Nailbiter Compendium, Vol. 1

by Joshua Williamson (Writer), Mike Henderson (Illustrator), Adam Markiewicz (Illustrator)

Sixteen of the world's most notorious serial killers were all born and raised in Buckaroo, Oregon, the worst and most infamous being Edward Charles Warren—the Nailbiter! What is happening in this small town to create so many serial killers?

JOSHUA WILLIAMSON & MIKE HENDERSON deliver a mystery that mixes Twin Peaks with the horror of Se7en! Fans of GIDEON FALLS, Something is Killing the Children, and THE WALKING DEAD will enjoy this bloody drama! This compendium collects the entirety of the original critically acclaimed hit thriller in one massive package.

Collects NAILBITER #1-30 and NAILBITER / HACK/SLASH

Genres: Horror, Comics, Graphic Novels

710 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2023

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(B+) 79% | Good
Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here:
- Nailbiter, Vol. 1: There Will Be Blood
- Nailbiter, Vol. 2: Bloody Hands
- Nailbiter, Vol. 3: Blood in the Water
- Nailbiter, Vol. 4: Blood Lust
- Nailbiter, Vol. 5: Bound By Blood
- Nailbiter, Vol. 6: The Bloody Truth

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Buckaroo, Oregon, the birthplace of sixteen of the world’s most notorious serial killers. It’s not a cozy place - it has a rather macabre history, and Nailbiter builds on it a twisted story filled with horror, mystery, and a touch of dark humor.

Nailbiter opens with the disappearance of an FBI agent who’s investigating why Buckaroo has produced so many killers. Nicholas Finch, a tough, no-nonsense investigator, teams up with the town’s sheriff, Shannon Crane, to discover the truth. They have a suspect - Edward Nailbiter Warren, a former serial killer known for chewing off his victims’ nails.

The plot twists and turns all the time. It’s relentlessly suspenseful. Sometimes frustratingly so. The characters are twisted, but interesting. Take Edward Warren - a charismatic and unnerving figure who’s part Hannibal Lecter, part creepy next-door neighbor. Or Finch and Crane, who make a solid investigative duo (with strong, contrasting personalities). The residents of Buckaroo are a mixed bag of oddballs and potential killers.

Mike Henderson’s artwork is a perfect match for the series’ tone. He brings Buckaroo’s eerie atmosphere to life with his gritty, shadowy style. Now, Nailbiter can get quite graphic in places, with plenty of gore and disturbing imagery. If you have a weak stomach or prefer your horror more implied than shown, Nailbiter might be a bit too much to handle. But for fans of visceral, in-your-face horror, Henderson’s illustrations are a treat.

If you’re a fan of horror and don’t mind gore, Nailbiter is definitely worth checking out. It’s not for the faint of heart—the dark themes and graphic content might be off-putting for some—but for those who love a good scare, it’s a nail-biting (pun intended) adventure from start to finish.

[Danger]

This compendium encompasses the whole series (thirty issues) and I found the central mystery really intriguing and the art both exciting and brutal. The ending didn't blow me away, but it left me satisfied enough, and there is a ten-issue "return" series I am going to check out, so perhaps I'll find further closure there.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time rereading the original series in its entirety since it first came out and it still holds up. In fact, I think the narrative is even better in a giant bingable brick of a book like this.

The art is gory and gorgeous, the colors pop, and the characters are fascinating. This is a story with a fascinating mystery, some great horror and a metric ton of creeping dread. It really does live up to the elevator pitch of “Twin Peaks meets Seven.” And it’s one of my favorite horror comics.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit! I was blown away by this.
This book is a wild ride.
amazing story with a interesting mystery that will keep you guessing right till the very end.
Expertly drawn and superb writing.
Just keep this one away from children since it's very gory and features a very high body count.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, unfortunately it didn’t hit for me. It fell short for me because of the writing. It felt like a cw show geared towards teens. Everything felt emotion based and the writing was very simple. None of the characters were likable. The Scooby Doo type reveals became very tiresome.

The premise was interesting too, I’m sad it didn’t work. The art is solid throughout.

[Sebastian Lauterbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great comic for Halloween, this one sparks joy.

I went into this book with low expectations, but it is written so well, that I found myself glued to the pages. It's about serial killers, personal stakes and prejudices.

The tension comes mainly from an overarching mystery along with several smaller mysteries sprinkled throughout. There's a lot of violence, gore and even dark humour added to the mix. The way that the titular Nailbiter is involved in the story is really clever and the fact that his character shifts a lot and there's a very clear ambiguity about him.

Now I could criticise that the two protagonists who are supposed to solve this crime spree in the town achieve absolutely nothing or that the story is very over the top sometimes. But I was both invested and highly entertained throughout the entire 30 issues, so I don't mind.

The department in which this comic severly lacks is the artwork unfortunately. It has a very strong indie look: The faces look very weird, the details are rough and it just doesn't look great and neither does it do the horror theme any justice.

I seem to really resonate with Joshua Williamson's writing, given that I also loved Birthright Deluxe Book One. Fully recommended, especially for Halloween!

[Max Verstappen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the Nailbiter Compendium was exactly what I hoped for. I expected full-on gore, and it delivered, but it never made me feel grossed out. I loved that it kept me curious from the start, with mysteries layered on top of each other that made me form theories and try to figure out what would happen next. The plot twists and cliffhangers worked perfectly for me, because the story doesn’t give everything away immediately. That made the long format of the compendium a plus; spending so many pages in this world kept me hooked, and I already miss it knowing there’s more to come in the sequels.

Buckaroo as a setting worked really well for me. It’s creepy but believable. The town almost ignores its history with serial killers, and that felt real because people notice, care for a while, then move on, leaving only a few who push for justice. Following Crane, Finch, and Warren through all of this kept me invested, and Alice became a standout later on, especially during her breakthrough, which felt earned after everything leading up to it. Even the characters who are horrible in the story were interesting to watch.

The art is perfect for the story. Cartoony but still gory, not super detailed, which I liked because it keeps the focus on the story and the characters without feeling exhausting. Overall, the compendium is addictive for me. It’s dark, it’s funny sometimes, it’s full of tension, and I genuinely can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting mystery getting dragged on for way WAY too long. By the end of the book, you'll have had read about 6 times that "people can't know the truth, it would change the WORLD" and people being told the truth "off screen" so they can tell you it'd "change the world" setting up some kind of crazy ending, which never happens. They couldn't deliver on it, the ending is nothing special, and you learn about it in a very lame way through flashbacks. It's very unsatisfying.
It's also strange that so much happens in the book, so many murders and twist, and that none of it moves the story forward much. The conclusion to every issue is "wow, i really wonder what is the answer to the mystery" and then move on. It goes in circle.

I'm still giving it 3 stars because the art is great, and the moment to moment writing is exciting and fun.

[SassieMolassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I MOSTLY enjoyed this giant compendium. I liked most of the characters with the exception of Warren. I feel like the writer didn't quite know how to write him. I got an almost "Skinner Sweet"(from American Vampire) kind of vibe initially, and found the character interesting. As the series progressed however it almost felt like they weren't sure what to do with him or how to write him. I really disliked the ending where it was revealed that he chose being a serial killer all along because he wanted to be/ feel interesting. I felt like that reveal was unnecessary/ made no sense because he was searching for why killers were the way they are. Still enjoyable, and liked the - "is it actually over?"

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading the first 5 or 6 issues when I was in middle school. I couldn't get enough of it and couldn't wait to get more. I'm not entirely sure what happened but it just isn't as good as I remember it being. I read the whole compendium to justify my purchase but also to see if it ever gets better. It doesn't. I wouldn't say this one is really worth it. There could have been so much more to it. Maybe it's a more fun read when you're younger? As an adult, it just feels like a story with no depth. Star ranking improved from the art. Art was good and fun.

[Henry Fosdike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having got into comics over the past year, it's becoming more and more clear that in most cases, less is more. So it proves here. An interesting premise - a town that creates a lot of serial killers - starts strong but ultimately ends in the most farfetched manner possible. There is some fun to be had a long the way, but there's no reason that it had to take so long to reach its none-too-satisfying conclusion. Enjoyable but I wanted so much more.

[Chr*s Browning]

Classic mystery box writing in that it’s fairly dumb (the big reveal is built up so much and when it comes it feels like they just had to make something up) and I don’t really like the artwork, but it is compelling to read when collected into a single volume. Wouldn’t watch a TV show but would spend a day reading a sequel. It’s a time invested kind of thing.

[Nick Belhomme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in one go. This is a high speed packed thriller. However the story takes its time to progress. All pages go over a story span of 5 days so you do not get confused nor do you have the feeling the writers took short cuts.
Really enjoyed it and see myself reading it again surely.

[Hanna Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this is really just a 3 star but I did just read 30 comics and bought the omnibus bc I wanted to keep reading past what the library had available so it obviously was engaging so it probably deserves that fourth star

[Mariano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cool and gripping story, once you start you can't put it down. The ending wasn't suuuper satisfying but the whole journey is amazing!

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery dragged on a bit more than I wanted and was slightly disappointing once the twist a hit. Still, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more.

[Nitish Dang · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pretty fresh on an old genre. The novelty or the mystery never really died. The art was fairly beautiful and brutal and the characters are complicated. I think it’s overall great and quick

[Minki Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, too boring

[Julia Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read. One of those books I had a hard time putting down. Only problem is not my nails look real tasty.

[Shelby Remington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series. The art style changes a bit from beginning to end, and I’m not wholly impressed with the ending, but I am glad I read it and own the book. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[oh-deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoo! What a ride. I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, but I was hooked from the first few chapters. This story follows a town where a gazillion serial killers were born and raised (not a gazillion but I don't remember the number lol). I loved the characters (even the evil ones) and I can't wait to read more from this series.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars.

[David3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

1/3 5 star
1/3 3 star
1/3 2 star
_______
3/3 3.33 star