Graphic Novel Review - Nailbiter Volume 1 - Joshua Williamson (Story) - Image Comics
Recommended for 18+
I've always felt that the pinnacle of stomach-churning, horrifying visuals in graphic novel form is Crossed. That seems to be a pretty common opinion, and it's going to take rather a lot to change my mind on that. Nailbiter gives it a good go in places, and though it's not quite as stomach-churning, it's a better story and it kept me hooked from start to finish.
NSA Agen Nicholas Finch has been brought to Buckaroo, Oregon by his FBI Profiler friend, Eliot Carroll, who believes he has solved the reason why there have been sixteen serial killers in the town and what links them together. He gets there to find that Carroll has disappeared, teaming up with Sheriff Crane to investigate, and reluctantly utilising the help of the Edward 'Nailbiter' Warren, a serial killer who was let off when the jury found him not guilty. When the bodies of some of the original town serial killers start to appear, the mystery deepens.
When I read Nailbiter, I really couldn't put it down. I'm still desperately awaiting Volume 2 so that I can continue the search for answers, following the deepening mysteries at the end of Volume 1. It reels you in and keeps you hooked perfectly, leading you down one way of thinking which turns out to be a dead end, then pulling the same trick a short while later. It's a truly creepy and spine-chilling tale, with a couple of moments that reminded me squarely of Crossed, as mentioned above.
Whereas with Crossed I admit I was mainly wondering what the hell I was going to be faced with visually on the next page, here I'm mainly focused on where the story is going to take me. There's a jarring style to the aforementioned visuals that help keep it dark and menacing, and there's several nailbiting moments (literally!) that linger in the memory.
For fans of mystery who don't mind being shocked by some disturbing visuals, this is a must see.
5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment