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Nailbiter #1
Nailbiter, Vol. 1: There Will Be Blood
"Where do serial killers come from?" and why has Buckaroo, Oregon given birth to sixteen of the most vile serial killers in the world? NSA Agent Nicholas Finch needs to solve that mystery in order to save his friend, and he'll have to team up with the infamous Edward "Nailbiter" Warren to do it. Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson deliver a mystery that mixes Twin Peaks with the horror of Se7en!
Collects: Nailbiter #1-5.
Collects: Nailbiter #1-5.
125 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
October 30, 2021
2021
Really enjoyed this one upon re-read.
I don't know why I didn't keep reading this series, but I'm definitely kicking myself for that. This was cool as hell. I've read quite a few horror comics since I originally picked this one up, and this is a pretty interesting volume 1.
2015
3.5 stars
Maybe I just don't read enough horror/serial killer stuff, but I seem to like this one a lot better than most of my friends. And that may be because I don't like scary serial killer stories, and (they're right) this wasn't scary. Even the gross stuff wasn't too bad! I mean, it's icky that this guy ate people's fingernails down to the bone, but I was expecting some really stomach-churning imagery, and lots of blood-soaked gore to be peppered throughout this entire volume.
Ok, so that was gross, but most of the stuff wasn't all that nasty.
This guy gets a call from his friend asking him to please come to this little town, and help him figure out why so many serial killers seem to be coming from Buckaroo, Oregon. He's not doing anything important at the moment, so he puts his gun down and heads out on an adventure.
It kind of reminded me of that movie, Scream. There seems to be an underlying vibe that this story is making fun of the ridiculous horror clichés.
Especially in panels like these:
Seems to be a decent mysteryish sort of thing happening in this one, and I wasn't bored while I was reading it. Again, this isn't exactly the sort of stuff I gravitate towards, so any real horror/crime/slasher aficionados out there can feel free to disagree with me.
But I liked it enough to want to read volume 2.
Really enjoyed this one upon re-read.
I don't know why I didn't keep reading this series, but I'm definitely kicking myself for that. This was cool as hell. I've read quite a few horror comics since I originally picked this one up, and this is a pretty interesting volume 1.
2015
3.5 stars
Maybe I just don't read enough horror/serial killer stuff, but I seem to like this one a lot better than most of my friends. And that may be because I don't like scary serial killer stories, and (they're right) this wasn't scary. Even the gross stuff wasn't too bad! I mean, it's icky that this guy ate people's fingernails down to the bone, but I was expecting some really stomach-churning imagery, and lots of blood-soaked gore to be peppered throughout this entire volume.
Ok, so that was gross, but most of the stuff wasn't all that nasty.
This guy gets a call from his friend asking him to please come to this little town, and help him figure out why so many serial killers seem to be coming from Buckaroo, Oregon. He's not doing anything important at the moment, so he puts his gun down and heads out on an adventure.
It kind of reminded me of that movie, Scream. There seems to be an underlying vibe that this story is making fun of the ridiculous horror clichés.
Especially in panels like these:
Seems to be a decent mysteryish sort of thing happening in this one, and I wasn't bored while I was reading it. Again, this isn't exactly the sort of stuff I gravitate towards, so any real horror/crime/slasher aficionados out there can feel free to disagree with me.
But I liked it enough to want to read volume 2.
November 30, 2015
Buckaroo: Home of Serial Killers
The premise sounds interesting enough, one of the characters sums it up like this:
"Sixteen of the world's worst serial killers were all born and raised right here in Buckaroo, Oregon. The last, of course, being the infamous Edward 'The Nailbiter' Warren. If it's a curse, a coincidence, or an act of the devil himself, it is not for us to know..."
Unfortunately, the execution is sloppy: the character design feels forced, the dialogue stagy, the plot formulaic.
In addition, some of the story's ideological leanings bother me, most notably the insinuations that
a) kids are trouble ("dear Lord, kids these days...").
b) we need to be tougher on crime (apparently the justice system is so lenient that it lets even the most obvious serial killer walk).
c) police brutality is acceptable (the victim usually deserves it anyway, right?).
After Ghosted, this is my second attempt to get into a Joshua Williamson horror series. "Fail," my merciless son would say.
The premise sounds interesting enough, one of the characters sums it up like this:
"Sixteen of the world's worst serial killers were all born and raised right here in Buckaroo, Oregon. The last, of course, being the infamous Edward 'The Nailbiter' Warren. If it's a curse, a coincidence, or an act of the devil himself, it is not for us to know..."
Unfortunately, the execution is sloppy: the character design feels forced, the dialogue stagy, the plot formulaic.
In addition, some of the story's ideological leanings bother me, most notably the insinuations that
a) kids are trouble ("dear Lord, kids these days...").
b) we need to be tougher on crime (apparently the justice system is so lenient that it lets even the most obvious serial killer walk).
c) police brutality is acceptable (the victim usually deserves it anyway, right?).
After Ghosted, this is my second attempt to get into a Joshua Williamson horror series. "Fail," my merciless son would say.
December 3, 2018
Joshua Williamson definitely has the horror comic market cornered. An NSA agent comes to Buckaroo, OR to save a friend who's discovered the secret of why this small town has birthed 16 different serial killers. Once there he teams up with the local sheriff to find out what has happened to his friend. Think Twin Peaks meets Helter Skelter. I really enjoyed this book and Mike Henderson provides great moody art within.
July 21, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“Warren’s modus operandi was to kidnap innocent men and women who had the habit of chewing their fingernails. Warren would keep them captive until his victim’s nails grew back, and then chew their fingers down to the bone before ultimately killing them.”
First reaction? YES PLEASE!
I also have some experience with one of these “nailbiters” and figured I could relate to this story on a deeper level. Advice to anyone else struggling through this problem: A little mouth binding goes a long way to stop any attempted nomming of others . . .
Nailbiter takes place in Buckaroo, Oregon – birthplace of sixteen serial killers. When Nicholas Finch gets sent to Buckaroo, he believes it is only to meet up with fellow NSA Agent Carroll and learn the truth of the “Buckaroo Butchers.” What he discovers instead is that his friend has gone missing and there is much more to the town than meets the eye.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out a serial killer graphic novel is probably my idea of a great time and when you add in a freaky deaky locale like
Wayward Pines
Buckaroo along with some Silence of the Lambs humor, it’s a guaranteed winner . . .
I wasn’t a huge fan of the art, but I know crap about art so you can go ahead and ignore that. I will say that some panels won me over . . .
In my limited experience I’ve noticed there don’t seem to be a whole lot of non-white characters in most graphic novels, so I also dug the fact that the MC had the potential to become super kickass like Laurence Fishburne . . .
Ha! I keed. I keeeeeed.
If you can stomach the first issue in the volume, you’ll find a pretty intriguing mystery begin to unravel. I will warn you that There Will Be Blood was completely open-ended, so have Volume 2 at the ready or you’ll find yourself having a bit of an angry like I currently am . . .
Many thanks to Mrs. Gavin for being squicked out by this one and putting it on my radar : )
“Warren’s modus operandi was to kidnap innocent men and women who had the habit of chewing their fingernails. Warren would keep them captive until his victim’s nails grew back, and then chew their fingers down to the bone before ultimately killing them.”
First reaction? YES PLEASE!
I also have some experience with one of these “nailbiters” and figured I could relate to this story on a deeper level. Advice to anyone else struggling through this problem: A little mouth binding goes a long way to stop any attempted nomming of others . . .
Nailbiter takes place in Buckaroo, Oregon – birthplace of sixteen serial killers. When Nicholas Finch gets sent to Buckaroo, he believes it is only to meet up with fellow NSA Agent Carroll and learn the truth of the “Buckaroo Butchers.” What he discovers instead is that his friend has gone missing and there is much more to the town than meets the eye.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out a serial killer graphic novel is probably my idea of a great time and when you add in a freaky deaky locale like
I wasn’t a huge fan of the art, but I know crap about art so you can go ahead and ignore that. I will say that some panels won me over . . .
In my limited experience I’ve noticed there don’t seem to be a whole lot of non-white characters in most graphic novels, so I also dug the fact that the MC had the potential to become super kickass like Laurence Fishburne . . .
Ha! I keed. I keeeeeed.
If you can stomach the first issue in the volume, you’ll find a pretty intriguing mystery begin to unravel. I will warn you that There Will Be Blood was completely open-ended, so have Volume 2 at the ready or you’ll find yourself having a bit of an angry like I currently am . . .
Many thanks to Mrs. Gavin for being squicked out by this one and putting it on my radar : )
May 22, 2020
Buckaroo is a strange little town. Sixteen of the world's worst serial killers were born and raised in this small town in Oregon. The latest of them, Edward „Nailbiter“ Warren, still resides there, because for some reason a jury decided he wasn’t guilty.
What a nice place to go and visit a friend.
And that’s exactly what NSA Agent Nicholas Finch does. Because he‘s got a call from his old friend Carroll who’s obsessed with the Nailbiter and the whole history of Buckaroo and of the (legitimate) question what exactly it is that makes it such a fertile breeding ground for serial killers. And it seems he has found something.
When Finch arrives in town, though, Carroll’s gone missing and shortly thereafter people start dying. Has the Nailbiter taken up on old habits? Or is it serial killer #17? And what the hell happened to Carroll? Finch teams up with the local sheriff as they try to find out.
This small town mystery / horror mix is advertised as Twin Peaks meets Se7ev, though it really should be Twin Peaks meets Scream. Sure, there’s some gross stuff here, but it isn’t all that scary or disturbing. No, but it is fun. And it occasionally pokes fun at the horror genre. So that’s why I was definitely thinking more of Scream than Se7ev.
Buckaroo is full of sick people, but there’s not a prevailing atmosphere of fear, but more one of curiosity. There’s also a nice dynamic between several of the characters and the tone in general is rather light. With some nice little banter here and there. Considering the amount of dying that happens in this town, I’m not sure if this makes it all the more crazy or not.
Perhaps it does.
Yeah … but it is fun. And now I want to find out who the killer is.
What a nice place to go and visit a friend.
And that’s exactly what NSA Agent Nicholas Finch does. Because he‘s got a call from his old friend Carroll who’s obsessed with the Nailbiter and the whole history of Buckaroo and of the (legitimate) question what exactly it is that makes it such a fertile breeding ground for serial killers. And it seems he has found something.
When Finch arrives in town, though, Carroll’s gone missing and shortly thereafter people start dying. Has the Nailbiter taken up on old habits? Or is it serial killer #17? And what the hell happened to Carroll? Finch teams up with the local sheriff as they try to find out.
This small town mystery / horror mix is advertised as Twin Peaks meets Se7ev, though it really should be Twin Peaks meets Scream. Sure, there’s some gross stuff here, but it isn’t all that scary or disturbing. No, but it is fun. And it occasionally pokes fun at the horror genre. So that’s why I was definitely thinking more of Scream than Se7ev.
Buckaroo is full of sick people, but there’s not a prevailing atmosphere of fear, but more one of curiosity. There’s also a nice dynamic between several of the characters and the tone in general is rather light. With some nice little banter here and there. Considering the amount of dying that happens in this town, I’m not sure if this makes it all the more crazy or not.
Perhaps it does.
Yeah … but it is fun. And now I want to find out who the killer is.
October 13, 2014
Three years ago, Eliot Carroll arrested the alleged serial killer Edward Charles “Nailbiter” Warren, so-called because he chews the nails and fingers off of his victims before murdering them. In the present, Carroll believes he’s found the secret behind the many serial killers - the last being Warren - that the fictional town of Buckaroo, Oregon, seems to produce. And then he disappears. It’s up to his friend Nicholas Finch and the local sheriff Shannon Crane to find Carroll before the latest of the “Buckaroo Butchers” keeps the secret hidden. Except doing so means the unthinkable - partnering up with the Nailbiter himself!
Horror seems to be a very difficult genre to get right in comics and unfortunately that trend continues with Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson’s Nailbiter. The title character is probably the biggest flaw with this book. We’re introduced to him sat in a room full of corpses, the fingers of one of them in his bloodied mouth. Then later he’s in court on a string of charges, the heaviest being 45 counts of first degree murder - and still he gets off! I know there’s no story if he doesn’t but I just don’t buy that. OJ got away with a couple murders but he was a celebrity with a lot of money - this dude’s a nobody with no cash and still he walked away from 45 murders? Shenanigans!
Then we’re later reintroduced to him as this lovable rascal who moves back to his hometown and ends up helping the local law enforcement with their investigations in a contrived Hannibal/Clarice-type relationship (which isn’t much of a stretch to make the connection as Williamson repeatedly hits this comparison in his script). I get the impression that we’re supposed to like this character but I just didn’t care about him. He’s not charming or interesting like Hannibal, he’s just dull; he wishes he were Hannibal!
The story is no great shakes. Finch and Crane wander about Buckaroo looking for clues and slowly making progress while cosplayers of the Buckaroo Butchers rack up the body count of non-characters. Without getting into spoilers, this subplot reminded me heavily of the first Scream movie, not least because Henderson’s layouts - POV shots, repeated frames with small details tweaked - mirrored the same approach to murder that Ghost Face did. And the cloak/mask/dagger look is also very Scream. That’s the problem with Nailbiter - everything in here reminds me of better stories! Silence of the Lambs, Scream, even Chew!
Why Chew? The Buckaroo Butchers all have “quirky” murdering habits like Chew’s weird foodie villains. Walter Grant is the Silent Movie Killer who kills people who talk during movies; The Blonde cuts the tongues out of anyone who catcalls her as she walks down the street; The Terrible Two are a brother and sister duo who only murder other twins. And of course there’s Nailbiter who bites his victims’ nails before killing them (allegedly). It’s nowhere near as original or entertaining as Chew though.
Besides being derivative, Nailbiter is an unfocused, plodding police procedural that fails to bring the horror it’s aiming for. The characters are flat and boring, the story is uninteresting, and it’s overall another crap horror comic.
Horror seems to be a very difficult genre to get right in comics and unfortunately that trend continues with Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson’s Nailbiter. The title character is probably the biggest flaw with this book. We’re introduced to him sat in a room full of corpses, the fingers of one of them in his bloodied mouth. Then later he’s in court on a string of charges, the heaviest being 45 counts of first degree murder - and still he gets off! I know there’s no story if he doesn’t but I just don’t buy that. OJ got away with a couple murders but he was a celebrity with a lot of money - this dude’s a nobody with no cash and still he walked away from 45 murders? Shenanigans!
Then we’re later reintroduced to him as this lovable rascal who moves back to his hometown and ends up helping the local law enforcement with their investigations in a contrived Hannibal/Clarice-type relationship (which isn’t much of a stretch to make the connection as Williamson repeatedly hits this comparison in his script). I get the impression that we’re supposed to like this character but I just didn’t care about him. He’s not charming or interesting like Hannibal, he’s just dull; he wishes he were Hannibal!
The story is no great shakes. Finch and Crane wander about Buckaroo looking for clues and slowly making progress while cosplayers of the Buckaroo Butchers rack up the body count of non-characters. Without getting into spoilers, this subplot reminded me heavily of the first Scream movie, not least because Henderson’s layouts - POV shots, repeated frames with small details tweaked - mirrored the same approach to murder that Ghost Face did. And the cloak/mask/dagger look is also very Scream. That’s the problem with Nailbiter - everything in here reminds me of better stories! Silence of the Lambs, Scream, even Chew!
Why Chew? The Buckaroo Butchers all have “quirky” murdering habits like Chew’s weird foodie villains. Walter Grant is the Silent Movie Killer who kills people who talk during movies; The Blonde cuts the tongues out of anyone who catcalls her as she walks down the street; The Terrible Two are a brother and sister duo who only murder other twins. And of course there’s Nailbiter who bites his victims’ nails before killing them (allegedly). It’s nowhere near as original or entertaining as Chew though.
Besides being derivative, Nailbiter is an unfocused, plodding police procedural that fails to bring the horror it’s aiming for. The characters are flat and boring, the story is uninteresting, and it’s overall another crap horror comic.
October 4, 2021
Remarkably dull. No tension, no uneasiness, no horror. To be fair, I'm not that interested in serial killers to begin with, but the way they're made into semi supervillains in this book is idiotic. The costumes the various serial killers wear are laughable.
The art is bad - everyone has huge, slab-like faces, a town full of Robert Z'Dars.
The art is bad - everyone has huge, slab-like faces, a town full of Robert Z'Dars.
October 29, 2017
3.75* so, yeah, um... this was so completely and utterly messed up. it was gruesome, gory, disturbing, definitely something I shouldn't have started reading alone at 2am but with that being said, I could not stop reading. It was horrifyingly addictive and 50% of me never wants to read it again and the other 50% knows there's no way I'm going to be able to stop reading this series now. I need to know what's going on!!! Definitely not something for people who are sensitive to graphic violence and gore, it was a little too much for me at times but I can't deny, no matter how messed up this is, it's definitely got me hooked and I'm not sure how I feel about that. 😂 I also have no idea how to rate this right now, my minds a little overwhelmed. 😅
April 9, 2018
Buckaroo, Oregon has given rise to sixteen known serial killers, all just as creepy as the other. This has given the town a bad reputation, but no one truly knows how so many murderers come from such a small place, so Detective Eliot Carroll assigns himself to figure it all out. He then makes a call to his friend, Officer Nicholas Finch, to come find him, since he trust his friend has the skills to completely solve the mystery, however when the cop arrives into town he discovers Carroll is missing, and that there might just be another murderer on the loose. Aligning himself with Sheriff Shannon Crane, he must go and try to find what has happened to his friend, and what exactly is happening in this town, including a backstory to Sheriff Crane, a girl who seems to want trouble, and a town of people bent on revenge. And also, he must seek the help from Nailbiter, one of the Buckaroo-Sixteen murderers, who has connections with many people in town, positive or negative.
“Warren’s modus operandi was to kidnap innocent men and women who had the habit of chewing their fingernails. Warren would keep them captive until his victim’s nails grew back, and then chew their fingers down to the bone before ultimately killing them.” -This is the guy that will help them throughout.
This story offers two things so far, a character study of the most renown of the killers, Nailbiter, and a horror story that seeps through the pages. There is little known of Nailbiter, and even less of the other killers, but we know it will be revealed in slower doses throughout subsequent volumes/issues, but the character study is not all about the murderers, at least not at first glance. Each character here has something to hide, something to achieve, so we are given snippets of their lives, and we must try to piece them together to discover who they are, what they have done, and what they might do. We get scenes of a town scared of themselves, suspecting any of them could be the next murderer, dark and abandoned streets, a creepy store that sells memorabilia of each of the killers that also serves as a museum, pouring rain, the odd teenagers, and main and side characters with relations to the killers, creating an air of suspense and doubt in every single person depicted here. This is exactly how we should feel when reading a horror story, no jump scares or useless information, but a well-thought out view of a place and people that will show instead of tell.
The main theme so far is whether or not serial killers are born or bred. Which one is it? The science is still not sure, although so far I agree it ought to be a bit of both, but I cannot wait to pick up later volumes explaining more about this town's murderers, their reasoning, their normal lives before being discovered, and how they manage to have such lives without anyone suspecting( which tends to be a trend with serial killers in general), and more panels of their gruesome murders.
A mix of "Silence of the Lambs", "Hannibal", "Dexter" and probably a bunch of other things, will provide a creepy story for the winter months, and in my case, all year-round. It is gruesome, and as such, not to everyone's taste, but it deserves at least a quick look through, there is beauty to be had in the pages, even if they are disgusting and gut wrenching.
“Warren’s modus operandi was to kidnap innocent men and women who had the habit of chewing their fingernails. Warren would keep them captive until his victim’s nails grew back, and then chew their fingers down to the bone before ultimately killing them.” -This is the guy that will help them throughout.
This story offers two things so far, a character study of the most renown of the killers, Nailbiter, and a horror story that seeps through the pages. There is little known of Nailbiter, and even less of the other killers, but we know it will be revealed in slower doses throughout subsequent volumes/issues, but the character study is not all about the murderers, at least not at first glance. Each character here has something to hide, something to achieve, so we are given snippets of their lives, and we must try to piece them together to discover who they are, what they have done, and what they might do. We get scenes of a town scared of themselves, suspecting any of them could be the next murderer, dark and abandoned streets, a creepy store that sells memorabilia of each of the killers that also serves as a museum, pouring rain, the odd teenagers, and main and side characters with relations to the killers, creating an air of suspense and doubt in every single person depicted here. This is exactly how we should feel when reading a horror story, no jump scares or useless information, but a well-thought out view of a place and people that will show instead of tell.
The main theme so far is whether or not serial killers are born or bred. Which one is it? The science is still not sure, although so far I agree it ought to be a bit of both, but I cannot wait to pick up later volumes explaining more about this town's murderers, their reasoning, their normal lives before being discovered, and how they manage to have such lives without anyone suspecting( which tends to be a trend with serial killers in general), and more panels of their gruesome murders.
A mix of "Silence of the Lambs", "Hannibal", "Dexter" and probably a bunch of other things, will provide a creepy story for the winter months, and in my case, all year-round. It is gruesome, and as such, not to everyone's taste, but it deserves at least a quick look through, there is beauty to be had in the pages, even if they are disgusting and gut wrenching.
May 31, 2023
Interesting start! Trying to find a series that *really* hooks me after devouring Something Is Killing The Children so you’ll probably see me finishing alot of Vol 1’s of different graphic novels (I have a lot on my tbr to check out). This was pretty good with some gory imagery.
April 13, 2017
Who would have thought I'd thoroughly enjoy a graphic novel about a serial killer who murder people who bite nails?
What kind of person am I. LOL.
Say whatever it is that you want to say about my reading choices, but I really enjoyed this! Why? Becauseeee… I'm into serial killers. Oookaay. That didn't sound right, so let me correct myself. I'm into serial killer stories. Yes. That's what I meant.
These type of stories intrigue me. They get me curious. Fiction or non-fiction, these never fail to trigger my interest. So when I read Nailbiter's blurb, I knew, I was going to enjoy it. True enough, I did enjoy this!
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
In the town of Buckaroo, Oregon, originated sixteen, terrible serial killers. Not sure how. Not sure why. But they just manufacture serial killers there. One of the most famous of the serial killers was Nailbiter, Edward Warren.
FBI Agent Charles Carrol is obsessed in finding out what is causing people from this town to become serial killers. It seems that we finally got a lead, so he asked the help of his friend, Nicholas Finch, who then came to Buckaroo, only to find that his friend has gone missing.
THE GOOD
• THE PLOT IS INTERESTING. I mean, come on? A town that manufacture serial killers? A cop has gone missing because of an investigation? A serial killer with a questionable motive? Killings here and there? Who wouldn't want that??!
• WTF IS GOING ON? The fact that I have no idea what the fuck is going on with this book, keeps me excited. I'm the type of reader who likes to guess what's going to happen next, and the fact that I can't seem to do that with this, is amazing. Things happen, you make your guess, then another thing happen that completely debunks your theory about wtf is happening to this town. Gaaaaah! I love it!
• EVERYONE IN IS SUSPICIOUS. Not one of these characters are reliable, in my opinion. Even the Sheriff, has something to hide, I think. These people are not at all what they seem, starting with Nailbiter. I am completely… puzzled by this dude. I can't tell if he's a good guy, or a bad guy, or just messing with your brain crazy person? The fact that I can't trust any of these characters is great.
• THE COLOR PALLET AND THE ART. I don't normally like these types of illustrations, but on this case, I feel that it fits the tone of the story, including the colors that were used.
• HANNIBAL REFERENCES BABY!!!
• THE PANELS SOME GREAT PANELINGS ON HERE THAT BUILT GOOD TENSION TO THE STORY.
THE BAD
• NOT A LOT OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. I have read quite a number of reviews mimicking the same sentiments about this not having enough character development, which I would agree, but only up to a certain point. I do agree that the characters weren't completely fleshed out. For me though, it was done on purpose. They were letting us into the situation that these characters are in first. I think, we'd get to know them more as we read more of the volumes. Let's not forget, this volume is collecting only the first 5 issues, this is not an entire book, or even a complete story. There are a lot more issues to look out for that, hopefully, might give these characters more life.
THE UGLY
• I AM PISSED THAT THEY MARKETED THIS WRONG. If you're going into this thinking that you'll be full-on terrified, you'll be extremely disappointed. Like with the previous point about character development, a lot of people who read this are saying that this isn't scary enough. And like with the first point, I would agree. They marketed this book wrong. There were gory aspects, but they weren't scary. Oh. Come to think of it, there was one specific scene where I got really creeped out. It was a scene where the light comes on and off, and something appears and disappears on the scene. That was pretty good. But going back to my point, this was marketed wrong. People are expecting this to be purely a horror graphic novel, which it isn't. There were creepier aspects, but the whole plot was more mysterious than scary.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re into gory stuff with a mix of mystery, I'd highly recommend this shit. I loved it. It might not be the perfect character-driven story, but the plot and the suspense was enough to keep me hooked and keep reading. I hope the next ones would be better.
October 24, 2025
7.7/10
Yes there will be blood indeed!!
If you like horror, mystery and crime fiction then you should give a chance to Nailbiter, an interesting, fast paste, bloody story about a town that gives birth to (a ridiculously high amount of) serial killers. An ex-cop goes there to find his old partner, who seems to have some answers and needs his help, however he is nowhere to be found.
Yes there will be blood indeed!!
If you like horror, mystery and crime fiction then you should give a chance to Nailbiter, an interesting, fast paste, bloody story about a town that gives birth to (a ridiculously high amount of) serial killers. An ex-cop goes there to find his old partner, who seems to have some answers and needs his help, however he is nowhere to be found.
July 25, 2016
4.5 stars, this was excellent.
I had no idea what to expect from this. No prior research at all.
I would compare this comic to watching that film Scream for the first time, but without the spoof. Creepy, original, suspense,horror and constantly trying to guess who the killer is.
So it's called nail biter because the first issue centres around a serial killer who captured 42 separate victims on separate occasions, chewed their nails off their hands and killed them. He only chose victims that chewed their fingers nails.
The press get onto it and blow the whole case open and realise that he's from a small town that had another 15 serial killers born there. So 16 in total.
The town gets a lot of publicity from press, evil hunter tourists and detectives. One detective goes to investigate and finally gets somewhere and sends for his partner who is on leave for a murder trial who specialises in information extraction (torture).
That's when it's gets interesting.
I would highly recommend this book, it's deep, frightening and intriguing. Fantastic writing and good artwork.
I'm jumping into this series straight away.
I had no idea what to expect from this. No prior research at all.
I would compare this comic to watching that film Scream for the first time, but without the spoof. Creepy, original, suspense,horror and constantly trying to guess who the killer is.
So it's called nail biter because the first issue centres around a serial killer who captured 42 separate victims on separate occasions, chewed their nails off their hands and killed them. He only chose victims that chewed their fingers nails.
The press get onto it and blow the whole case open and realise that he's from a small town that had another 15 serial killers born there. So 16 in total.
The town gets a lot of publicity from press, evil hunter tourists and detectives. One detective goes to investigate and finally gets somewhere and sends for his partner who is on leave for a murder trial who specialises in information extraction (torture).
That's when it's gets interesting.
I would highly recommend this book, it's deep, frightening and intriguing. Fantastic writing and good artwork.
I'm jumping into this series straight away.
April 20, 2017
Interesting story. I'm intrigued by the possibilities. The art was fine. Doesn't stand out but wasn't bad. Interesting start.
November 16, 2015
Okay, this is horror. And I did actually read it, yes. . . I picked it up on a whim just as I was leaving the graphic novels/comics section of my library, and sat down and read it through. I am not a huge horror fan, but I am reading a bit more into it every year. But I was not a fan of Williamson's Ghosted, and I'm not a huge fan of this. The art by Mike Henderson is well done. The story is outlandish, set in a town of serial killers, where an NSA agent decides to enlist a serial killer to find out the mystery of why there are so many serial killers in this town. The "nailbiter" in question, well, haha, that's what the serial killer likes to do first, haha, "nail biter," get it? And they think hey nail biter makes a perfect horror title. . . or not, if you're me. It's just weird and corny.
So, the first volume is predictably brutal and bloody, of you like that kind of thing.
I actually don't, usually.
And while I am compelled by some horror books and movies to sleep with my lights on, this did not particularly move me in that way. I did like the strong woman NSA agent just fine, if I have to say a second nice thing. . .
So, the first volume is predictably brutal and bloody, of you like that kind of thing.
I actually don't, usually.
And while I am compelled by some horror books and movies to sleep with my lights on, this did not particularly move me in that way. I did like the strong woman NSA agent just fine, if I have to say a second nice thing. . .
March 4, 2020
Serial killers and a small town mystery = Darien is really loving this.
This had me from the very first page. Let me set the mood: cops burst into a decimated home there’s a guy sorrounded by bodies and bones, covered in blood and chewing on a hand. Amazing!!!
September 30, 2016
Bullet Review:
For a book that "tantalized" with the most gruesome picture of a man biting off this own fingers, well, it wasn't nearly as gory inside. Meaning, yes, it was still gory but at least I could open my eyes for most of the panels.
Carroll has become obsessed with the 16 serial killers of Buckaroo, OR; he's found the answer and tells fellow agent, Finch, to come to him. In classic thriller fashion, Carroll goes missing and Finch must have the local police led by Crane give him a hand.
This was very decent and intriguing. I was legitimately curious about why this town made so many serial killers - which means I'll be hunting down volume 2 to learn more. The characters are interesting and I liked the art style. It IS gritty and gory in places but not nearly as much as I feared. I can't take much gore and there were only a few panels I had to look past quickly.
For a book that "tantalized" with the most gruesome picture of a man biting off this own fingers, well, it wasn't nearly as gory inside. Meaning, yes, it was still gory but at least I could open my eyes for most of the panels.
Carroll has become obsessed with the 16 serial killers of Buckaroo, OR; he's found the answer and tells fellow agent, Finch, to come to him. In classic thriller fashion, Carroll goes missing and Finch must have the local police led by Crane give him a hand.
This was very decent and intriguing. I was legitimately curious about why this town made so many serial killers - which means I'll be hunting down volume 2 to learn more. The characters are interesting and I liked the art style. It IS gritty and gory in places but not nearly as much as I feared. I can't take much gore and there were only a few panels I had to look past quickly.
October 13, 2023
Not at all what I was expecting, but that's a good thing. I was expecting a vampire story, for some reason, which is why I put this one off for so long. It's not that there aren't any good vampire stories out there, just that I've never been scared or creeped out by them. So when I'm in the mood for a scare, vampire books are the last on my list. Anyway, Vampires, this did not have, but creepy, it was.
Buckaroo, Oregon is a town that has given birth to 16 serial killers (all with their own names and slasher-style outfits that often include a mask). There seems to be another one on the loose, so the sheriff/deputy(?), along with a cop from another town set out to look for the killer. Their number one suspect is a "former" serial killer called, "the Nailbiter" who got away scott-free from the murders he was clearly responsible for.
I love the artwork in this one. It has a nice, spooky atmosphere, perfect for the month of October. The story is also quite good and I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.
Buckaroo, Oregon is a town that has given birth to 16 serial killers (all with their own names and slasher-style outfits that often include a mask). There seems to be another one on the loose, so the sheriff/deputy(?), along with a cop from another town set out to look for the killer. Their number one suspect is a "former" serial killer called, "the Nailbiter" who got away scott-free from the murders he was clearly responsible for.
I love the artwork in this one. It has a nice, spooky atmosphere, perfect for the month of October. The story is also quite good and I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.
June 16, 2018
Read this in a sitting. Williamson is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. Its like seven saw mixed with twin peaks/xfiles minus thr aliens. Great storytelling and some cool gory artwork. Highly recommend this one!!
November 24, 2014
Horror is not one of my favorite genres, but man, this book was good! Honestly, the premise is great, but I don’t want to know why Buckaroo is full of serial killers, I just want to know more about them. 0=)
I had so much fun with those few panels about freaks like The Silent Movie Killer (Walter Grant only killed people who talked during movies at the theater), The Gravedigger (he buried people alive), The Terrible Two (brother and sister duo who only killed other twins)… I want MOAR! Oh, and a special issue dedicated to The Blonde would be perfect. C'mon, look at her!
I’m a passive reader when it comes to this kind of story, I don’t even try to solve the mystery. Let's just say that my Sherlock side is useless. *shrug* Well, this is the first time I’m actually proud of my
The story per se is very engaging, so I'll probably buy the next volume. Crane is a shitty sheriff in my opinion, but her past with the infamous Edward "Nailbiter" Warren intrigues me. Also, Buckaroo has a new butcher. [insert evil laugh here]
*ARC provided by Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley.*
December 29, 2015
Review to come
February 10, 2015
More from the Humble Bundle; the gift that keeps on giving...even if you didn't ask for some of them.
OK so Nailbiter almost lost me in the first few pages because it was just gross, and the kinda eww like papercuts in the spaces between your fingers and toes (EEEEEEE I'm squirming). I swallowed and pushed on through, and got into the story.
As others of my GR friends had commented already, this book owes much to the Silence of the Lambs and Scream...one is a masterful character study/thriller, the other is a shock horror/comedy. Nailbiter is neither of these things.
It's a poor copy.
The characters aren't given much time to be fleshed out, because they are running around after killers and always caught reacting and being 2 steps behind.
The Nailbiter himself is the most prolific serial killer in US history (other than legalized government agents) who got off scott free...Ya I don't think so. Of course, one of the cops is a government specialist in "information extraction" ie. torture...but he never does much other than throw a few people around and scuffle with killers. I haven't seen an ounce of torture skills or anything that makes me think this guy is anything special.
The Local Chief is a strong female character (with air quotes) who, of course, went to Prom with the Nailbiter...and he still loves to flirt with her. I'm sorry, you don't think they'd get someone else from another town with no history to be the head of police? I mean really...
Everyone is suspect, from the grandson of the first serial killer the town produced (who runs a macabre store profiteering off the suffering of others) all the way down to anyone in town at all. There's nearly no one to trust, and bodies start to pile up...
Also, the idea that one town produced 16 serial killers? That's nuts. Were that actually the case, there would be law enforcement agents there in deep cover 24/7 and the government would probably have sterilized all the populace, and I assume most people would have moved away...but no.
Either way, there's enough red herrings to start a fishmonger, and there seems to be a mystery figure pulling all the strings...making locals participate in bloody murders, and setting the detectives up for a final ending.
The end of the first Volume is mildly interesting enough for me to feel like it saved just a touch of potential...the actions of certain people aren't what we expected, and some people show up who we thought were long gone. (That and one of the baddies at the end was kinda actually spooky!)
We're left with everything up in the air for the next volume...I don't imagine that I'll rush out to find it, but if it shows up at the library, I might check it out to see what happens.
I generously give this 2.5+ stars, because it is fairly derivative of it's sources, and there's a lack of originality or character development, but for some reason I found myself mildly re-interested by the final chapter. It's by no means awesome, but I was like...OK I'll suspend my disbelief long enough to give you one more chance... (I'm very generous like that, but I've been on a horrid run lately, so mild interest is a lot better than flat out disdain I've felt for many other books lately).
OK so Nailbiter almost lost me in the first few pages because it was just gross, and the kinda eww like papercuts in the spaces between your fingers and toes (EEEEEEE I'm squirming). I swallowed and pushed on through, and got into the story.
As others of my GR friends had commented already, this book owes much to the Silence of the Lambs and Scream...one is a masterful character study/thriller, the other is a shock horror/comedy. Nailbiter is neither of these things.
It's a poor copy.
The characters aren't given much time to be fleshed out, because they are running around after killers and always caught reacting and being 2 steps behind.
The Nailbiter himself is the most prolific serial killer in US history (other than legalized government agents) who got off scott free...Ya I don't think so. Of course, one of the cops is a government specialist in "information extraction" ie. torture...but he never does much other than throw a few people around and scuffle with killers. I haven't seen an ounce of torture skills or anything that makes me think this guy is anything special.
The Local Chief is a strong female character (with air quotes) who, of course, went to Prom with the Nailbiter...and he still loves to flirt with her. I'm sorry, you don't think they'd get someone else from another town with no history to be the head of police? I mean really...
Everyone is suspect, from the grandson of the first serial killer the town produced (who runs a macabre store profiteering off the suffering of others) all the way down to anyone in town at all. There's nearly no one to trust, and bodies start to pile up...
Also, the idea that one town produced 16 serial killers? That's nuts. Were that actually the case, there would be law enforcement agents there in deep cover 24/7 and the government would probably have sterilized all the populace, and I assume most people would have moved away...but no.
Either way, there's enough red herrings to start a fishmonger, and there seems to be a mystery figure pulling all the strings...making locals participate in bloody murders, and setting the detectives up for a final ending.
The end of the first Volume is mildly interesting enough for me to feel like it saved just a touch of potential...the actions of certain people aren't what we expected, and some people show up who we thought were long gone. (That and one of the baddies at the end was kinda actually spooky!)
We're left with everything up in the air for the next volume...I don't imagine that I'll rush out to find it, but if it shows up at the library, I might check it out to see what happens.
I generously give this 2.5+ stars, because it is fairly derivative of it's sources, and there's a lack of originality or character development, but for some reason I found myself mildly re-interested by the final chapter. It's by no means awesome, but I was like...OK I'll suspend my disbelief long enough to give you one more chance... (I'm very generous like that, but I've been on a horrid run lately, so mild interest is a lot better than flat out disdain I've felt for many other books lately).
February 5, 2017
2 Stars
Meh...
Okay this was disappointing. The premise is quite interesting and intriguing. There's a small town called Buckaroo, a town where 16 serial killers have been borned and raised. There's an NSA agent obsessed with this town and its mystery: Why does this town produce such fucked up people? Is it coincidence or it's something else happening there?
Yeah, I pretty much liked the idea of this, but the execution? Not so much.
We follow two of the most boring characters out there... add to that some really stiff dialogue, well, it just doesn't live up to the premise of the story.
I don't usually read horror, but I like weird and I like creepy and I just started watching Hannibal and after 5 episodes today I was in the perfect mood to read this story and oh god it was disappointing.
I was expecting more gore, I was expecting it to be a phychological thriller, something more creepy and mind fuckery, the idea sounds so dark and gritty, but everything is a wasted opportunity.
Don't make me talk about the last serial killer this town has produced, the same character that gives the name to this title, the first character introduced and one that were supposedly be scary and creepy. He was at times unbelievable dull and boring and then he would just be unbelievable douchey.
I also feel like the plot never actually progressed. Is this a horror story or a mystery? Because every time it would look that there was a step forward there would be some random killing that would stop the flow of the story.
Even though the artwork is not bad, I didn't like the character designs and I don't believe this title ever benefited from the art. It doesn't add to the tone that I think Williamson is trying tonever successfully achieve.
In the end, Nailbiter suffers a lot because the idea of this story is such an intriguing one, but the execution is quite disappointing and there's no character nor moment that can redeem this, sometimes sloppy sometimes unfocused, crappy excuse for a horror story.
I'm also not really clear on the idea of supernatural elements, if there are any I don't think I'll continue reading this after volume 2.
Meh...
Okay this was disappointing. The premise is quite interesting and intriguing. There's a small town called Buckaroo, a town where 16 serial killers have been borned and raised. There's an NSA agent obsessed with this town and its mystery: Why does this town produce such fucked up people? Is it coincidence or it's something else happening there?
Yeah, I pretty much liked the idea of this, but the execution? Not so much.
We follow two of the most boring characters out there... add to that some really stiff dialogue, well, it just doesn't live up to the premise of the story.
I don't usually read horror, but I like weird and I like creepy and
I was expecting more gore, I was expecting it to be a phychological thriller, something more creepy and mind fuckery, the idea sounds so dark and gritty, but everything is a wasted opportunity.
Don't make me talk about the last serial killer this town has produced, the same character that gives the name to this title, the first character introduced and one that were supposedly be scary and creepy. He was at times unbelievable dull and boring and then he would just be unbelievable douchey.
I also feel like the plot never actually progressed. Is this a horror story or a mystery? Because every time it would look that there was a step forward there would be some random killing that would stop the flow of the story.
Even though the artwork is not bad, I didn't like the character designs and I don't believe this title ever benefited from the art. It doesn't add to the tone that I think Williamson is trying to
In the end, Nailbiter suffers a lot because the idea of this story is such an intriguing one, but the execution is quite disappointing and there's no character nor moment that can redeem this, sometimes sloppy sometimes unfocused, crappy excuse for a horror story.
I'm also not really clear on the idea of supernatural elements, if there are any I don't think I'll continue reading this after volume 2.
June 30, 2017
3.75 ⭐️
September 26, 2021
Well that’s a very readable jaunt!
A little fun Spooktober reading (wait, it’s still September? Shame!) and a neat find from the Shallows who keep me a continuing comics reader. You crazies are what make the habit worth keeping.
I could go into a long winded examination of the writing and art in this book, which would be especially typical for the start of a long run on a book that’s already gained this much respect among aficionados.
Or I could just be a self-indulgent wanker and talk about how much of this book is reflective of me and my laboriously unique reading habits.
But really I just want to encourage more weirdos like myself to dive in. This one’s been on my radar for years and I never quite made the effort, but it’s so damned easy to keep reading - whether because of the great sharp dialogue, the clearly-crafted plotting or the messy-but-still-eminently-storytelling-enhancing art - that I just want you to ask yourself a question:
If you’re a fan of Cabin in the Woods, Hack/Slash or Supernatural, why aren’t you giving yourself the pleasure of an adjacency this good?
Brought to you by the Shallow Buddy Reads...
A little fun Spooktober reading (wait, it’s still September? Shame!) and a neat find from the Shallows who keep me a continuing comics reader. You crazies are what make the habit worth keeping.
I could go into a long winded examination of the writing and art in this book, which would be especially typical for the start of a long run on a book that’s already gained this much respect among aficionados.
Or I could just be a self-indulgent wanker and talk about how much of this book is reflective of me and my laboriously unique reading habits.
But really I just want to encourage more weirdos like myself to dive in. This one’s been on my radar for years and I never quite made the effort, but it’s so damned easy to keep reading - whether because of the great sharp dialogue, the clearly-crafted plotting or the messy-but-still-eminently-storytelling-enhancing art - that I just want you to ask yourself a question:
If you’re a fan of Cabin in the Woods, Hack/Slash or Supernatural, why aren’t you giving yourself the pleasure of an adjacency this good?
Brought to you by the Shallow Buddy Reads...
August 23, 2015
This is quite a good time, but I must admit that if I had realized it was an ongoing series, I might not have started it. Complex serial killer mystery books need (imo) to be limited series (even if that limit is like 75 issues) so they can be planned out. I need confidence as a reader that the ending is known and they aren't just making this mess up as they go.
That being said, now that I've started, I'll read the next volume or two.
That being said, now that I've started, I'll read the next volume or two.
February 19, 2017
This is my final read for #GettingGraphic and it creeeeeped me out!! I definitely think the artwork is just ok, but the STORY is dark and creepy and focuses on lots of serial killers... I was thoroughly creeped out and fully intrigued by this and I definitely think I'll be continuing the series some time in future :) 4*s
September 2, 2015
Really love the whole mystery behind the brutal gory deaths this graphic novel provides. Loving the hell out of the nailbiter and also really love the two main characters. Dialog is tight, and it works real well for any fan of horror and serial killers.
October 28, 2014
I read it in English and I downloaded to read in Adobe Digital Edition form from NetGalley page.
It's a very good choice if you like serial killers' stories.
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