Nailbiter

For reasons unknown, the small town of Buckaroo, Oregon, has spawned 16 of the most notorious serial killers the world has ever seen. When FBI profiler Elliot Carroll suddenly and mysteriously goes missing after finally uncovering the reasons why, his friend Nicholas Finch, an NSA agent with a troubled past, goes in to find him and learn what Carroll discovered. At the center of the investigation is the Nailbiter, a former Buckaroo serial killer that's only willing to give answers if given the right questions. It's a perfect whodunit paired with who's going to survive, as copycat killers come out of the woodwork of the town's dark history and start killing off anyone with information. Williamson creates an exciting blend of horror and mystery, mixed in with some dark humor and obvious nods to the horror movies that inspired him. Artist Henderson establishes each scene as masterfully as a horror director, mixing in cheap scares with extended setups that provide twisted thrills once the blood starts flowing. Bloody good fun.--Blenski, Peter Copyright 2014 Booklist

Williamson and Henderson, the team behind Image's Masks and Mobsters, reunite in this gruesome series with colorist Guzowski (Will O' the Wisp). Army intelligence specialist (read: torture expert and lie detector) Nicholas Finch and sheriff Shannon Crane investigate an FBI agent's disappearance in Buckaroo, Oregon, a town that happens to be known for spawning sixteen vicious serial killers. The agent's investigation into the town's mysterious, murderous past unfolds, opening a further mystery that involves unruly high schoolers, unscrupulous businessmen, and the killer that put first Buckaroo in the spotlight: Edward "The Nailbiter" Warren. Henderson's gory line art and red-washed watercolor designs take center stage, transforming what could have been a simple gross-out comic into something more terrifying. Guzowski's blood splatter effects add nuance even to the sound effects, forming a story that's soaked in death from start to finish. Williamson is in his element as a horror writer; freed from the trappings of his more conventional superhero books, he is free to twist horror tropes to his own ends, creating a gripping mystery that, despite some minor plot holes and hefty chunks of exposition, is a treat to watch unravel. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.