Nailbiter/Hack/Slash (One-Shot) Review

Will this team-up be the kind of event that fans deserve? Or is it just a cheap attempt at taking our money? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

SERIAL KILLERS MEET SERIAL KILLER… KILLERS! Cassie Hack vs. the Nailbiter! Vlad vs. the Lucha Eliminador! IT’S ON! Two brand spanking new tales of terror by the creative teams of both Image hits! TIM SEELEY returns to the character he created to give you a nasty blast from the past. If you’ve ever needed an excuse to read these two horrific comics, now is your chance!

Following in the same vein as their Chew/Revival one-shot, Image release a crossover that brings together the relatively young series of Nailbiter and fan favourite, Hack/Slash. Having been a fan of both since their respective launches, I was eagerly anticipating this release, with the idea of alleged serial killer, Edward “Nailbiter” Warren and serial killer hunter, Cassie Hack meeting one another being tantalisingly exciting.

Much like Chew/Revival, Nailbiter/Hack/Slash is split into two stories, with each creative team working their own spin on the crossover. This ultimately leads to both intriguing similarities, as well as obvious differences, as though there’s evidence that Joshua Williamson and Tim Seeley have exchanged notes whilst making this crossover, each part is very much it’s own entity. As for individuality, the detachment between tales proves a little irritable, as given the briefness of Cassie’s team-up with Warren in the first part, it was upsetting to see Warren missing for the majority of the second part. Nevertheless, this was still a nifty crossover, and fans of both characters are sure to find some enjoyment within.

The artwork on this issue for the most part astounds, as though there are some troubling elements, the final look is relatively pleasant. Featuring work from both Nailbiter co-creator, Mike Henderson, and regular Hack/Slash artist, Emilio Laiso, there’s certainly some eye catching moments in this crossover, with the gritty overtone of the former, and immense detail of the latter allowing for some joyful panels. Despite this, I did feel that Henderson’s style was ill suited for Cassie, as though the rest of this tale was mesmerizing, the slasher killer just didn’t look as beautiful or badass as she normally does.

Nailbiter/Hack/Slash proves to be a fun crossover, as though the briefness of the first part, and lack of Warren in the second left this fanboy disheartened, the chance to see these two characters together was amazing. The plots themselves also proved captivating, as though each would have been better with more room to explore, they did enough to entertain.