After an almost 3 year run, “Nailbiter” comes to a close. Read on for our review of “Nailbiter” #30, but be warned, there are some spoilers within. It would be hard to talk about this without getting into some of the specifics.
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Mike Henderson and Adam Guzowski
EXTRA-SIZED SERIES FINALE. Sixteen of the world’s serial killers were born and raised in the same small town… And now the horrible truth of why is finally revealed.
After launching in 2014, “Nailbiter” quickly became one of the best and most consistent ongoing series at Image comics. “Nailbiter” was one part Twin Peaks, one part Hannibal and all parts murder mystery dread. But as they say, all good things come to an end, and we come to it here with “Nailbiter” #30. After plenty of swerves, murders and secrets coming to light, everything is laid out on the table. “Nailbiter” #30 is almost a maddening conclusion but concludes in a very classic horror kind of way.
“Nailbiter” #30 picks up right where the last two issues left off. Crane, Finch, Warren, Alice and Barker are all still underground while Buckaroo burns down around them. While underground, Barker is still rage fueled and charging after everyone until something in her snaps back and she decides to do the right thing. Alice then reveals what she learned, that all of this was to test for some kind of murder gene. Everything comes to a head as all these characters reach their final endgame in this cave.
Joshua Williamson is blowing up these days with huge gigs at DC but “Nailbiter” is where you can really see what he can do as a writer. As an ending, “Nailbiter” #30 does everything it needs to except in one regard. The biggest secrets are unveiled and the story of Buckaroo is completely put to rest. What stands out the most is the way Warren is used and how his story concludes. Warren became this almost comedic character as the series went on. His dark sense of humor brought something very unique to “Nailbiter” but what you could never forget is that he is a serial killer. He’s killed dozens of people and still have those violent tendencies inside of him. Williamson returns us to that cold, darker Warren as his true nature is finally revealed to us. What makes him tick and whether he’s just another victim in this is really illuminated in a tragic but fitting sense. When it is revealed that he’s negative for the murder gene, Warren turns back into the guy that Finch knew he always was. He becomes a monster and Williamson drops the facade around him and positions him as the sort of last big boss for Alice and Crane and that is where this last issue becomes sort of controversial.
In the grand tradition of horror stories, “Nailbiter” #30 keeps you guessing until the very end and doesn’t tie everything up in a nice bow. Whether anyone learned anything or grew as a person is still up in the air and even the final fate of Alice and Crane are left unclear. I had to read through this three times to really settle on how I felt because on the one hand, I feel that these characters deserved something more final. On the other hand, “Nailbiter” has always worn its influences on its sleeves. Ending ambiguously is so right for this series as every single character and Buckaroo never came off straight forward. The desire to want happiness for these characters, in the end, was all driven by my attachment to them, showing just how well done the series was from start to finish. I wouldn’t feel like I wanted more for any of these people if I didn’t care and that’s what “Nailbiter” did so well. It made you care and because you care, these final moments leave you truly uneasy, which is what all great horror should strive for.
One of the most special things about “Nailbiter” was that it remained on schedule and held on to its art team consistently. With so many giant publishers using fill ins every few months so they can pump out two issues a month, this is a great asset to have and to look back on. “Nailbiter” was as defined by its art as it was by its writing and that’s all because of what Henderson and Guzowski did over these thirty issues. Their final collaboration is as special as their first issue but after so much time, they’ve evolved and become even better. “Nailbiter” #30 is a beautiful final issue from start to finish that highlights all that these two do well. The sequences in the cave, as the town burns down above are stellar. Henderson does a great job at keeping the chaos in check. We’re still drawn to the characters and how they react but we’re always aware of what’s happening in the background through his very detailed backgrounds. When things do begin to literally fall apart, the action is full of tension and with this being the last issue, he keeps you guessing as to who’s going to die and who isn’t. There’s so much great movement in the final escape from Buckaroo and the tension can be felt through the way that Henderson approach each scene. Through interesting angles and focusing on the big feeling of this escape, he’s able to convey the right amount of anxiety in the reader. The final pages are almost Hitchcock-esque in framing and in how they unfold. This entire thing is conveyed only through his art and keeps you guessing all the way through. He uses full blackout pages to his advantage and builds fear and suspense in a way that is really tough to do in comics books.
Guzowski’s colors all throughout this issue hit a far less surreal tone that they did in the past. He plays with a light a lot more here and makes things like fire, bathroom light fixtures and moonlight all feel very real yet different from each other. He understands what each scene calls for and his work on the more action heavy pages is complex and deals with shadows very well. Guzowski set the tone for this story and doesn’t let up on that underlying dread even in this final issue.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – An ending that suits the kind of story that was told from the start. I’ll miss “Nailbiter” dearly.
