Stan Lee Excelsior Award unveiled in Sheffield

The first Stan Lee Excelsior Award ceremony has taken place in Sheffield.

The prize was voted for by schools in the Sheffield area and some further afield, with students working their way through a long list of comics and graphic novels featuring manga, British and American comics, reports Forbidden Planet International.

Yann Toboso's Black Butler came in first place, followed by Bryan Talbot's Grandville Mon Amour and the graphic novel adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, with art by Young Kim.

The shortlist also featured Mezolith by Ben Haggerty and Adam Brockbank, ABC Warriors: The Volgan War, Vol. 2 by Pat Mills and Clint Langley, Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man by Brian Reed and Chris Bachalo, Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Philip Tan and Mike Mignola's The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects.

The award was organised by Paul Register, the Learning Resource Centre manager at Ecclesfield School in Sheffield, and sponsored by Lee.

Its goal was to "to encourage reading amongst the teenagers of Sheffield", and to "raise the profile of graphic novels and manga amongst the librarians and teachers of Sheffield's schools".