Previously in Nailbiter #12

I love this cover so much. I almost scrolled right by it on Comixology last Wednesday because I thought it was an Archie comic.

While we get a bit of forward movement in this issue, a lot of the best bits happen in the flashbacks. The fateful night when Crane met Warren reveals the future serial killer turned her down after she was dared to kiss him. Crane was intrigued immediately, though she played it off in front of her friends.

Their relationship is just as complicated in the present. Warren has offered to tell Crane and Finch the secrets behind the Buckaroo Butchers, but they’re interrupted by Reverend Fairgold and his Freaky Followers. They think they’re ready to string Warren up, but when he goes full-on crazy he causes Fairgold to piss himself, and the mob breaks up.

Back Then

Warren and Crane continue their flirting, and she admits she’s not even sure why she likes him so much. But when their chat is interrupted by news The Blonde has been arrested and Crane totally fangirls over the sexy serial killer, it becomes clear to Warren (and us) that Crane may be attracted to people with a hidden dark side.

In present day, Warren leads Crane and Finch (How am I just now realizing they have bird names?) to the tunnels under the graveyard. He explains he was testing a theory he had about the killers when he found a cave drawing. This particular drawing isn’t one the others have seen before: eight figures, each in a circle, surrounding some kind of horned helmet with a question mark inside of it. Hmmm. Where have we seen that before?

Oh, right! The mask the crazy creeper killer wears. And he just happens to be watching from a distance. (That part freaked me the fuck out.)

Finch gets pissed when Warren taunts them by saying they’ll find more answers deeper into the caves. His outburst leads him to admit he was about to kill himself when Carroll called and asked him to come to Oregon. Then, Crane and Finch find a statute which looks just like what Finch saw in the lake. While they examine it, Warren dips out.

Back Then

Crane storms out of a movie date with Warren when it seems he’d rather talk about morbid things than make out with her. Not wanting to lose her, he bites his nails and offers up the truth about himself.

Meanwhile, back in current time, Warren sneaks into Carroll’s hospital room only to find Fairgold standing over his bed. Fairgold insists he’s a good guy who wants to find out who killed his son and nearly killed Carroll. He suspects his failure is in not being able to relate to Warren. So, to show he can, he takes off the bandages around one of Carroll’s amputated arms and begins to gnaw on the man’s flesh.

Oh, hell no.

Overall Thoughts: 

• I’m having a bit of love/hate with this issue. I’m bummed we didn’t get more answers about the Buckaroo Butchers, but what we did get was so damn good, and I hate that I have to wait till July 1st for the next issue.
• When we reviewed volume 1 (which my husband just started reading it about an hour ago - it’s his first comic book ever!) for our book club podcast, I mentioned how the series felt like a really good horror movie or thriller. Mike Henderson creates panels that are more frightening than moving pictures. The reveal that the killer was watching them was terrifying.
• Where the hell is Barker?