Nailbiter #26 Review

Following the explosive ‘Bound by Blood’ story arc, Nailbiter returns with a bit of a Christmas-twist…which feels all types of weird in early November, but let’s just go with it.

Is it good?

Nailbiter #26 (Image Comics)

Observations

• – Not sure if Warren is talking to himself or breaking the fourth wall. Either way, it makes me uncomfortable.
• Sheriff Crane vs. The Nailbiter in a verbal sparring match is always good stuff.
• Just in case you forgot that Warren was a monster…
• Ouch.
• Why hasn’t anyone tried that before?
• Finch doesn’t seem to like his own medicine very much

Is It Good?

As usual, Mike Henderson’s art is great. He gets a lot of well-deserved praise for his action and gore sequences, but his ability to portray characters’ emotions that both match and lead the dialogue is what really shines this issue.

Speaking of that, the conversation between Crane and Warren is really good, if a bit one-sided. Luckily, Warren rations his exposition by providing us with some new details about his backstory. Writer Josh Williamson also somehow manages to pull off making Warren look like an inhuman monster right before causing us to actually feel bad for him— and make him (dare I say) seem the slightest bit heroic.

*Shakes fist at the sky* DAMN YOU, WILLIAMSON! DAMN YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL SYMPATHETIC TOWARD AN UNREPENTANT SERIAL KILLER!

Ahem…as I was saying…Williamson manages to enhance some great dialogue/narration by executing a narrative trick that I’ve seen many other writers completely screw up. It’s a cool moment that also leads us perfectly into the story’s shocking climax.

And then you have Nailbiter #26’s coda, which was entirely unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong—I’m severely worried about Finch and what’s happening to him. But it feels very tacked on and hollow compared to the well-plotted story we just read. The two out-of-nowhere pages could have been better served showing us how Finch got into the position we find him in.

That being said, this was still a great issue. It also looks like the start of yet another great story arc for a series that has so far delivered with every volume.