Sure, there were some great manga nominated for an Eisner award in 2009 but what about the ones that didn't get the nod from the nominating committee? See the year's best manga that got missed by the Eisner Awards, but are still worth your money and attention, as recommended by some of the web's top bloggers, critics, and comics creators.
For fun, I noted the possible Eisner categories that these titles could have ran in, in addition to the manga-centric Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Japan category.
See the seven manga nominated for the 2009 Eisner Awards, and the 2008 and 2007 nominees.
11. Black Lagoon - 2 nominations
© Rei Hiroe
Author and Artist:
Publisher: VIZ Media
Eisner Categories: Best New Series
"With its guns, gals and high-octane action, Black Lagoon blows away most mainstream American action comics if only by sheer firepower, adrenaline and its wicked sense of humor."
- Deb Aoki, About.com Manga
- Jason Thompson, Otaku USA and The Complete Guide to Manga
12. Red-Colored Elegy - 2 nominations
© 2008 Seiichi Hayashi
Author and Artist: Seiichi Hayashi
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Eisner Categories: Best Archival Collection / Project - Comic Books
"Wildly experimental and by no means an easy read, Red-Colored Elegy is at its stricken heart a painful story of love and loss. Although it was written in the 1960s, it feels as modern and as real as Craig Thompson's Blankets."
- Jason Thompson, Otaku USA, The Complete Guide to Manga
13. Nana - 2 nominations
© 1999 by Yazawa Manga Seisakusho / SHUEISHA Inc.
Author and Artist: Ai Yazawa
Publisher: Shojo Beat / VIZ Media
Eisner Categories: Best Writer/Artist, Best Continuing Series
"Hip, stylish and utterly addictive, Nana follows the intertwined lives of two very different girls named Nana, trying to make their way in the big city, Tokyo. Shojo manga doesn't get much props from the Eisners, but this is one series that both guys and girls pick up and find themselves sucked into the drama, and Yazawa-sensei's elegant artwork."
- Deb Aoki, About.com Manga
"Nana is an incredibly compelling and emotionally engaging read, and each volume will leave you begging for more. The characters are wonderfully complex and their relationships are unusually realistic."
- Melinda Beasi, Pop Culture Shock
14. After School Nightmare - 1 nomination
© Setona Mizushiro / Go!Comi
Author and Artist: Setona Mizushiro
Publisher: Go! Comi
Eisner Categories: Best Writer/Artist
"Setona Mizushiro for Best Writer/Artist because I love her art so much, and After School Nightmare is amazing!"
- Robin Brenner, No Flying No Tights, Good Comics For Kids
15. Astral Project - 1 nomination
© marginal, Syuji Takeya
Author: Marginal
Artist: Syuji Takeya
Publisher: CMX Manga
Eisner Categories: Best New Series, Best Limited Series
"Mind-bending, exciting metaphysical mystery from the creator of Old Boy. Where else are you going to find references to John Coltrane, Francis Bacon and astral projection in one series? A smart, sophisticated, and suprising suspense story that transcends manga fandom."
- Deb Aoki, About.com Manga
16. Eden: It’s an Endless World! - 1 nomination
@copy; Hiroki Endo
Author and Artist: Hiroki Endo
Publisher: Dark Horse
Eisner Categories: Best Continuing Series
"I’m really surprised this series got ignored to the point where Dark Horse can squeak out only one volume a year. It’s a fantastically detailed story that takes on everything from sci-fi plagues to South American criminal underworlds, and it never comes up short."
- Todd Ciolek, Anime Insider, Anime News Network
17. Evyione: Ocean Fantasy - 1 nomination
© Kim Young-Hee
Author and Artist: Kim Young-Hee
Publisher: Udon Entertainment
Eisner Categories: Best U.S. Edition of International Material
"In a reversal of the traditional Little Mermaid fairy tale, while on a ship celebrating her 18th birthday, Princess Evyione’s ship is struck by a monster and she is saved by the King of Ledent, a merman who falls in love with her. (An) interesting spin on old story, with pretty art."
- Connie C., Slightly Biased Manga, Pop Culture Shock
18. Fruits Basket - 1 nomination
© Natsuki Takaya
Author and Artist: Natsuki Takaya
Publisher: TokyoPop
Eisner Categories: Best Publication for Teens / Tweens
"This comic is all about relationships and it gives hope to the reader that optimism and sincerity can overcome all."
- Audra Furuichi, webcomic artist & co-creator of nemu*nemu
19. Fujoshi Rumi - 1 nomination
© Natsumi Konjoh
Author and Artist: Natsumi Konjoh
Publisher: Media Blasters
Eisner Categories: Best New Series
"A hilarious take on boys love (BL) fandom, a sort of Ugly Betty scenario about a girl who has read too much yaoi manga and whose romantic fantasies all involve watching boys make out in front of her."
- Jason Thompson, Otaku USA, The Complete Guide to Manga
20. Gon - 1 nomination
© Masashi Tanaka / Kodansha Ltd.
Author and Artist: Masashi Tanaka
Publisher: CMX Manga
Eisner Categories: Best Publication for Kids
"Gon could be called a naturalist's WALL*E. In a wordless, humanless world, Masashi Tanaka's micro T-rex is the only interloper distributing the flaura and fauna. Tanaka finds a way to apply cartoon anthropomorphization to animals rendered with painstaking realism. As the ill-tempered dinosaur leaves his mark on the world's various habitats, there is no way to avoid being taken in by the personality and incomparably breathtaking detail."
- Scott Green, Ain't It Cool News Anime
