Among the comics awarded at the Eisner Awards: the “Oscars” of American comics, awarded since 1988: the biggest winners are Sandman , Maus , Watchmen and Saga. This tier list ranks award-winning works according to the extent of their critical recognition and their posterity. All have actually won one or more Eisners; the facts are verified, without invented odds.
The Eisner Awards, named after Will Eisner, have rewarded the best in American comics every year since 1988. Being there is a rare guarantee of quality. This tier list brings together truly award-winning works, classified according to the weight of their prize list and the imprint they have left. The criterion is critical recognition combined with posterity.
Editorial ranks, awards verified. Reading guide, no purchase.
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Start my trial →Tier S: the monuments on the list
The Sandman won numerous Eisners and was the first comic to win a World Fantasy Award. Maus accumulated the Pulitzer and recognition of the profession. Watchmen triumphed from the first Eisner in 1988. Saga is the great Eisner machine of the 2010 decade, repeatedly crowned in major categories.
Tier A: award-winning classics
Bone by Jeff Smith is one of the most awarded series in Eisner history. Fun Home and Blankets imposed the graphic memoir at the highest level (Blankets won three Eisners in 2004). And Y: The Last Man confirms the talent of Brian K. Vaughan on the awards side.
Tier B: recognized excellence
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja was awarded for its graphic audacity. Ex Machina, 100 Bullets and March (the memoir of MP John Lewis on civil rights) complete this tier: three works praised by the profession in very different registers.
Tier C: winners to (re)discover
Locke & Key (Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez), The Umbrella Academy (Eisner for best finished series in 2008) and Black Hole by Charles Burns closes this selection: remarkable winners, a notch below the peaks, but all validated by the jury.
To remember
- An Eisner is a guarantee of quality recognized by the entire profession since 1988.
- The list goes beyond superheroes: memoirs, fantasy, adventure for all audiences.
- Some works combine Eisner and literary prizes (Maus, Fun Home).
- Most are available in complete collections.
Frequently asked questions
These are the major annual awards in American comics, presented since 1988 and named after author Will Eisner. They are nicknamed the “Oscars of comics”.
Several series dominate the historical charts, including Bone and Sandman. Saga established itself as the big winner of the 2010s in the main categories.
No. An Eisner rewards quality, not rarity. Most of these titles can be found in moderately priced collections; their value is above all cultural.
Do you own a first edition of one of these winners? Estimate its value for free with our tool based on current eBay listings.
Three paths for reading the winners
A tier list gives a ranking, not instructions. Since the winners cover very different genres, it is better to choose a path according to your tastes than to read everything in rank order. Here are three ways to go about it, using only titles from the selection.
Path 1: the monuments, for a shared culture
Start with Watchmen, which triumphed at the very first Eisners in 1988, then read The Sandman, the first comic to win a World Fantasy Award. Add Saga, the great winner of the 2010s, to compare three very different visions of what a long-running series can be. All three are available in complete collected editions, which saves chasing the original issues.
Path 2: personal and historical stories
If you are looking for what American comics do best outside superheroes, go on to Maus, which combines the Pulitzer with the recognition of the profession, then Fun Home, honored in 2007, and Blankets, which won three Eisners in 2004. March, Congressman John Lewis's account of the civil rights movement, rounds out this path with a historical testimony. These are dense reads: one after another, with a pause in between, you will get more out of them.
Path 3: adventure and fantasy
For a wider audience, including families, Jeff Smith's Bone is one of the most awarded series in Eisner history. Continue with Locke & Key, The Umbrella Academy, honored in 2008 as best finite series, then Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina for more adult plots.
Collecting without mistakes
An Eisner rewards quality, not scarcity: the price of an award-winning title therefore has no automatic link to its distinction. For reading, collected editions are more than enough. If you are after the original issues, focus on first issues and always check the exact edition, since the same work can exist in several formats. Finally, keep in mind that this selection covers only part of the winners' list: a winner missing from the tier list is not necessarily a minor title.