The 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Graphic Novel

In today’s sprawling comic book landscape, it’s an increasingly rare sight to see comic creators tell a full story within just a few short pages. Somewhere between a single issue and mini-series is the graphic novel, something that tells one complete story between its two covers. The format is one often reserved for prestige storytelling, and this year was no exception. Among this year’s nominees, Cartoonist Sina Grace told a heartfelt coming-of-age story about the Last Son of Krypton in Superman: The Harvest of Youth, while Ryan North and Erica Henderson told a surprisingly fun and light post-apocalyptic story about magic in Danger and Other Unknown Risks. There was one graphic novel, however, that stood above the rest.

And the winner for the 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Graphic Novel is…

Wonder Woman: Historia Book 3!

There are comics, and there is Wonder Woman: Historia, a series of three standalone graphic novels that each did a little to change the art of sequential storytelling forever. With Kelly Sue DeConnick weaving a deeply complex story throughout, a trio of artists each brought a section of the tale to life. The last entry in the line was the last to be released this year, and there was little competition on its way to this award. Mind you, that’s not a negative note to the other titles in this category, but rather a testament to how thoroughly incredible Wonder Woman: Historia Book 3 is.

A Wonder Woman story in title only, DeConnick’s script takes the best part of classic mythology and puts a glistening shade of paint over it, combining old tales with entirely new story angles. In Wonder Woman: Historia Book 3, that follows the angry Zeus as he launches a war against the Amazons, seeking the extinction of the ancient warriors. Nicola Scott’s lineart is exquisite, and the layouts are second to none. I’ve said it many times before, but a combination of the intricate scripting and artwork makes it so Historia pushes the boundaries of what the medium is capable of with every single one of its panels.

Wonder Woman: Historia not only wins our Best Graphic Novel award again this year, but it’s one of the best series of OGNs ever released. The work on this title has set a bar creators should strive to achieve in their own stories, and it’s something that will serve as the basis of sequential teachings for years to come.

The nominees for the 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Graphic Novel are:

• Clementine: Book Two
• Danger and Other Unknown Risks
• Night Fever
• Superman: The Harvest of Youth
• Wonder Woman: Historia Book 3 — WINNER