Review: Nailbiter #14

Previously in Nailbiter #13

In this issue, Finch and Crane literally dive into solving the mystery of the Buckaroo Butchers.

Remember how Fairgold was last seen chomping on Carroll’s arm stump? Well, that son of a bitch tells everyone it was Warren and the crowd of townspeople immediately call for Warren’s arrest. Crane obliges and tells Agent Barker she’ll take him to Portland for his own protection.

In the car, she reveals she didn’t believe a word of what Fairgold said - Warren likes fingertips and Carroll has no fingers - and she’s taking him and Finch to get answers once and for all. Finch is cool with this, but gives Warren an elbow to the face for ditching them in the caves - and also on general principle.

The three don scuba gear and dive underwater to the entrance of the hidden temple. Once inside, Warren reveals it’s all fake and not so ancient after all. He’s known about it since high school when he began his own investigation after the Kennys’ deaths. He shows them a picture of five serial killers and their children, brought to Buckaroo in the ’50s, though he’s not sure why. However, it’s not as simple as each Butcher being a descendant of the originals from the ’50s. Warren’s family were always from Buckaroo and not related to the mystery serial killers at all. The only person who knows the answer to why this is so is Carroll, and Warren claims he tried to warn Carroll before he was attacked.

Finch is about to deliver another beatdown to Warren, who he assumes is lying, when Alice appears. She came in via the graveyard tunnels and has also known about the temple for awhile. She backs up Warren’s story, saying she also has urges and fears she may become a serial killer. She’s about to explain these urges when the man in the horned mask stabs her from behind and tells the others to run.

Overall Thoughts:

• !@#$% Really? This ending was so good! I knew he was down there, but didn’t see Alice’s death coming - if she’s even dead. I’m slightly satisfied that we got a few more answers. The tease has been well drawn out, even if it is painful at times.
• The flashbacks in this issue revealed Warren had to fight his killer urges around Crane back in high school. Of course, to her it just felt like plain rejection.
• The art continues to set up unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a comic book. There’s a particularly frightening panel where it seems like Warren is about to attack Crane and Finch with a scuba tank, the next page reveals he was just using it to show them that everything in the temple was a cheap prop.
• Still so many questions besides the obvious mystery, like: Will Carroll wake up? What’s going on with Barker? Is Alice dead? Who’s the man in the horned mask? Why isn’t it August 5th yet so I can have issue 15 in my hands?