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Deniz Camp is the most interesting writer in superhero comics right now, and his Eisner nominations just co-signed it

Between Absolute Martian Manhunter, Assorted Crisis Events, and The Ultimates, Deniz Camp has proved to both comic book readers and critics that he "knows ball"

The cover of Absolute Martian Manhunter #4
Image credit: DC Comics

One of the brightest stars working in comics today is writer Deniz Camp. And if you need any evidence for why, look no further than the 2026 Eisner Award nominations. Between books like DC Comics' Absolute Martian Manhunter, Image Comics' Assorted Crisis Events, and Marvel Comics' The Ultimates, Camp has established himself as a vibrant new voice in American comics today thanks to his ability to merge high-concept genre storytelling with slippery, inventive prose. Camp's skills have been put to work in stories reflecting the bizarre state of our world today. 

This year, Deniz Camp is up for the Eisner Award for Best Writer (for Absolute Martian Manhunter, Assorted Crisis Events, and The Ultimates), Best New Series for Assorted Crisis Events (with artist Eric Zawadski), Best Limited Series for Absolute Martian Manhunter (with artist Javier Rodriguez), and is nominated twice in the Best One-Shot/Single Issue category for Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 and Assorted Crisis Events #4 - totaling 5 nominations. 

Part of what's remarkable about Camp's work, reflected in his Eisner nominations, is how he's able to play within a superhero sandbox (even if it's in an alternate universe) just as well as in his creator-owned work. Between The Ultimates and Absolute Martian Manhunter, Camp has approached decades-old characters and worlds and reinvented them in a gutsy manner that also honors their existing history. That's no small feat. The Ultimates, for instance, made Emmanuel Da Costa, the conniving businessman father of the X-Man Sunspot, even more of a monster than he is in the mainline Marvel Universe. As far as villains go, Emmanuel Da Costa isn't an obvious pick when you have foes like Doctor Octopus, Norman Osborn, whoever your favorite Marvel villain is, also running around. In other words, Camp "knows ball," as the kids say, while simultaneously working on stories that rewrite the rules of the game entirely. 

If you take anything from this year's Eisner nominations, it's that Deniz Camp is a force to be reckoned with. And both comic book readers and critics have responded enthusiastically to his work. Whether it's a sci-fi anthology ongoing series like Assorted Crisis Events, a psychedelic and psychological examination of trauma in Absolute Martian Manhunter, or an amusing yet philosophical zombie story from Vertigo called Bleeding Hearts, Deniz Camp's comics have been blockbusters at comic shops around the world over the past year. May the 2026 Eisners be the first of many more years for Camp to come. 

The 2026 Eisner Awards will take place at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, 2026. 


Get ready for what's next with our list to upcoming comics and how to buy comics at a comic shop.

 

 

Jules Chin Greene

Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.

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