Director DJ Caruso on Y: The Last Man:

Q: Is "Y: The Last Man" going to happen?

Caruso: It's probably going to be happening, yeah. With New Line now part of Warner Brothers, Warners is now very high on the project. And Carl Ellsworth and I are probably going to deliver the script to WB/New Line by next week.

Q: Can you elaborate on what you mean when you say that you've cracked "Y: The Last Man"?

Caruso: What I mean by that is that there's so much to choose from. Just trying to narrow down the story, and in all the drafts written over the years there's a lot of great stuff in there, but what I think "Y" was missing in screenplay form was a ticking clock. So we did something where we separated Yorick from [pet monkey] Ampersand for a brief period of time where Yorick gets very sick, which kind of opened up the movie in the middle of the act. And also the Agent 355 / Yorick relationship to me has always been sort of a De Niro / Grodin thing. And so I was working on that and not quite getting it right, believe it or not. Because Yorick to me is so solid, it's really like 355 and her journey with Yorick that's been…and also Act 3, where do you end the first movie and how can you go from there? But I think we licked it.

Q: So is this a trilogy?

Caruso: I see it as a trilogy. I definitely see it as a trilogy. I see the first movie ending anywhere basically when you pick up after the incident you're picking up about six weeks later, meeting Yorick six weeks later after the incident and progressing down, I think it's about… only a five or six week journey from that point to the end of the first movie. It's been hard, in a good way, just because there's so much good stuff to choose from, and every time you start throwing certain scenes in the screenplay you'll see that it sort of dislodges and starts to head a different way.

More at the link!

Press Release

HOUSE OF MYSTERY #1 and YOUNG LIARS #1, two new debut issues from Vertigo, have both sold out and are being sent back to press for a special, flip book. This 48-page flip book will reprint both stories and will arrive in stores with a cover price of just $2.99 U.S.

"We're thrilled to see that two of our new monthly series are in such demand," says Karen Berger, Senior VP - Executive Editor, Vertigo. "Now you can get the first issue of two Vertigo staples for the price of one: the gritty crime fiction of YOUNG LIARS and HOUSE OF MYSTERY's modern horror."

The HOUSE OF MYSTERY #1/YOUNG LIARS #1 Flip Book (MAY088310) has a Final Order Cutoff date of Thursday, July 17 and is scheduled to arrive in stores on August 6.

The HOUSE OF MYSTERY side will feature the original cover art by Sam Weber with a recolored logo; the YOUNG LIARS side will feature the original cover art by David Lapham with the white frame recolored orange.

Retailers may order this item by contacting their Diamond Customer Service Representative or DC Sales Representative, or by email at reorders@diamondcomics.com.

Other issues of HOUSE OF MYSTERY are available as follows:

* HOUSE OF MYSTERY #2 (APR080274) is available for reorder.
* HOUSE OF MYSTERY #3 (MAY080268) is available for reorder, but please note that quantities are very limited.
* HOUSE OF MYSTERY #4 (JUN080297) has a final order cutoff date of July 17 and is scheduled to arrive in stores on August 6.
* HOUSE OF MYSTERY #5 (JUL080213) is solicited in the July Previews and is scheduled to arrive in stores on September 3.

Other issues of YOUNG LIARS are available as follows:

* YOUNG LIARS #2 (FEB080305) is available for reorder.
* YOUNG LIARS #3 (MAR080239) is available for reorder.
* YOUNG LIARS #4 (APR080283) is available for reorder.
* YOUNG LIARS #5 (MAY080273) is available for reorder.
* YOUNG LIARS #6 (JUN080307) has a final order cutoff date of July 24 and is scheduled to arrive in stores on August 13.
* YOUNG LIARS #7 (JUL080226) is solicited in the July Previews and is scheduled to arrive in stores on September 10.

I have a small (2,500) comic book collection and about 50 trade paperbacks, graphic novels and the like. I was reading this thread today which made me think: Which collected trades should I get? Here's a ongoing list of stuff I wanna get:

Marvel:
*Planet Hulk Omnibus (Though I'm only missing the last chapter from the story)

DC:
*Heroes - The Graphic Novel (for my girl, she loves that show...)
*New Teen Titans - The Judas Contract TPB
*Batman - Knightsend (Got the Knightfall TPB way back in '93... wonder if it's still in print?)
*Superman - Return of Superman (just to complete the Death of/World Without a Superman TPBs)
*Crisis On Infinite Earths (to help with a future project of mine)
*The Legion of Super-Heroes - An Eye For An Eye TPB (Kinda symbolic for me...)
*Superman - Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow? (best Superman story EVER)

DC/Vertigo:
*Death:The High Cost of Living TPB
*V For Vendetta
*The Witching Hour
*Y The Last Man vol. 1-9

press release:
Spirit of Will Eisner Lives on at Eisner Awards

The 17th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were bestowed on Friday July 15 in a gala ceremony in the ballroom at the San Diego Convention Center. The awards event was dedicated to Eisner, who died in January. His presence was felt throughout the evening, as presenter after presenter shared thoughts about the late comics giant. The ceremony was preceded by a slide show of Eisner’s career and a video with taped tributes from many creators who couldn’t attend, including Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, and Dave Sim. Will’s widow, Ann, appeared briefly on stage to welcome everyone.

The Eisner award winners were spread out among a variety of creators and titles, with only a few projects winning two trophies. The multiple winners were Kyle Baker and Plastic Man (Best Writer/Artist Humor; Best Publication for a Younger Audience), Eric Powell and The Goon (Best Humor Publication, Best Continuing Series), Brian K. Vaughan and Ex Machina (Best Writer, Best New Series), Fables (Best Serialized Story, Best Cover Artist for James Jean), and The Complete Peanuts (Best Archival Project, Best Publication Design).

Dave Gibbons’s The Originals (Vertigo) took the Best Graphic Album–New category, while Jeff Smith’s massive Bone One Volume Edition was named Best Graphic Album–Reprint. The Best Single Issue award went to Dan Clowes’ Eightball #23, following in the footsteps of the 2002 win for Eightball #22. Similarly, Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha vols. 3-4 was awarded Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material, the category won by vols. 1-2 last year.

Comic Book Artist won the Best Comics-Related Periodical for the fourth time, while the Best Comics-Related Book award went to Gerard Jones’s Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book. The first winner of the award for Best Digital Comic was Brian Fies for the autobiographical "Mom’s Cancer," and many members of his family were on hand to see him accept. Writer Sean McKeever (A Waiting Place, Mary Jane) took home the trophy for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition.

Among publishers, DC Comics and its imprints had seven (plus five shared) winners, led by Plastic Man, Ex Machina, and Fables. The Best Penciller/Inker category was a tie between two DC artists: John Cassaday (WildStorm’s Planetary, along with Astonishing X-Men for Marvel) and Frank Quitely (Vertigo’s WE3). DC creators also took home the honors for Best Painter (Teddy Kristiansen for the graphic novel It’s a Bird . . .) and portions of Best Coloring (Dave Stewart) and Best Lettering (Todd Klein—his 12th win in the category). The Best Limited Series award went to Darwyn Cooke’s popular DC: The New Frontier.

Dark Horse can claim five winners along with shares of two others. Besides Powell’s The Goon, Dark Horse winners included Best Anthology (Michael Chabon’sThe Amazing Adventures of the Escapist), Best Writer/Artist (Paul Chadwick for Concrete: The Human Dilemma), and Best Short Story (Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson’s "Unfamiliar").

The Peanuts and Eightball wins gave Fantagraphics three awards. Marvel shared in three awards (Penciller/Inker, Lettering, Coloring), but no other publisher had more than one winner.
Sergio Aragonés presented the Hall of Fame Awards. The judges’ choice awards went to the Golden Age artist Lou Fine and to the Asterix team of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The four elected inductees were Johnny Craig, Hugo Pratt, Nick Cardy, and Gene Colan. Both Cardy and Colan were present to accept their trophies. Adele Kurtzman accepted for Craig.

Besides Aragonés, Eisner presenters included Denis Kitchen, Jill Thompson, Scott McCloud, Joss Whedon, Michael Uslan, Michael Chabon, Pia Guerra, Dave Gibbons, and Jeff Smith. All made introductory comments about Will Eisner, from amusing anecdotes to heartfelt gratitude.
Among the other awards given out over the evening were the Comic-Con’s Clampett and Manning awards. The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by Bob’s daughter Ruth, went to George Pérez for his donation of artwork to raise money for several charities, especially A.C.T.O.R. The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award went to Chris Bailey, writer/artist of the all-ages title Major Damage, published by Sky Dog Press.

New this year was the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. The chair of the awards jury, Jerry Robinson, presented the first Bill Finger Awards to Jerry Siegel (accepted by his widow, Joanne) and to Arnold Drake, who roused the crowd with a hilarious a caeplla song about the San Diego Comic-Con.

The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award was presented by Joe Ferrara. This year’s winner was Night Flight Comics of Salt Lake City, owned by Mimi Cruz and Alan Carroll. CBLDF board member Greg Ketter presented the Fund’s Defender of Freedom Award to Denis Kitchen, founder of the Fund, who spoke about the fact that 20 years after its inception the Fund is needed more than ever.

The major sponsor for the 2005 Eisner Awards is mycomicsshop.com. The principal sponsors are Century Guild, Diamond Comic Distributors, Gentle Giant, Isotope, and Odd Lott. Supporting sponsors include Alternate Reality Comics (Las Vegas), Atlantis Fantasyworld (Santa Cruz, CA), Comic Relief—The Comic Bookstore (Berkeley, CA), comicsunlimited.com, Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff (Concord, CA), Quebecor Printing, and Star*Reach. Ballots were tabulated by Mel Thompson and Associates.

Following is a complete list of the 2005 award winners. More information on the awards can be found at www.comic-con.org.
Winners, 2005 Eisner Awards:

Best Short Story: ""Unfamiliar," by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft (Dark Horse Books)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Eightball #23: "The Death Ray," by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)

Best Serialized Story: Fables #19-27: "March of the Wooden Soldiers," by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha (Vertigo/DC)

Best Continuing Series:The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series: DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)

Best New Series: Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC)

Best Publication for a Younger Audience: Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC)

Best Humor Publication: The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

Best Anthology: Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, edited by Diana Schutz and David Land (Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic: Mom's Cancer, by Brian Fies

Best Graphic Album—New: The Originals, by Dave Gibbons (Vertigo/DC)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Bone One Volume Edition, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)

Best Archival Collection/Project: The Complete Peanuts, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material: Buddha, vols. 3-4 by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)

Best Writer: Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man (Vertigo/DC); Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC); Runaways (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist: Paul Chadwick, Concrete: The Human Dilemma (Dark Horse)

Best Writer/Artist—Humor: Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC); Kyle Baker, Cartoonist (Kyle Baker Publishing)

Best Penciller/Inker (tie): John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC); Frank Quitely, WE3 (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Teddy Kristiansen, It’s a Bird . . . (Vertigo/DC)
Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Daredevil, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Six, Captain America (Marvel); Conan, BPRD (Dark Horse); DC: The New Frontier (DC)

Best Lettering: Todd Klein, Promethea; Tom Strong; Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales (ABC); Wonder Woman (DC); Books of Magick: Life During Wartime; Fables; WE3 (Vertigo/DC); Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse)

Best Cover Artist: James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); Green Arrow, Batgirl (DC)
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition: Sean McKeever (A Waiting Place; Mary Jane; Inhumans; Sentinels)

Best Comics-Related Periodical: Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)

Best Comics-Related Book: Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones (Basic Books)

Best Publication Design: The Complete Peanuts, designed by Seth (Fantagraphics)

Hall of Fame: Judges’ choices: Lou Fine; René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo; Voters’ choices: Nick Cardy, Gene Colan, Johnny Craig, Hugo Pratt

Other awards presented:

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: George Pérez

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Chris Bailey (Major Damage)

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Writing Award: Jerry Siegel, Arnold Drake

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award: Night Flight Comics, Salt Lake City; Mimi Cruz and Alan Carroil, owners

CBLDF Defender of Liberty Award: Denis Kitchen

On June 3, members of the DC Comics staff and freelance community will greet the public at Wizard World Philadelphia! DC freelancers scheduled to be at Wizard World Philadelphia include:
• Scott Beatty (BATMAN BEGINS MOVIE ADAPTATION, SON OF VULCAN)
• Tommy Castillo (DETECTIVE COMICS)
• Amanda Conner (JSA: CLASSIFIED, BATGIRL covers)
• Justin Gray (HAWKMAN, JONAH HEX, TWILIGHT EXPERIMENT)
• Jamal Igle (FIRESTORM)
• John Lucas (DETECTIVE COMICS)
• Sean Murphy (YEAR ONE: BATMAN/SCARECROW)
• Bruce Jones (YEAR ONE: BATMAN/SCARECROW)
• J.G. Jones (WONDER WOMAN covers)
• Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS, WONDER WOMAN)
• Jimmy Palmiotti (HAWKMAN, JONAH HEX, TWILIGHT EXPERIMENT)
• Michael Turner (IDENTITY CRISIS covers)
• Walter Simonson (DAY OF VENGEANCE covers, ELRIC: THE MAKING OF A SORCERER)
• Ethan van Sciver (GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH)

From DC's Editorial staff, Shelly Bond, Group Editor — VERTIGO and Dan DiDio, VP — Executive Editor, DCU, are scheduled to attend.

Paula Lowitt, Senior VP — Business & Legal Affairs, is scheduled to be at the show, as are Terri Cunningham, VP — Managing Editor, Ronald Perazza, Director — Creative Services, and Kevin Kiniry, Manager — Licensing.

DC's Sales & Marketing staff will be at the show as well, including Bob Wayne, VP — Sales, Patricia Jeres, Director — Marketing Communications, Vince Letterio, Manager — Direct Sales, Stuart Schreck, Administrator, Direct Sales, and Vinnie Costa, Representative, Events & Retailer Services.

See more information here

DC Comics has expanded the distribution of the EX MACHINA SPECIAL EDITION #1, giving even more readers the chance to enjoy a FREE look at this Eisner Award-nominated new series!

In addition to receiving the Special in quantities equal to 30% of retailers' initial orders on Y: THE LAST MAN #32 (FEB050363), retailers also will receive one copy for every copy of EX MACHINA: THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS TP (NOV040321) ordered to date.

"Retailer interest in this Special has been very high, so we're pleased to make more copies available," says Bob Wayne, DC's VP-Sales. "This Special provides an ideal way for retailers to introduce fans of Brian K. Vaughan's writing on Y: THE LAST MAN to his work on EX MACHINA."

The free EX MACHINA SPECIAL EDITION #1 (PROM60067) is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 11. Other EX MACHINA issues and more are available as follows:
The EX MACHINA: THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS TP (NOV040321) is available for reorder.
EX MACHINA #2 (MAY040350), #3 (JUN040808), #4 (JUL040674), #5 (AUG040437), #6 (SEP040374), #7 (OCT040333), #8 (DEC040308), #9 (JAN050350) and #10 (FEB050336) all are available for reorder.

EX MACHINA #11 (MAR050462) is available for advance reorder and is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 18.

EX MACHINA #12 (APR050393) is solicited in the April Previews (Volume XV #4) and is scheduled to arrive in stores on June 15.

EX MACHINA #13 (MAY050275) is solicited in the May Previews (Volume XV #5) and is scheduled to arrive in stores on July 20.

Check out Comics Impulse for info on DC's Infinite Crisis!

Press Release

Writer Brian K. Vaughan tops the list of nominees for the 2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards with seven nominations for his work. Five of the nominations are for his new series from WildStorm, Ex Machina, in which an ex-superhero becomes mayor of New York City (Best New Series, Continuing Series, Single Issue, Serialized Story), while two are for the longer-running Vertigo series Y: The Last Man (Continuing Series, Serialized Story). Vaughan is nominated for Best Writer, while Ex Machina also received a nod for Best Coloring (by J. D. Mettler). The art team on Ex Machina, Tony Harris and Tom Feister, share four nominations.

Close behind Vaughan with five nominations is Kyle Baker-although three are competing against each other: Best Humor Publication for Plastic Man, Kyle Baker Cartoonist, and the graphic novel Birth of a Nation. Baker is also up for Best Title for a Younger Audience for Plastic Man, as well for Best Writer-Artist-Humor.

Also tapped for five nominations is John Cassady, cited for Best Penciller/Inker on both Astonishing X-Men and Planetary. Astonishing X-Men is nominated for Best Serialized Story, New Series, and Continuing Series, while Planetary is up for Best Serialized Story. Astonishing's writer, Joss Whedon, is also nominated for Best Writer, giving him four total nods.

Two other creators have four nominations: Eric Powell for The Goon (Best Single Issue, Continuing Series, Humor Publication, and Writer/Artist-Humor) and Stan Sakai (Best Writer/Artist and Lettering for Usagi Yojimbo; Best Comics-Related Book and Publication Design for The Art of Usagi Yojimbo).

Chris Ware is up for three awards for McSweeney's Quarterly #13: Best Short Story, Anthology, and Publication Design. He is also the topic of the Best Comics-Related Publication nominee: Chris Ware, by Dan Raeburn. Other creators with three nominations are Frank Quitely for WE3 (Best Limited Series, Penciller/Inker, Cover Artist); Seth (Best Graphic Album-Reprint and Best Publication Design for Clyde's Fans vol. 1 and Publication Design for The Complete Peanuts); and Juanjo Guarnido for Blacksad Book 2 (Best Graphic Album-New, Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material, and Best Painter).

Creators with two nominations each include Geof Darrow, Dan Clowes, Warren Ellis, Pia Guerra/José Marzan Jr., Troy Hickman, Teddy Kristiansen, David Lapham, Steve Niles, Johnny Ryan, art spiegelman, Ben Templesmith, Doug TenNapel, Craig Thompson, Brian Wood/Becky Cloonan, and Michael Zulli.

DC and its various imprints racked up the most company nominations, with 22 full nominations and shares of several others. The nominations for Ex Machina and Planetary give DC's WildStorm imprint 7 full nominations, while DC's Vertigo line has 11 full nominations, including multiples for Y the Last Man, Fables, WE3, and the graphic novel It's a Bird. Dark Horse, boosted by the four mentions each for Powell and Sakai, has 16 full nods plus several partial ones. Image did well with 10 nominations, including two each for Doug TenNapel's graphic novel Tommysaurus Rex and the Troy Hickman anthology Common Grounds.

Next among the publishers is Fantagraphics with eight nominations, including two each for Dan Clowes (Eightball), Johnny Ryan (Angry Youth Comix), and The Complete Peanuts. The nominations for Astonishing X-Men give Marvel five-plus nods, while the Wachowski Brothers' new company, Burlyman, snagged five nominations (three for Geof Darrow's Shaolin Cowboy). Mainstream publisher Pantheon has four nominations (two for art spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers), followed close behind with three-plus mentions each for IDW (led by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith's 30 Days of Nights: Return to Barrow), Top Shelf, and iBooks (three of them for Blacksad Book 2). McSweeney's and Drawn & Quarterly each have three nominations. The remaining nominations are scattered among 22 other publishers.

This year's judges added a new category, Best Digital Comic, for which they nominated six webcomics: Steve Bryant's Athena Voltaire, Peter Branting's Bento & Starchky, Kazu's Copper, Les McClaine's Jonny Crossbones, Brian Fies's Mom's Cancer, and Matt Forsythe's ojingogo. In the Hall of Fame category, the judges' choices for 2005 are Golden Age artist Lou Fine and the creators of Asterix: René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. A complete list of the 2005 nominations is provided below.

The panel of judges consisted of writers Tom McLean (Variety, "Bags 'n' Boards" blog) and Tom Russo (Entertainment Weekly, Premiere); retailer Gib Bickel (The Laughing Ogre, Columbus, Ohio); graphic novel librarian and reviewer Kat Kan; and cartoonist/webmaster Steve Conley (Astounding Space Thrills, comicon.com).

Ballots will be going out in late April to comics creators, editors, publishers, and retailers. The results will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 18 in Ballroom 20 at the San Diego Convention Center. The ceremony will be dedicated to the late Will Eisner and will feature several tributes to the man in whose name the awards are given.

Sponsors for the 2005 Eisners include mycomicshop.com (major sponsor), Diamond Comics Distributors and Quebecor Printing (principal sponsors), and Alternate Reality, Atlantis Fantasyworld, Comic Relief-The Comic Bookstore, Comics Unlimited, Flying Colors, and Star*Reach (supporting sponsors).

The Eisner Awards are presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International, San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms. primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture. Jackie Estrada has been administrator of the Awards since 1990. She can be reached at jackiee@mindspring.com. More information about the Eisner Awards can be found at www.comic-con.org.

MASTER NOMINEE LIST, 2005 Eisner Awards

Best Short Story
"Eve O' Twins," by Craig Thompson, in Rosetta 2 (Alternative)
"Glenn Ganges: Jeepers Jacobs," by Kevin Huizenga, in Kramer's Ergot 5 (Gingko Press)
"God" (story on wrap-around dust jacket) by Chris Ware, in McSweeney's Quarterly #13 (McSweeney's)
"The Price," by Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli, in Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse Books)
"Unfamiliar," by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft (Dark Horse Books)
"Where Monsters Dine," by Troy Hickman, Angel Medina, and Jon Holdredge, in Common Grounds #5 (Top Cow/Image)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Demo #7: "One Shot, Don't Miss," by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (AiT/Planet Lar)
Eightball #23: "The Death Ray," by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)
Ex Machina #1: "The Pilot," by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Feister (WildStorm/DC)
Global Frequency #12: "Harpoon," by Warren Ellis and Gene Ha (WildStorm/DC)
The Goon #6: "Ilagarto Hombre!," by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

Best Serialized Story
Astonishing X-Men #1-6: "Gifted," by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)
Ex Machina #2-5: "State of Emergency," by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Feister (WildStorm/DC)
Fables #19-27: "March of the Wooden Soldiers," by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha (Vertigo/DC)
Planetary #19-20: "Mystery in Space/Rendezvous," by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday (WildStorm/DC)
Y: The Last Man #18-20: "Safeword," by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and José Marzan Jr. (Vertigo/DC)

Best Continuing Series
Astonishing X-Men, by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)
Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC)
The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Stray Bullets, by David Lapham (El Capitan)
Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and José Marzan Jr. (Vertigo/DC)

Best Limited Series
DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
Demo, by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (AiT/Planet Lar)
30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow, by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith (IDW)
WE3, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo/DC)
Wanted, by Mark Millar and J. G. Jones (Top Cow/Image)

Best New Series
Astonishing X-Men, by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)
Doc Frankenstein, by the Wachowski Brothers and Steve Scroce (Burlyman)
Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC)
The Shaolin Cowboy, by Geof Darrow (Burlyman)

Best Publication for a Younger Audience
Amelia Rules!, (Renaissance Press) and Amelia Rules! What Makes You Happy (iBooks) by Jimmy Gownley
Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom, by Ted Naifeh (Oni)
Owly, by Andy Runton (Top Shelf)
Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC)
Tommysaurus Rex, by Doug TenNapel (Image)

Best Humor Publication
Angry Youth Comix, by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics)
Birth of a Nation, by Aaron McGruder, Reginald Hudlin, and Kyle Baker (Crown)
The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Kyle Baker, Cartoonist, by Kyle Baker (Kyle Baker Publishing)
Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC)

Best Anthology
Common Grounds, by Troy Hickman and others, edited by Jim McLauchlin (Top Cow/Image)
The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft, edited by Scott Allie (Dark Horse Books)
The Matrix Comics, vol. 2, edited by Spencer Lamm (Burlyman)
McSweeney's Quarterly #13, edited by Chris Ware (McSweeney's)
Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, edited by Diana Schutz and David Land (Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic
Athena Voltaire, by Steve Bryant www.athenavoltaire.com
Bento & Starchky, by zer0 (Peter Branting) http://www.noapologiespress.com/zer0comics/bento.htm
Copper, by Kazu www.boltcity.com/copper_home.htm
Jonny Crossbones, by Les McClaine www.evilspacerobot.com/co...nes/index.htm
Mom's Cancer, by Brian Fies www.momscancer.com/eisner.htm
ojingogo, by matt forsythe www.comingupforair.net/comics/ojingogo.html

Best Graphic Album-New
Blacksad Book 2: Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (iBooks)
It's a Bird . . ., by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen (Vertigo/DC)
The Originals, by Dave Gibbons (Vertigo/DC)
Suspended in Language, by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Purvis (GT Labs)
Tommysaurus Rex, by Doug TenNapel (Image)

Best Graphic Album-Reprint
Age of Bronze: Sacrifice, by Eric Shanower (Image)
Bone One Volume Edition, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
The Book of Ballads, by Charles Vess and others (Tor)
Clyde Fans, by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
In the Shadow of No Towers, by art spiegelman (Pantheon)
Locas, by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project
The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker, edited by Robert Mankoff (Black Dog & Leventhal)
The Complete Peanuts, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
DC Comics Rarities Archives, vol. 1, edited by Dale Crain (DC)
Krazy and Ignatz, edited by Bill Blackbeard and Derya Ataker (Fantagraphics)
Russ Manning's Magnus, Robot Fighter, vol. 1, edited by Katie Moody, Mike Carriglitto, and David Land (Dark Horse Books)

Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material
Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima, vols. 1-2, by Keiji Nahazawa (Last Gasp)
Blacksad Book 2: Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (iBooks)
Buddha, vols. 3-4 by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon)
Tokyo Tribes, by Santa Inoue (TOKYOPOP)

Best Writer
Steve Niles, 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow; 30Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales; Aleister Arcane (IDW); Freaks of the Heartland; Last Train to Deadsville (Dark Horse)
Greg Rucka, Queen & Country (Oni); Gotham Central (DC)
Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man (Vertigo/DC); Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC); Runaways (Marvel)
Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel)
Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist
Paul Chadwick, Concrete: The Human Dilemma (Dark Horse)
Dan Clowes, Eightball #23 (Fantagraphics)
David Lapham, Stray Bullets (El Capitan)
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse)
Adrian Tomine, Optic Nerve #9 (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Writer/Artist-Humor
Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC); Kyle Baker, Cartoonist (Kyle Baker Publishing)
Phil Foglio, Girl Genius (Airship Entertainment)
Scott Kurtz, PvP (Image)
Eric Powell, The Goon (Dark Horse)
Johnny Ryan, Angry Youth Comix (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Charles Adlard, The Walking Dead (Image)
John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC)
Geof Darrow, Shaolin Cowboy (Burlyman)
Cary Nord/Thomas Yeates, Conan (Dark Horse)
Frank Quitely, WE3 (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad, Book 2: Arctic Nation (iBooks)
Teddy Kristiansen, It's a Bird . . . (Vertigo/DC)
David Mack, Kabuki (Marvel)
Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow (IDW)
Michael Zulli, Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse Books)

Best Coloring
Peter Doherty, Shaolin Cowboy (Burlyman)
Steven Griffen, Hawaiian Dick: The Last Resort (Image)
Laura Martin, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Ministry of Space (Image); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC)
J. D. Mettler, Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC)
Dave Stewart, Daredevil, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Six, Captain America (Marvel); Conan, BPRD (Dark Horse)l DC: The New Frontier (DC)

Best Lettering
Todd Klein, Promethea; Tom Strong; Tom Strong's Terrific Tales (ABC); Wonder Woman (DC); Books of Magick: Life During Wartime; Fables; WE3 (Vertigo/DC); Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse)
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse)
Dave Sim, Cerebus (Aardvark Vanaheim)
Craig Thompson, Carnet de Voyage (Top Shelf); "Eve O' Twins" in Rosetta 2 (Alternative)

Best Cover Artist
Kieron Dwyer, Remains (IDW)
James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); Green Arrow, Batgirl (DC)
Tony Moore, The Walking Dead (Image)
Frank Quitely, Bite Club; WE3 (Vertigo/DC)
Michael Turner, Identity Crisis (DC)

Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition
Frank Cammuso (Max Hamm, Fairy Tale Detective)
Bosch Fawstin (Table for One)
Matt Kindt (Two Sisters; Pistolwhip)
Sean McKeever (A Waiting Place; Mary Jane; Inhumans; Sentinels)
Raina Telgemeier ("Smile," Takeout)

Best Comics-Related Periodical
Comic Art, edited by M. Todd Hignite (Comic Art)
Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)
Draw!, edited by Mike Manley (TwoMorrows)
Indy Magazine online (www.indyworld.com), edited by Bill Kartalopoulos (Alternative)

Best Comics-Related Book
The Art of Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse Books)
Chris Ware, by Daniel Raeburn (Monographics/Yale University Press)
Give Our Regards to the Atom Smashers, edited by Sean Howe (Pantheon)
Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones (Basic Books)
Strangers in Paradise Treasury Edition, by Terry Moore (HarperCollins Perennial)

Best Publication Design
The Art of Usagi Yojimbo, designed by Cary Grazzini (Dark Horse Books)
Clyde's Fans, designed by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
The Complete Peanuts, designed by Seth (Fantagraphics)
In the Shadow of No Towers, designed by art spiegelman (Pantheon)
McSweeney's Quarterly #13, designed by Chris Ware (McSweeney's)

Hall of Fame
Judges' Choices: Lou Fine; René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo

Four will be selected from:

Matt Baker
Wayne Boring
Nick Cardy
Yves Chaland
Gene Colan
Johnny Craig
Reed Crandall
Floyd Gottfredson
Frank Hampson
Graham Ingels
Robert Kanigher
William Moulton Marston
Hugo Pratt
Frank Robbins

DC Comics/Vertigo will collect the widely acclaimed tale of how a dog, a cat, and a rabbit became the deadliest war machines the military ever created -- and fought against -- in the WE3 TPB, a collection of the three-issue mini-series by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. WE3 earned numerous accolades with its terrifying and heartbreaking 104-page story of three cybernetically enhanced lab animals that use their weapons-laden exoskeletons to escape their masters, and to traverse an equally frightening world in search of a place called "home."

Here's DC Comic's write-up on it:
Collecting on of the most talked-about series of the year by superstar creators Grant Morrison (SEVEN SOLDIERS) and Frank Quitely (THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS), who provides a new cover, WE3 tells the unforgettable story of three innocent pets — a dog, a cat and a rabbit — who have been converted into deadly cyborgs by a sinister military weapons program.

With nervous systems amplified to match their terrifying mechanical exoskeletons, the members of Animal Weapon 3 have the firepower of a battalion between them. But they are just the program's prototypes, and now that their testing is complete they're slated to be permanently "de-commissioned" — until they seize their one chance to make a desperate run for freedom. Relentlessly pursued by their makers, the WE3 team must navigate a frightening and confusing world where their instincts and heightened abilities make them as much a threat as those hunting them — but a world, nonetheless, in which somewhere there is something called "home."

"Morrison has crafted an eerie tale of sci-fi and horror... with cute furry animals." — Syracuse Post-Standard

"[A] startling, disturbing and perhaps enlightening series... a provocative tale." — Atlanta Journal Constitution

Sporting a cover by Quitely, the TPB is scheduled to ship on June 1 for $12.99, and is suggested for mature readers.