Comic Books

‘Nailbiter Returns’ #4 review

Despite a host of questions that remain about the series overarching mystery, ‘Nailbiter Returns’ #4 is still a heck of a lot of fun.

Nick Nafpliotis

August 25, 2020

Last month’s issue of Nailbiter Returns ended with Nicholas Finch, Agent Grey, Alice Crane, and Edward Warren (aka the Nailbiter) trapped in a house about to be ambushed by the new (or possibly resurrected) Bucakaroo Butchers.

This week, we see if they’re able to make it out alive and maybe figuring out what the heck is going on.

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Snappy Spoiler-Lite Recap

Flashback to a few days ago: Nicholas Finch is having trouble sleeping.

Gee, I wonder why… (Image Comics)

Now: Finch is stuck in a living nightmare thanks to a heavily-armed Buckaroo Butcher called (or paying homage to) the Y2K Killer
Once again, Edward Warren is the luckiest sociopath in the world.

Nice to see the Blonde can still enjoy herself while getting shot at.
Never good with psychopathic twins show up…
…or when even the Nailbiter appears confused/scared.

Poor Finch can’t catch a break :(
Gotta admit, I’m actually starting to like Agent Grey.
“Get her eyes. The master will want her eyes.”

BOOM! HEADSHOT!
Dang…was not expecting that, but I probably should have been.

The Verdict

After a rocky outing last issue, Nailbiter Returns appears to be back on track thanks to a solid, action-packed issue. While we still don’t have any idea what’s going on with regard to the overarching story, writer Joshua Williamson crafts a thrilling shootout scene with plenty of crazy moments along with some deftly placed humor. He also does a wonderful job with the issue’s poignant opening, which is a complete shift in tone from everything that comes after it.

Artist Mike Henderson is the one who really shines in this one, though. His knack for high-octane action and gore is only rivaled by the character designs, which are wonderfully unsettling.

And then you have the ending, which feels like something we should have seen coming, but still manages to pack a punch. Do I understand anything at all about how we got to this point? Not at all. Will I still be back for next month’s issue?

Absolutely.