Nailbiter #27

Previously in Nailbiter #26

It’s appropriate that this issue takes us back to the beginning as the investigation into the Buckaroo Butchers seems to have jumped back to square one. Carroll had discovered the truth right after asking Finch to join him in Buckaraoo and we know how it eventually ended for him. Finch now finds himself in the same position: being tortured by the killer in the tunnels under the town.

Poor Finch

While Warren is in the hospital (surrounded by a disturbing number of flowers and cards from his “fans”), Crane retraces Carroll’s steps, interviewing those he spoke to when he first came to town. It was an interesting contrast seeing people like Fairgold have a totally different attitude towards the town and the legends of the butchers. Gone is the confidence he displayed when he spoke with Carroll; he’s now a broken man with a dead son, and appears to be resigned to whatever miserable fate the town has in store for him. Crane discovers that Morty also spoke with Carroll, something he failed to mention before. I am now side-eye’ing the hell out of Morty. Crane also reaches out to The Blonde, who would rather leave the past in the past - except as it pertains to making her some serious money when she re-opens The Murder Store.

When she’s finally alerted to Finch’s disappearance and Barker’s escape, there’s not much Crane can do. She has Alice now and checks in on her daughter, who’s going out of her way to make a her new home with her mother feel like one. Their holiday cheer and bonding is interrupted when Barker drops by - still crazy as fuck.

Before Carroll was taken (in a series of creepy panels), he noticed the name on a tombstone was the same as a name he saw in the Buckaroo Butchers graveyard. Are we dealing with experiments on dead people? And why does everyone who knows the truth seem to think it better that it not come out. Hopefully issue #28, out on January 4th, will shed some light on those questions.