This is a bit more staid.
Writing: Joshua Williamson
Art: Mike Henderson
My local comic book store is selling very old comics that no one wants for 50c each. I’m a cheap bastard and I love hating things so these are my Discount Comics.
What with Nailbiter being a weird mystery story set in the Pacific Northwest, I missed the comparisons to Twin Peaks when I talked about Nailbiter #5. Twin Peaks did this stuff right; “Mystery story? Nah; here’s some meaningless psychadelics. Hey look,” it then says, while pointing to a figure ducking behind a barn, “It’s The Mystery!” As you eagerly run towards it, Twin Peaks trips you and then laughs at you for watching it. I respect Twin Peaks for so aggressively refusing to give fucks.
Nailbiter should be a novel. Not because of anything Nailbiter is, but because it wastes the obvious talents of Mike Henderson. In this country, singers and writers are a dime a dozen, but good artists are hard to find. There’s a two-page splash in Nailbiter #7 which is people talking about comics. I don’t say this much to people who are already published, but write a damned novel, oh my god!
I can’t complain about a lack of inertia here because while #5 aggressively steered the boat that could charitably be called a story in circles, #7 refuses to acknowledge it needs to be in the water to go anywhere. It’s beached and happy with it, perfectly willing to gaze its navel and make comic book references. We’re seven issues into this dark comic—it assures us it’s dark—and we’re already futzing around with no obligation to be anything more than a wannabe-auteur putting this DARK AND SERIOUS story on hold to do schtick with special guest stars.
1 comment:
Twin Peaks in 2017!
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