DC Comics dominated the 2004 Eisner Awards, amassing a total of 14, nearly three times the five awards earned by Dark Horse, its closest competitor. 
 
Top Shelf nabbed three Eisners including two more prestigious awards for Craig Thompson, who was named Best Writer/Artist for his mammoth graphic novel Blankets, which won Best Graphic Album. 
 
Kyle Baker won Best New Series and Best Writer/Artist -- Humor for his work on DC's new Plastic Man, while Jill Thompson took home the Best Painter award for her work on The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings and John Cassaday won Best Penciller/Inker for his work on Planetary and Hellboy. 
 
Neil Gaiman, a perennial Eisner contender, won two awards, Best Short Story and Best Anthology, for his latest Sandman collection from DC.

 

Here are the 2004 Eisners:

 

Best Short Story: 'Death' by Neil Gaiman & P. Craig Russell in Sandman: Endless Nights.

 

Best Single Issue (tie): Conan the Legend #0 by Kurt Busiek and Carry Nord  (Dark Horse) and The Goon #1 by Eric Powell (Dark Horse).

 

Best Serialized Story: Gotham Central #6-10 'Half a Life' by Greg Rucka & Michael Lark (DC).

 

Best Continuing Series: 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello & Edwardo Risso (DC).

 

Best Limited Series: Unstable Molecules by James Sturm & Guy Davis (Marvel)

 

Best New Series: Plastic Man by Kyle Baker (DC).

 

Best Title for a Younger Audience: Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge (Gemstone)

 

Best Humor Publication: Formerly Known as the Justice League by Keith Giffen et al (DC).

 

Best Anthology: The Sandman: Endless Nights (DC)

 

Best Graphic Album--New: Blankets by Craig Thompson (Top Shelf).

 

Best Graphic Album--Reprint: Batman Adventures: Dangerous Dames and Demons by Paul Dini & Bruce Timm (DC).

 

Best Archival Collection: Krazy & Ignatz 1929-1930 (Fantagraphics)

 

Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material: Buddha Vol. #1 by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical Books)

 

Best Writer: Alan Moore, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (DC)

 

Best Writer/Artist: Craig Thompson, Blankets (Top Shelf)

 

Best Writer/Artist--Humor: Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC)

 

Best Penciller/Inker:  John Cassaday, Planetary, Hellboy.

 

Best Painter: Jill Thompson, Dark Horse Book of Hauntings.

 

Best Coloring: Patricia Mulvihill, Batman, Wonder Woman (DC).

 

Best Lettering: Todd Klein, Detective Comics (DC).

 

Best Cover Artist: James Jean, Fables, Batgirl (DC).

 

Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition: Derek Kirk Kim.

 

Best Comics-Related Periodical: Comic Book Artist, Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)

 

Best Comics-Related Book: The Art of Hellboy by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse).

 

Best Publication Design: Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, Chip Kidd.