Billy Bat, the intricate thriller from creators Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, has been named the Best Manga at the 2026 Harvey Awards. The announcement took place this past Friday during New York Comic Con, highlighting the series' impact on the North American market through its release by Abrams ComicArts' Kana imprint, featuring translations by Kristi Iwashiro.
The title emerged victorious from a competitive field of nominees, which included Yoshiharu Tsuge’s He Rolled Me Up Like a Grilled Squid, Kazumi Yamashita’s Land, Fumiko Takano’s Miss Ruki, Ichiro Iijima’s My Gorilla Family, and Rintarō’s My Life in 24 Frames per Second. Unlike many other industry accolades, the Harvey Awards are distinct for being nominated and voted on exclusively by comic book professionals.
This win continues a trend of high-profile manga taking the top spot since the category was established in 2018. The Harvey Awards previously recognized Ryōko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon in 2024, following a three-year winning streak by Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man. With the category now firmly established, it remains to be seen which titles will define the landscape of translated works in the coming year.
