Advance Review: Nailbiter Returns Chapter 1

I can“t believe it has been 6 years since the original Nailbiter #1 was published. Set in the town of Buckaroo, that has seen more serial killers than anywhere else, detectives and police must rely on the assistance of Nailbiter, a recently released serial killer, in order to solve the mystery.

Nailbiter Returns #1 builds off the mythology of the original series. The main Protagonist, the Daughter of the most notorious serial killer, Nailbiter, has been living under the dark cloud of her father’s misdeed in a small town.
Her mother has gone missing so enlist the help of CSA agent Finch who just happens to be in town again after he has been called to returns as the main Investigator when the scene of a car accidents yields some grisly results. :

In the meantime in the backdrop of Buckaroo, Oregon there is a band of Serial Killers working together, though to what ends it hasn’t been established yet.

In this iteration of Nailbiter Joshua Williamson seems to approach this by building it with the framework similar to mystery of the Seven Deadly sins, the small town backdrop the Scream Movies, and hopefully we are getting some development similar to the Cenobites from Hellraiser.

The art for NAILBITER Returns #1 by Mike Henderson (Dead Man Logan, Mask and Mobsters, Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan) so far had been more focused on establishing the routine day in the life of the protagonist, so he really didn’t get chance to open up the exhaust on the pages but when he did was able to harvest a truly eerie image from an everyday event.

It’s been a while so I have totally forgotten what Nailbiter was about, but Nailbiter Returns #1 was so seamless that it was obvious what was important and each twist did have quite an impact on me. So kudos to the creative team on this one.

If you don’t believe me when I say you should be paying attention to Nailbiter look not further than the fact that it is a project currently in development under Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Galactic.Â Robert Kirkman“s Skybound Entertainment has inked a deal with Sony Television to form a new production company which will develop television projects based on Skybound comic books such as Nailbiter as well as properties from other Image imprints.

As far as the speculation goes the 1st print #1 is by far the most traded on the secondary market.Â Though there is a higher priced Phantom Variant, that price was artificially inflated.Â So, if you want to speculate just for the regular one with the full face of Nailbiter right there on the cover.

One last note I have often wondered what kinda alcohol would have gone nicely with some of the books I have read, well it was provided right up front: The Nailbiter: 16 ounces of Tomato Juice, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce, 2 tablespoons of Pickle Juice, 1 Cup of Vodka, 2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice, 1 tablespoons of Horseradish, 1 tablespoon Tabasco Sauce, Kosher Salt for the Rim

I tried it and it’s OK but I think a better pairing might be a Michelado.

SCORE: 3/5

WRITER: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
ARTIST / COVER: MIKE HENDERSON
Lights: Adam Guzowski
DJ: John J. Hill
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