Nailbiter Vol. 8: Nailbiter Returns
Joshua Williamson, story; Mike Henderson, art; Adam Guzowski, colors; John J. Hill, letters & book design
Image Comic, 2021
The conclusion of the latest chapter in the Nailbiter saga begins with the titular return. Sheriff Crane and Agent Finch must return to the destroyed Buckaroo to track down the cause of the spate of Buckaroo Butchers copycat killings. It begins with a flashback to a serial killer game that Warren and his wife Shannon created in high school, which foreshadows the current situation (including introducing a female rival for Warren's affections). Shortly after arriving in town the whole entourage starts experiencing vivid hallucinations. This nearly screams "they've been drugged," which turns out to be the case. But who drugged them, and why? It all goes back to high school--a recurring trope here--which seems too small for such weighty matters. But it all ties into the deep history of Buckaroo, and their old high school friend Penny. Penny is convinced that that humanity is full of corrupt souls, and the drug she used in the Buckaroo woods would be a revelation if used on the entire population of Portland. Preventing that becomes the goal. The story ends with Warren trying to stay out of the public eye...until his son shows up, saying "Mom said if anything happened to her to come here." The last page says "To Be Continued," so apparently the story of Buckaroo is not over.
Replies
It sounds weird, but I was really happy to return to the world of Nailbiter. Seeing what has happened to the characters since we last saw them. The serial killer game was pure insanity, I loved the interactions between all of the players. The body count was super-high and I can't wait to see what's next.