Marvel (Marvel), Pretty Deadly (Image) | | |
| Grant Morrison | The Multiversity (DC), Annihilator (Legendary Comics) | | |
| Brian K. Vaughan | Saga (Image), The Private Eye (Panel Syndicate) | | |
| G. Willow Wilson | Ms. Marvel (Marvel) | | |
| 2016 | Jason Aaron | Southern Bastards (Image), Men of Wrath (Marvel/Icon), Doctor Strange (Marvel), Star Wars (Marvel), Thor (Marvel) | [32][27] |
|---|
| John Allison | Giant Days (Boom!) | | |
| Ed Brubaker | The Fade Out (Image), Velvet (Image), Criminal Special Edition (Image) | | |
| Marjorie Liu | Monstress (Image) | | |
| G. Willow Wilson | Ms. Marvel (Marvel) | | |
| 2017 | Brian K. Vaughan | Paper Girls (Image), Saga (Image), We Stand On Guard (Image) | [33][27] |
|---|
| Ed Brubaker | Criminal 10th Anniversary Special (Image), Kill or Be Killed (Image), Velvet (Image) | | |
| Kurt Busiek | Astro City (DC/Vertigo) | | |
| Chelsea Cain | Mockingbird (Marvel) | | |
| Max Landis | Green Valley (Image/Skybound), Superman: American Alien (DC) | | |
| Jeff Lemire | Black Hammer (Dark Horse), Descender (Image), Plutona (Image), Bloodshot Reborn (Valiant) | | |
| 2018 | Tom King [note 1] | Batman (DC), Batman Annual 2 (DC), Batman/Elmer Fudd Special 1 (DC), Mister Miracle (DC) | [34][27] |
|---|
| Marjorie Liu [note 1] | Monstress (Image) | | |
| Matt Kindt | Grass Kings (Boom!), Ether (Dark Horse), Eternity (Valiant), X-O Manowar (Valiant) | | |
| Jeff Lemire | Black Hammer (Dark Horse), Descender (Image) | | |
| Mark Russell | The Flintstones (DC) | | |
| 2019 | Tom King | Batman (DC), Mister Miracle (DC), Heroes in Crisis (DC), Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC) | [35] |
|---|
| Alex de Campi | Bad Girls (Gallery 13), Twisted Romance (Image) | | |
| Jeff Lemire | Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Dark Horse), Doctor Star & the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows (Dark Horse), Quantum Age (Dark Horse), Descender (Image), Gideon Falls (Image), Royal City (Image) | | |
| Mark Russell | Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles (DC), Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound (DC), Lex Luthor/Porky Pig (DC), Lone Ranger (Dynamite) | | |
| Kelly Thompson | Nancy Drew (Dynamite), Hawkeye (Marvel), Jessica Jones (Marvel), Mr. & Mrs. X (Marvel), Rogue & Gambit (Marvel), Uncanny X-Men (Marvel), West Coast Avengers (Marvel) | | |
| Chip Zdarsky | Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man (Marvel), Marvel Two-in-One (Marvel) | | |
| 2020s | | | |
| 2020 | Mariko Tamaki | Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC), Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan), Archie (Archie) | [36][37] |
|---|
| Bobby Curnow | Ghost Tree (IDW) | | |
| MK Reed and Greg Means | Penny Nichols (Top Shelf) | | |
| Lewis Trondheim | Stay (Magnetic Press), Maggy Garrisson (SelfMadeHero) | | |
| G. Willow Wilson | Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse), Ms. Marvel (Marvel) | | |
| Chip Zdarsky | The White Trees (Image), Daredevil (Marvel), Spider-Man: Life Story (Marvel), Afterlift (comiXology Originals) | | |
