The 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best TV Show

The Last of Us takes home this year’s prestigious prize!

December 19, 2023, 9:00am

As 2023 comes to a close, it’s time to look back on what stood out in the world of entertainment this year. Television, specifically, was consistently solid throughout the year, with The Last of Us kicking things off in a big way at the start of 2023 and shows like Loki helping close out an incredible year. All of the streamers had at least one truly great show that helped keep viewers engaged and subscribed to their platforms, with new seasons of fan-favorite shows, revivals of legendary programs like Frasier, and much more. There was something for everyone this year, and more importantly, there was almost always something to watch. With that said, ComicBook.com is honoring our favorite TV show of 2023 with the ComicBook.com Golden Issue Awards, which are voted on by out site’s staff.

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And the winner of the 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Comic Book TV Show is…

The Last of Us!

Given The Last of Us aired from January to March, the fact that it is still even in the conversation for the best TV show of the year, let alone the winner, speaks to its quality. The Last of Us is one of the most respected video games of all-time, thanks to its incredibly cinematic and emotionally charged story. It was originally released for the PS3 in 2013 and was an immediate hit critically and commercially. This prompted Sony to not only re-release it for the PS4, PS5, and even PC throughout the last decade, but greenlight an adaptation. Originally, The Last of Us was planned to be adapted in a film from Sam Raimi, with actresses like Kaitlyn Dever being eyed for the role of Ellie. However, after years of trying to condense a 15 hour game into 2 hours, it was decided it would work better as a TV show on HBO. Series creator Neil Druckmann then worked with Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin to bring the game to life.

Given how beloved the game was, it was a tall order to faithfully retell this story for a new medium, especially since it would all rest on the backs of two actors. Thankfully, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey both channeled the spirit of these storied video game characters, while injecting their own flair to make it their own. Pedro Pascal portrayed Joel as a world-weary, gruff survivor who has buried his tender heart deep inside of himself, resulting in him keeping everyone at a distance. However, when that backfires and he begins to connect with Ellie, we see the power and consequences of love. It can be a powerful emotion that makes you feel incredible highs, but when that love is threatened or taken from you, it can bring someone like Joel to the lowest of places and trigger a darker side. Bella Ramsey also perfectly captured the heart and soul of Ellie by utilizing an edgy, angsty teenage attitude to provide some comic relief. We also see that Ellie has been through just as much as Joel, and yet has not completely lost faith in the world like he has. They make for a really powerful duo, and their partnership allows both of them to view the world with new perspectives.

The Last of Us also managed to leverage the TV medium to expand on the story that a game can’t. In a game, you’re largely following the main characters, and there isn’t much room to break away from their point of view. In a TV show, however, that’s not as concrete of a rule. That’s how we got the beautifully tragic Bill and Frank episode, which is a storyline that is only loosely referenced to within the games.

All in all, The Last of Us is not just one of the best TV shows of 2023, but one of the best video game adaptations to date. That’s thanks to how faithful it is to the game, as well as its ability to take a video game story and make it accessible and enjoyable for a whole new audience of people. The fact that The Last of Us managed to carry over its critical acclaim from the gaming world to the world of television is a testament to just how well-told this story really is.

The nominees for Best Comic Book TV Series are: