Are people born murders or are they made into them? Where do they come from? What if I told you that some of the worst serial killers come from one town, Buckaroo, Oregon. At least that’s how it goes in the horror mystery comic, Nailbiter. The series is published by Image Comics and written by Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson. Henderson is also the artist for the series and the last person on the team is Adam Guzowski, the colorist.
I picked up this comic because of the name; I have the bad habit of biting my nails. However, my habit isn’t as bad as a main character’s, Edward Charles Warren also known as the infamous “Nailbiter.” He captures random people off the street, eats their fingernails, waits for them to grow back so he can eat them again, then kills them. He is one of the sixteen serial killers from Buckaroo who are known as the Buckaroo Butchers.
The story follows FBI profiler Finch and Sheriff Shannon Cane as they are dragged into figuring out the mystery of the Buckaroo Butchers. As they go around town trying to uncover clues they must rely on the help of the Nailbiter. Is he trustworthy or just playing games with Finch and Shannon?
The series has thirty paper issues and then six collection edition books which have five of the paper issues put together. I have just recently caught up and honestly want more. This series is definitely in my top five favorite comics.
The story captured me from the first issue, and the artwork is extremely well done. The artwork kind of reminds me of the style used in The Walking Dead series. The story has fantastic pacing and is always keeping readers on their toes. The story starts a little slow introducing you to the strange town of Buckaroo and the characters who are going to be seen throughout the series. However, halfway through the first issue is where the story speeds up and doesn’t stop until the very end of the series. It takes twists and turns which catches readers off guard. Keeping them invested in the story wanting to learn more about the mystery of Buckaroo. Also, the concept that most of the worst serial killers from the world come from this small town in the middle of nowhere is fascinating, since who really knows why people become serial killers and playing with that interesting idea was definitely in their favor.
I would have to give Nailbiter a solid nine fingernails bitten off out ten. If you are a fan of the serial killer genre, or one yourself, you should check this series out.
