I failed to do my homework when I started reviewing this series on here. I assumed that the trades would be six issue collections. They are 5 issues. So my first review included the start of the second trade. Although it was a bit of a filler issue. A stand alone story to a degree. But so was 7.

Issue 7 introduces a new character. Brian Michael Bendis. Except he’s not a character. He writes comics and is rather well known for it. He did a stint on Avengers. And some other stuff for Marvel. But in this, his character claims to be in town doing research for a new book about serial killers he is working on. This feels like a lot of filler again. 

Issue 8 takes us on a quest for bees. As Finch keeps trying to find out what Carroll had found. What secrets had he uncovered that got him almost killed. Finch finds the bee keeper and questions him only to encounter a dead end as the bee keeper says he never talked to Carroll. A plausible result as Finch hadn’t found details about the bee keeper, just a cryptic “BEES” in his notes. But Finch is a skilled interrogator and manages to get the bee keeper to accidentally admit he had talked to Carroll. That sly dog Finch!

Issue 9 doesn’t jump right back to Finch and the bees though. Instead we meet Mister Crowe, the seemingly ageless school bus driver that has taken a number of the Buckaroo Butchers to school over the years. But Crowe has decided he doesn’t want to see any more kids grow up to be killers. And the best way to prevent that is to not let them grow up! Meanwhile Finch manages to escape from the bee keeper and his “attack bees.” But when he tries to bring the sheriff back to investigate, there is nothing to see. Leaving Finch to look like an idiot.

Issue 10 wraps up this trade as the city is on edge about the children and the bus missing! After getting an idea of where he might have gone, the sheriff and Finch arrive just in time to see Crowe drive the bus into a lake. They immediately dive in to try and save the kids. Which they do. But Crowe doesn’t quite make it out. We end with Finch deciding that he needs answers and is willing to torture the titular Nail Biter to get them.

I know I’m going through these a bit slowly. And I am honestly thinking I need to pick up the pace on them. The series continues to be solid. Joshua Williamson is a really good writer, and I can guarantee that these books won’t disappoint.

* I failed again. Because apparently I had done my homework last time and reviewed the first story arc of issues 1-5. But I read 6 and put it away. That was awhile ago, and I am not sure how much I recall about it. So I did a quick looksee online to jog the memory. 

Issue 6 brings a pregnant woman to Buckaroo. She winds up talking to Alice about life and pregnancy and Buckaroo and dreams and aspirations. The big one for her is that she wants to give birth to her child in Buckaroo to better the chances of it gaining fame and glory as a serial killer. This is definitely a filler issue, but it was a really good and interesting one off story. 

I’m going to maintain the 8 star review for the series so far. This trade worth of material is several stories, but they are all well done.