Gem Awards Annnounce Top Comics for 2013
by J.D. Cook
Another year has ended and you all know what that means!? AWARDS SEASON! Ok, so maybe Comic Books don’t get the whole red carpet treatment but Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. has brought Comic Retailers together to decide what kind of awards should go to who this year. The categories range 
from Top Publisher of the Year to Best Free Comic Book Day Book but if I am being honest I think my favorite category is the Collectable Stature of the Year Award primarily because of the stature that won, pictured to the right, (Insert a Joker line about Harley Quinn Here). I think it is interesting to note that while Marvel and D.C. comics dominate the market with a combined 63.83 % of the Market Share, according to numbers provided by Diamond Comics Distributors Inc, Image Comics took home the top Gem Award this year. Image isn’t hugely well known and neither are a lot of the winners on this list but it is nice to know that Retailers recognize the fantastic work coming out of them. Image is currently surging thanks to the fantastic amount of talented creators flocking to the Publisher. There creators can create new stories from which they are allowed to keep a large amount of the profits. Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga really seems to have started this huge trend but titles like Rick Remender’s Black Science are expanding it even further. If you are interested you can find the full list of categories and winners below.
2013 Comic Book Publisher of the Year – Over 4%
Image Comics
2013 Comic Book Publisher of the Year – Under 4%
BOOM! Studios
2013 Top Dollar Comic Book Publisher of the Year
Marvel Comics
2013 Comic Book of the Year – Under $3.00
Afterlife with Archie #1 – Archie Comics
2013 Comic Book of the Year – Over $3.00
Superior Spider-Man #1 NOW! – Marvel Comics
2013 Top Dollar Comic of the Year
Superman Unchained #1
2013 Licensed Comic of the Year
The Star Wars: Lucas Draft #1 – Dark Horse Comics
2013 Magazine of the Year
Batman Automobilia Figure Collectors Magazine – Eaglemoss
2013 Backlist Publisher of the Year
DC Entertainment
2013 Original GN of the Year
Hellboy: Midnight Circle HC – Dark Horse Comics
2013 Reprint TP or HC of the Year
Batman: Death of the Family Vol. 3 HC – DC Entertainment
2013 Licensed TP or HC of the Year
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Vol. 1 TP – IDW Publishing
2013 Manga TP of the Year
Lone Wolf & Cub Omnibus Vol. 1 TP – Dark Horse Comics
2013 Manga Publisher of the Year
VIZ Media
2013 Anthology of the Year
Dark Horse Presents – Dark Horse Comics
2013 Indie GN of the Year
March: Book One TP – Top Shelf Productions
2013 Trade Book of the Year
Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia HC – Dark Horse Comics
2013 Best Free Comic Book Day Book
FCBD 2013 The Walking Dead Special – Image Comics
2013 Best All-Ages Series
Adventure Time – BOOM! Studios
2013 Best New Comic Book Series
East of West – Image Comics
2013 Game Manufacturer of the Year
Wizkids/NECA
2013 Game Product of the Year
The Walking Dead: Monopoly PX – USAopoly
2013 Toy Manufacturer of the Year
DC Collectibles
2013 Toy Product of the Year
DC Comics Super Villains: The Joker Action Figure – DC Collectibles
2013 Toy Line of the Year
POP! Vinyl Figures – Funko
2013 Collectible Statue of the Year
DC Comics Bombshells: Harley Quinn Statue – DC Collectibles