Batman and Doctor Doom Win Big at This Year’s Ringo Awards Fan Favorite Categories

Comic book fans have always been enthusiastic about celebrating their favorites, and each fall, the industry receives a vibrant reminder of that passion. One weekend in Baltimore has become a key indicator of this fervor.

The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, commonly referred to as the Ringo Awards, returned for its tenth year as part of Baltimore Comic-Con, recognizing both the professional talent in the industry and the characters that readers can’t help but support.

This year, Batman was awarded Best Fan Favorite Hero, while Doctor Doom claimed the title of Best Fan Favorite Villain, marking significant wins for both DC and Marvel in categories determined solely by fan voting.

The Ringo Awards ceremony took place on Saturday, September 26, celebrating a decade of an event named in honor of the late artist Mike Wieringo, co-creator of ‘Tellos’ and contributor to major DC and Marvel titles before his passing in 2007. The ceremony has become a staple of Baltimore Comic-Con’s convention weekend at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center.

Unlike many of the Ringo Awards’ over twenty categories, which combine fan and professional input, the Favorite Hero and Favorite Villain awards are exclusively fan-driven. These categories are determined purely through open voting, giving them a unique character compared to the more craft-focused honors.

This fan-only group also includes Favorite New Series, Favorite New Talent, and Favorite Publisher, all decided through voting open to the broader comics community rather than through industry judges. A unique aspect of this format is that a character or creator winning a Fan Favorite category one year cannot be nominated in the same category the following year, ensuring a fresh lineup each cycle.

Batman’s victory continues a long-standing trend of the character leading fan-driven polls across the industry, aligning with his ongoing presence in multiple DC titles. Similarly, Doctor Doom’s win underscores his enduring relevance within Marvel’s current roster, solidifying his status as one of the publisher’s most iconic villains.

This year’s ceremony followed a nomination process that began earlier in 2026, with fan and professional voting periods extending through the spring and summer before the final ballot was revealed in July. Voting for the broader Fan and Pro categories was limited to members of the comic book industry’s creative community, while the Fan-Only Favorites remained accessible to the general public throughout.

In addition to the two prominent fan-favorite wins, the ceremony also featured other recurring awards such as the Mike Wieringo Spirit Award, selected by a panel of seasoned jurors, along with the Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award and the Dick Giordano Humanitarian Award, both independently chosen by the Hero Initiative organization.

In an industry characterized by rivalry between its two largest publishers, having Batman and Doctor Doom share top honors in the same ceremony reflects the current landscape of fan enthusiasm. It serves as a reminder that even in a sea of new titles and characters, some legacy figures continue to capture attention like no others.

With the tenth anniversary Ringo Awards now concluded, all eyes will likely shift to next year’s nomination cycle to see if either character can retain their title, or if the ineligibility rule paves the way for a new fan favorite to emerge.

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