The nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were announced last week. The Eisner Award is an annual award given to creators in the comic book industry for their excellence and creativity. Categories include best limited series, best adaption from another medium, best writer, and much more. Some of the series discussed here, like Hawkeye and Saga, landed on the best continuing series list amongst others. What I’m looking forward to is who is going to win best new series.

High Crimes, by Christopher Sebela and Ibrahim Moustafa (Monkeybrain)

By day, Zan Jenson and Haskell Price are guides for adventurous tourists on the Himalayas, but by night they rummage through bodies they find on the high peaks. They were making a pretty penny returning bodies to their families until they find the body of Sullivan Mars. Ever since, things have been getting pretty fishy in Kathmandu, like strange people showing up and they don’t seem very friendly.

Lazarus, by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (Image)

Set in a dystopian future, there is no longer political structure governing the world. A few wealthy families hold all the power, and unless you work for the families, you are meaningless. Forever Carlyle is a genetically altered guard to the family, who she is actually related to by blood. She must overcome enemies of the family while dealing with moral complications and tension within her family.

Rat Queens, by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch (Image/Shadowline)

What do you get when you mix a dwarven warrior, a hobbit thief, an elven mage, and a human cleric together? A group of kickass female mercenaries. Dubbed as “Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack”, the Rat Queens like to mix violence and booze. Filled with loads of dark humor and plenty of blood, this series has gained a dedicated fan base in the past 8 months.

Sex Criminals, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (Image)

Suzie discovered from a young age that she was special. Special in that every time she had an orgasm she stopped time. She liked being suspended in “The Quiet” where she can think and contemplate life. She never expected Jon, a goofy dude she met at a party, to be there too. When sex can literally stop time, what would you do? Rob a bank of course.

Watson and Holmes, by Karl Bollers, Rick Leonardi, Paul Mendoza et al. (New Paradigm Studios)

This is not your ordinary Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tale. Instead of England, it’s set in modern day Harlem, and rather than a stuffy British duo it features two African American men. Dr. John Watson works in an inner city hospital after returning from Afghanistan and a painful divorce. Sherlock Holmes is PI, but only because his internet starter failed. They first run into each other when Sherlock’s investigation leads to Watson’s emergency room and thus their bumpy journey to begrudging friendship begins.

As to who will win, I honestly do not know. I’ve heard some great things about Watson and Holmes on the web and adore Sex Criminals, but it seems like Lazarus has a solid creative team and Rat Queens sounds incredible.

The winners will be announced at the infamous San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 25. For the complete list of nominees, check out Comic-Con’s website.

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