We’re back with another group review this time it’s Nailbiter. We’ll have a breakdown of the issue from Image Comics, but just as a reminder each of the writers will be giving their thoughts and an individual score so let’s go! Buckaroo, Oregon has given birth to sixteen of the vilest serial killers in the world. An obsessed FBI profiler investigating the town has suddenly gone missing, and now an NSA Agent must work with the notorious serial killer Edward “Nailbiter” Warren to find his friend and solve the mystery of “Where do serial killers come from?”
Steve: 5/5
There aren’t many books, even in today’s day and age, where we benefit from a glut of solid titles, that can make me sit back and say to myself, “Well fuck,” right after reading them. But Nailbiter #1 was one of those books. This small-town serial killer mystery has so many sharp and unexpected facets, you could damn near cut yourself on its narrative. Josh Williamson, as he has done in the past, proves to be a master of chilling storytelling here, weaving-in a tensile, character-driven mystery about a murder-haunted Oregon hamlet, while at the same time drenching it in an overall atmosphere thick with foreboding. With shades of books like Revival and Bedlam (before it trailed off), no element here feels accidental, so much so that I’m hard-pressed to think of another book (in recent memory) that has started off so strongly. The art from Mike Henderson follows suit, particularly at its start, which plays menacingly with layouts before settling into a more urbane, but no-less-anxious disquiet, and then shifting back again with perfect timing at the end. You can probably tell that I’ve fallen hard and fast for Nailbiter, and after this first issue, I expect very, very good things from the series. Mark my words, this will be the next big thing everyone talks about.
Erik: 4/5
I honestly don’t know how good this first issue really was… that’s not really the point of my little opinion here, but I really see great things in the future of the series. I think that that is more important than the quality of this issue. However, I really liked it. I’m just saying that I think the future is bright. Joshua Williamson has really impressed me in the past year. I didn’t think that I’d like Ghosted, I did. I didn’t think that I’d like Nailbiter, I did. So I think that that says a lot. This is a review, however, but I just felt compelled to talk about the book’s potential instead. Don’t know why. Shh, I already read the second issue too, and that one was even better, that’s mainly why I’m liking this for future high scores. So it gets a high score from me.
Cops teaming up with serial killers? How could that not be interesting?
Dustin: 3/5
Overall I was pleased with this issue. I do think it had one major hiccup during the middle of the issue when our rogue Army Officer gets into a fight with teenagers kind of just for the hell of it, but other than that it was a solid issue. The characters introduced are interesting and I’m digging the premise.
I’m a bit of a sucker for serial killer stories, but lately there have been several lack luster stories. Right now Nailbiter looks like it’s in the camp of stories that I want to continue and as long as the premise stays strong it should continue to be interesting.
Writer: Joshua Williamson Artist: Mike Henderson Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 5/7/14 Format: Print/Digital