Welcome to the 2017 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Awards, where we here at ComicBook.com take a look back at the year that was and choose the best of the best in comics and comic book-related media.
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No matter how you slice it, 2017 was a groundbreaking year for comic book television. The Arrowverse continued to thrive on The CW, bringing together characters from four separate shows for exciting adventures. Netflix brought the world a multitude of original Marvel series while also breathing new life into the mysterious drama of Riverdale. Hulu, Amazon, and FX all decided to jump on the comic book TV bandwagon.
To be considered for an award, the series needed to air episodes at some point in 2017 and be based on a comic book or graphic novel. It’s as simple as that.
Without further ado, here are the complete nominations for TV.
Best Returning TV Series
In a year dominated by new shows and the announcement of upcoming productions, a lot of returning shows may have fallen off the radar. However, a few of these shows were able to stand out, enjoying possibly their best seasons yet. A show like Fear the Walking Dead was able to overcome its stereotype as a cheap spinoff, Riverdale extended its Netflix success into the fall and Legends of Tomorrow found a way to keep getting weirder. These shows, among others, need to be recognized for the quality they were able to show in 2017.
The nominees are:
- Arrow (The CW)
- Agents of SHIELD (ABC)
- Legends of Tomorrow (The CW)
- Riverdale (The CW)
- Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
Best New TV Series
2017 was a landmark year for new comic book shows on TV and streaming services. Netflix debuted three original series in the Defenders series, the X-Men made their small-screen return, and Hulu, Amazon and AMC joined the comic book race. These new series gave the heavy-hitters of comic book television a run for their money, and let fans know that the genre isn’t slowing down any time soon.
The nominees are:
- Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu)
- The Punisher (Netflix)
- Legion (FX)
- The Tick (Amazon)
- The Gifted (FOX)
Best TV Actor
Capturing a comic book character is hard, there’s no doubt about it. Fans have loved these characters for years, and the actors playing them are faced with the challenge of not letting those fans down while still creating something new and exciting. From fighting zombies to diving into the minds of dangerous mutants, a few actors brought the comics to life in ways that blew us away all year long.
The nominees are:
- Lennie James as Morgan Jones – The Walking Dead
- Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle – The Punisher
- Michael Cerveris as Professor Pyg – Gotham
- Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder – Runaways
- Dan Stevens as David Haller – Legion
Best TV Actress
Women not only ruled Hollywood in 2017, but they dominated the realm of comic book television. Seriously, when you look back through this past season or so of TV, females carried the load of many of our favorite series. Whether it was leading a servant of God through the dangerous underbelly of New Orleans, or putting The Hand in its place with a delightful amount of snark, these bad-ass ladies rose above the rest.
The nominees are:
- Ruth Negga as Tulip O’Hare – Preacher
- Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing – Iron Fist/The Defenders
- Aubrey Plaza as Lenny Busker – Legion
- Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones – The Defenders
- Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers – Supergirl
Best Ensemble Cast
It takes incredible individual performances to bring a character to life, but the secret to a successful team-up series lies in the heart of the ensemble. A true team combines the talents of each character, bringing to life a force that no enemy can reckon with. The casting directors of shows that revolve around a team certainly have their work cut out for them.
The nominees are:
- Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu)
- Legends of Tomorrow (The CW)
- Gotham (FOX)
- Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
- Legion (FX)
Best TV Hero
In an age of shows about damaged anti-heroes have taken over entertainment, true superheroes are a little harder to come by. Fortunately, these five characters gave the world hope, and showed us that a new age of hero is just beginning.
The nominees are:
- Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey) – Fear the Walking Dead
- White Canary (Caity Lotz) – Legends of Tomorrow
- Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) – The Defenders
- The Tick (Peter Serafinowicz) – The Tick
- Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) – Supergirl
Best TV Villain
While comic books may be named after heroes, they’re nothing without strong villains. It takes a character that’s truly twisted and evil to bring the best out of comic books stories, and a few TV shows seriously benefited from having a capable baddie in its ranks.
The nominees are:
- Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) – Legion
- Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) – The Walking Dead
- Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) – Gotham
- Herr Starr (Pip Torrens) – Preacher
- Billy Russo (Ben Barnes) – The Punisher
Best Guest Appearance
TV shows hinge on the performances of its series regulars, but a great guest performance can take a program to the next level. Whether it’s a new and exciting villain, or an aide to the show’s main characters that helps propel them on their journey, smaller performances can make all the difference. These five actors did just that.
The nominees are:
- Jemaine Clement as Oliver Bird – Legion
- Molly Ringwald as Mary Andrews – Riverdale
- Katee Sackhoff as Amunet Black – The Flash
- Brett Dalton as Grant Ward – Agents of SHIELD
- Charlie Tahan as Scarecrow – Gotham
Best Ship
You may think that comic books are all about crazy action and intense fight scenes, but often times a good relationship can pull on the heartstrings of fans. Some can go on entirely too long, some can get in the way of the overall story, but good writing can tie an exciting couple into the framework of the series in a way that enhances the viewing experience for everone.
The nominees are:
- Sara Lance and Alex Danvers – Arrowverse
- “Olicity” – Arrow
- Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones – Riverdale
- Jim Gordon and Sofia Falcone – Gotham
- Cisco and Gypsy – The Flash
Most Shocking Moment
There are plot twists, and then there are jaw-dropping scenes that send fans into a bit of a frenzy. Some of these moments changed the game for their shows, while others were just groundbreaking on multiple levels. There were few twists and shocks that rocked the worlds of TV viewers in 2017 more than these five nominees.
The nominees are:
- “Frank’s Interrogation” – The Punisher
- “Tommy Merlyn as Earth-X Prometheus” – Arrow
- “Madison Kills Troy” – Fear the Walking Dead
- “Butch Revealed as Solomon Grundy” – Gotham
- “Lian Yu Explosion” – Arrow
Most Tragic Death
Saying goodbye to a beloved character can be difficult, but there were a few TV deaths this season that were harder to watch than the rest. Some of these deaths were long-tenured characters that audiences have come to love over the course of multiple years on their series. Others were newer characters that had such a profound impact in a short time that the hearts of fans broke regardless.
The nominations are:
- Martin Stein – Legends of Tomorrow
- Shiva the Tiger – The Walking Dead
- Sasha Williams – The Walking Dead
- Ofelia Salazar – Fear the Walking Dead
- The Patriot – Agents of SHIELD
Best Episode
Through brilliant writing, incredible performances and fan-favorite story arcs, a couple of individual episodes of TV this year were better than some other entire seasons. To be clear, due to its filming schedule and singular story, “Crisis on Earth-X” is being considered as a single episode for this award.
The nominees are:
- “Crisis on Earth-X” – Arrowverse
- “Bury Me Here” – The Walking Dead
- “Chapter 7” – Legion
- “Home” – The Punisher
- “Worst Behavior” – The Defenders
