Covering paranormal investigations to Y2K, this year’s Hugo nominees for Best Graphic Story feature work by some of the best writers and artists today. All titles have their strengths, but which will emerge victorious? In this column I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the impressive slate and talk about each of their chances of bringing home the rocket.
Abbott (2018)
Writer: Saladin Ahmed
Artist: Sami Kivela
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Elena Abbott is a tough-minded journalist fighting for justice in 1970s Detroit. As a bisexual black woman, her life is complicated enough before her investigations lead her straight into the occult. Elena knows how to fight for a story, but now she’ll need to fight for her life.
It makes sense that Abbott is named after its main protagonist, because that’s the comic book’s biggest strength. Elena is a wonderful character: smart and driven, with a love for order and routine. You’ll want to root for her right from the start. Ahmed, nominated last year for his fantastic run on Black Bolt, is a writer with a keen sense for balancing real life elements with the speculative, and Abbott, steeped in the history of Detroit, is no exception.
The second biggest strength of this comic is the wonderful artwork, done by Sami Kivela, which manages to capture the book’s historical and horror aspects wonderfully, alongside creating some fantastic outfits. I especially love Amelia’s wide brimmed hat and lace gloves.
Will it win? Ahmed may have lost for Black Bolt last year, but a win here would be much deserved. The question is, will this lesser known graphic novel be overlooked in favor for the heavier hitters that have been nominated? I suspect this will be the case.
Black Panther: Long Live the King (2018)
Writers: Nnedi Okorafor and Aaron Covington
Artists: Andre Lima Araujo, Mario del Pinnino, and Tana Ford
Publisher: Marvel
I usually enjoy all the nominees for best graphic story, but this one just didn’t resonate with me, despite being a fan of Black Panther and Okorafor’s science fiction. Long Live the King collects three different tales. The one I enjoyed the most was the first and largest story. In this multi-issue arc, Wakanda is attacked by invisible monsters that only T’Challa can see. This story had a really cool concept and solid artwork. What follows is two shorter stories, one focusing on T’Challa again, and the other on a teenager named Ngozi who served as an interim Black Panther with a symbiote costume (much like Venom’s). Despite interesting ideas, these comics didn’t feel all that memorable and dragged down my enjoyment of the collection as a whole.
Admittedly, if reviews are any indication, there are a lot of people who liked this slim collection more than I did.
Will it win? Superhero stories rarely take home the rocket, and I don’t think this will be an exception, despite Okorafor being rightfully well respected by Hugo voters.
Montress, vol 3: Haven (2018)
Writer: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Sana Takeda
Publisher: Image Comics
Monstress is a grim fantasy where a girl named Maika Halfwolf must fight against the darkness from outside and within. In volume three, Haven, Maika has formed an alliance with the creature that exists inside of her, but will this be enough to defeat her enemies and protect her allies?
While it’s usually the writing that draws me into graphic novels (a result of being a fan of fiction that came to comics later in life), it’s impossible to deny just how stunning Sana Takeda’s detailed artwork is. I’d put her second only to Fiona Staples for her flawless ability to tackle every crazy thing her writer throws at her, from chibi-style cats to body horror.
Fortunately, the writing is also strong, but damn have things gotten complicated in just three volumes. With a large cast of characters and complex motivations, there’s a reason why I usually have to go back and reread the previous volumes whenever a new one is released. Despite this, Monstress has proven to be a title that’s worth your patience, again and again.
Will it Win? I think it has a really good chance to. Both volume one and two of this series won Hugo awards, and Monstress is a popular series all around.
On a Sunbeam (2018)
Writer and Artist: Tillie Walden
Publisher: First Second
On a Sunbeam is all about nineteen-year-old Mia. After joining up with a team that restores and refurbishes ancient building in space, Mia soon finds her past creeping into her present. When she was fourteen, she attended a prestigious academy and fell in love with a mysterious girl named Grace. That is until Grace was suddenly pulled out of school. Is there any hope left for these star-crossed lovers, five years later?
Wow. How did I sleep on On a Sunbeam? The only title that I hadn’t read before the Hugo nominees were announced, On a Sunbeam is a beautiful sci-fi graphic novel about family and love. Set in a dream-like future with an all queer cast, On a Sunbeam features flawed characters and gorgeous color schemes. The artwork may appear to be a bit unconventional, but there’s such a loveliness to it that supports the unique worldbuilding very well. Speaking of worldbuilding, I couldn’t help but find myself a little sad after I had turned the last page. While Mia’s story has clearly been told, I still wanted to spend more time in this world.
Will it Win? On a Sunbeam is a beautiful tale the crosses genres, and I would love to see it win. But I also felt the same way about My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, which was nominated last year, and it did not win. So, I’m not sure how things will go with this one.
Paper Girls 4 (2018)
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Publisher: Image Comics
After being trapped in the prehistoric past, the paper girls return to an uncertain future: the year 2000, when people anxiously wait for the impact of Y2K. The paper girls must once again deal with a future version of themselves, and dangerous enemies from a far-flung future.
I’m not going to lie, this was my favorite version of Paper Girls, and a huge part of it had to do with the setting. As someone who lived through Y2k (I have very specific memories of my father staying at work through midnight to make sure all of the computers wouldn’t crap out), it was so much fun to see that ridiculous scare play out with giant fighting robots from the future.
Cliff Chiang’s artwork handles the acrobatics of Brian K. Vaughan’s writing every well, from futuristic technology, to period faithful clothing and accessories (the fact that we meet a character who carries around a disc-man of all things gave me serious flashbacks). If you’ve enjoyed Paper Girls up until this moment, don’t miss this volume.
Will it Win? Probably not. Sure, Brian K. Vaughan is a Hugo-favorite and this is the third nomination for Paper Girls, but it has yet to take home the actual award.
Saga, Volume 9 (2018)
Writer: Brian K Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Publisher: Image Comics
After years of trauma and strife, Alana, Marko, Hazel and the rest of their family are finally getting a vacation. But you can only hide for so long. In the ninth volume of Saga, their pasts finally catch up to them, and not everyone will survive the encounter.
Saga, Volume Nine is a hell of a roller coaster ride. For quite a while, it’s the happiest chapter of the comic yet, with our tight knit family relaxing and spending time with each other. But beneath all of that is a feeling a dread, the realization that things can only go well for so long (I mean, this is Saga, after all). And when the book does take a turn for the worst, it gets you right in the feels.
Will It Win? Years after Saga was first published in 2012, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples remain at the top of their game. When it comes to the Hugos, six volumes (including this one) have been nominated for best graphic story, although it hasn’t won since volume one. But given that volume nine was the last collection to be released before a long hiatus, it feels more like a season finale. Perhaps that will be enough for it to win another Hugo.
There you go! All of the nominees, listed with my reviews and predictions. Which book do you feel deserves to take home the rocket? Which title is your favorite among this year’s competitive field? Let me know in the comments.
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