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Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees #1-6
Tra gli alberi dove nessuno ti vede
Non si uccidono i propri compaesani: questa è la prima regola di Samantha Brown, orsa modello di una piccola città che nasconde la sua natura da serial killer dietro una vita serena e tranquilla. Ma quando alcuni degli animali antropomorfi di Woodbrook iniziano a morire inspiegabilmente, toccherà proprio a lei scoprire chi ha invaso il suo territorio, prima che lo sceriffo inizi a ficcare il naso nei suoi segreti… letteralmente! Un’opera geniale e folle, coccolosa e sanguinosa e che segna il debutto di Patrick Horvath.
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First published September 17, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,963 reviews
October 3, 2025
If a Richard Scarry book featured a furry serial killer.
Sam (Samantha) is not Dexter. She doesn't just kill killers and therefore makes herself somewhat palatable.
No.
She has a dark passenger but it just grabs randomly strangers off the street in the big city, drugs them, bleeds them out, and then buries chunks of them into neat little holes inside of paint cans.
Oh yeah.
This fuzzy bear bitch is your worst nightmare.
But her unbreakable rule is that she doesn't shit where she eats.
So she keeps up the facade of a friendly, small-town hardware store owner and just pops off to the closest urban hellscape every now and then to get her rocks off.
She has a method to her madness and she likes to see everything neat and tidy.
So when someone starts killing the inhabitants of her small town in ever more gruesome ways and riling up her neighbors, Samantha starts to freak out just a bit.
Now she's in the unnerving and unique position of being forced to suss out someone just like she, is and bring her own brand of justice to the situation.
You know, before the sheriff digs too deep and discovers own little hobby.
The whole thing is so disquieting because it looks like every children's story ever written for the 5-9 crowd, and reads like some kind of A24 nightmare fuel.
It's good.
I think this would make a nice Christmas gift for any horror comic aficionado.
Highly Recommended.
Sam (Samantha) is not Dexter. She doesn't just kill killers and therefore makes herself somewhat palatable.
No.
She has a dark passenger but it just grabs randomly strangers off the street in the big city, drugs them, bleeds them out, and then buries chunks of them into neat little holes inside of paint cans.
Oh yeah.
This fuzzy bear bitch is your worst nightmare.
But her unbreakable rule is that she doesn't shit where she eats.
So she keeps up the facade of a friendly, small-town hardware store owner and just pops off to the closest urban hellscape every now and then to get her rocks off.
She has a method to her madness and she likes to see everything neat and tidy.
So when someone starts killing the inhabitants of her small town in ever more gruesome ways and riling up her neighbors, Samantha starts to freak out just a bit.
Now she's in the unnerving and unique position of being forced to suss out someone just like she, is and bring her own brand of justice to the situation.
You know, before the sheriff digs too deep and discovers own little hobby.
The whole thing is so disquieting because it looks like every children's story ever written for the 5-9 crowd, and reads like some kind of A24 nightmare fuel.
It's good.
I think this would make a nice Christmas gift for any horror comic aficionado.
Highly Recommended.
August 30, 2024
In a Nutshell: A horror graphic novel filled with anthropomorphic animals and questionable moral compasses. (More ‘Dexter’ than ‘Zootopia’!) Gripping, chilling, creepy! Definitely not for the faint-hearted. Loved the plot and the character development. Appreciated the complex exploration of ethics. Recommended but not to all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
This graphic novel is a compilation of the six comics of ‘Beneath the Trees’, the critically acclaimed indie series. This edition has the complete story, no cliffhangers. (Thank heavens!)
It is strange to read a book filled with animals, most of them drawn in a cutesy art style and in lovely light pastels, and then to realise that this isn’t a sweet animal fable but the story of a psychopath (Or two!) My mind is still reeling from the aftereffects of this bizarre juxtaposition.
The core plot is brilliant. The story does exactly what a horror-thriller should, keeping us glued to the pages and horrified at the psyche of the murderers, which allows them to commit brutality without any qualms. There is no justification provided for why Samantha kills; she just wants to. This was the toughest part for me to accept - casual killings done just for the sake of it. Very disturbing!
The murders are as brutal as you can imagine, and a bit more. Think Dexter, but with a bear. The strange part is that when the second killer comes into the picture, the proceedings become more brutal, thereby ending up making Samantha look saner. While reading, we know we can’t support Samantha but nor can we support the other killer. Imagine reading a plot where you don’t know whom to root for – the protagonist (who is more of an antihero) or the antagonist (who is working against the antihero but still isn’t a hero.) Mindboggling!
The setting adds to the eerie vibes, with its messed-up lifestyle more like organised chaos. Anthropomorphic bears interacting with actual bears in the forest as if they were two separate species? A butchery where there are slaughtered pig heads on offer though there are pig citizens as well? Humanised animals having ordinary animal pets? Curiouser and curiouser!
All the characters are anthropomorphic animals of various species, so seeing them with human features and human flaws is utterly weird. I also loved the depiction of the townspeople’s fear and apprehension when they hear of a killer on the loose. The change in the town’s atmosphere is palpable through the graphics. The writing captures the small-town pulse excellently.
I read this along with my elder daughter, and both of us were somewhat grossed out by the proceedings, albeit for different reasons. She was more affected by the lack of morality while I was more predictably affected by the butchery. In fact, both of us were feeling so claustrophobic that we took a break after the fourth comic just to start breathing a bit easier. This just shows how successful the book was in its *execution*. [Pun intended.] There were some scenes that caused us to burst into laughter as well, but a part of me thinks it was more hysterical laughter out of nervousness than a genuine fun guffaw.
The ending might generate different reactions among different readers, but considering the inherent contradiction in the storyline, I was prepared for it and satisfied with it. Don’t look for closure, though. You will be confused about whether to heave a sigh of relief or continue to bite your fingernails.
The two main reasons I am not going higher in my rating are:
1. It was a bit too discomposing for my taste.
2. I’d had loved to see more clarity on the rationale of the second killer. The whys aren’t so convincing.
The illustrations complement the plot well, though it’s somewhat unsettling to see light pastels for such a dark story. The anthropomorphic animals are drawn with somewhat human expressions while the actual animals are sketched more true-to-type. This creates a neat distinction between the townspeople and the ‘animals’. The murder scenes are quite grisly – I watched them from between my fingers. (I think it is the killing of and by animals that affected me so much. I have never had any problem reading graphic novels with brutal human murders.) Many panels contain hidden clues in the background, so make sure you don’t race through just the text bubbles. I loved the font style, with Samantha’s inner thoughts coming in a different typeface.
All in all, the graphic novel has a screwed-up yet captivating storyline with excellent illustrations and many points to ponder upon. This is a debut series, so I am mighty impressed at how streamlined the plot development is. I am definitely going to keep an eye out for the future works by this author, even if it means that I’ll be reading his comics with my hands over my eyes.
Much recommended to horror/thriller lovers who are also graphic novel aficionados. This is one of those brilliant books that I’ll promote enthusiastically to all the right readers, but will never read it myself again.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to IDW Publishing for providing the DRC of “Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees” via Edelweiss+. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Samantha Strong is a brown bear who has spent most of her life in the small town of Woodbrook, where everyone knows everyone else and everything about them. At least, that’s what the townsfolk think. But Samantha has a dark secret. Though she is a law-abiding hardware-store owner, she is also a serial killer with one golden rule: Don’t murder the locals. She chooses her target from a big city just beyond the forest. After all, the city is full of potential victims and no one will miss one person in the crowd. All these years, her modus operandi has worked perfectly. But now, there’s a problem.
A Woodbrook local has been murdered brutally. Samantha is wild at the thought of some other killer upsetting the status quo. With Sheriff Patterson (literally) barking up the wrong tree, Samantha knows that it is up to her to hunt her rival before she is caught for the murders she didn’t commit, or even for the ones she did.
This graphic novel is a compilation of the six comics of ‘Beneath the Trees’, the critically acclaimed indie series. This edition has the complete story, no cliffhangers. (Thank heavens!)
It is strange to read a book filled with animals, most of them drawn in a cutesy art style and in lovely light pastels, and then to realise that this isn’t a sweet animal fable but the story of a psychopath (Or two!) My mind is still reeling from the aftereffects of this bizarre juxtaposition.
The core plot is brilliant. The story does exactly what a horror-thriller should, keeping us glued to the pages and horrified at the psyche of the murderers, which allows them to commit brutality without any qualms. There is no justification provided for why Samantha kills; she just wants to. This was the toughest part for me to accept - casual killings done just for the sake of it. Very disturbing!
The murders are as brutal as you can imagine, and a bit more. Think Dexter, but with a bear. The strange part is that when the second killer comes into the picture, the proceedings become more brutal, thereby ending up making Samantha look saner. While reading, we know we can’t support Samantha but nor can we support the other killer. Imagine reading a plot where you don’t know whom to root for – the protagonist (who is more of an antihero) or the antagonist (who is working against the antihero but still isn’t a hero.) Mindboggling!
The setting adds to the eerie vibes, with its messed-up lifestyle more like organised chaos. Anthropomorphic bears interacting with actual bears in the forest as if they were two separate species? A butchery where there are slaughtered pig heads on offer though there are pig citizens as well? Humanised animals having ordinary animal pets? Curiouser and curiouser!
All the characters are anthropomorphic animals of various species, so seeing them with human features and human flaws is utterly weird. I also loved the depiction of the townspeople’s fear and apprehension when they hear of a killer on the loose. The change in the town’s atmosphere is palpable through the graphics. The writing captures the small-town pulse excellently.
I read this along with my elder daughter, and both of us were somewhat grossed out by the proceedings, albeit for different reasons. She was more affected by the lack of morality while I was more predictably affected by the butchery. In fact, both of us were feeling so claustrophobic that we took a break after the fourth comic just to start breathing a bit easier. This just shows how successful the book was in its *execution*. [Pun intended.] There were some scenes that caused us to burst into laughter as well, but a part of me thinks it was more hysterical laughter out of nervousness than a genuine fun guffaw.
The ending might generate different reactions among different readers, but considering the inherent contradiction in the storyline, I was prepared for it and satisfied with it. Don’t look for closure, though. You will be confused about whether to heave a sigh of relief or continue to bite your fingernails.
The two main reasons I am not going higher in my rating are:
1. It was a bit too discomposing for my taste.
2. I’d had loved to see more clarity on the rationale of the second killer. The whys aren’t so convincing.
The illustrations complement the plot well, though it’s somewhat unsettling to see light pastels for such a dark story. The anthropomorphic animals are drawn with somewhat human expressions while the actual animals are sketched more true-to-type. This creates a neat distinction between the townspeople and the ‘animals’. The murder scenes are quite grisly – I watched them from between my fingers. (I think it is the killing of and by animals that affected me so much. I have never had any problem reading graphic novels with brutal human murders.) Many panels contain hidden clues in the background, so make sure you don’t race through just the text bubbles. I loved the font style, with Samantha’s inner thoughts coming in a different typeface.
All in all, the graphic novel has a screwed-up yet captivating storyline with excellent illustrations and many points to ponder upon. This is a debut series, so I am mighty impressed at how streamlined the plot development is. I am definitely going to keep an eye out for the future works by this author, even if it means that I’ll be reading his comics with my hands over my eyes.
Much recommended to horror/thriller lovers who are also graphic novel aficionados. This is one of those brilliant books that I’ll promote enthusiastically to all the right readers, but will never read it myself again.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to IDW Publishing for providing the DRC of “Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees” via Edelweiss+. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
May 13, 2025
What the hell this was crazy 😅
September 18, 2024
If you're looking for a delightfully fucked up little story to read, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is for you!
Set in a world full of anthropomorphized animals, it gives off Berenstain Bears or Richard Scarry vibes, especially with the setting of a very close knit small town. Samantha is the local hardware store owner, beloved by the town and has many friends. She just so happens to need to go to the nearby Big City every few months to kidnap a random person, take their body into the woods, and murder and dismember them. Just to quiet her brain, of course. When a local man is murdered and his body found in a gruesome fashion, Samantha realizes there's another serial killer in town and she needs to stop them before the cops accidentally stumble upon her.
The juxtaposition of the animal characters, the warmth of the small town and the soft color of the artwork vs the unhinged gore of the murders taking place is what really works here and elevated it from Yet Another Serial Killer Story to something special for me. The growing dread of the town's inhabitants as more bodies pile up, the focus on some of the townsfolk as more bodies drop, exploring Samantha's relationships with others - it all makes for a great good time.
I would say the only negative for me here is how things are wrapped up in the end. The discovery and climax seem to happen in one single issue and it blows by so fast that it was almost unsatisfying.
Still, I had a good time with this comic - at least, as much of a good time as one can have when see-sawing between cozy small town vibes and gory murder. Very much recommend this if it's up your alley.
Content warning: I'm not kidding about the gore. There's some gruesome shit in here, but it works so well in contrast to the overall artwork choice.
4.5 stars rounded up. Many thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for an eARC. The trade paperback is now available!
Set in a world full of anthropomorphized animals, it gives off Berenstain Bears or Richard Scarry vibes, especially with the setting of a very close knit small town. Samantha is the local hardware store owner, beloved by the town and has many friends. She just so happens to need to go to the nearby Big City every few months to kidnap a random person, take their body into the woods, and murder and dismember them. Just to quiet her brain, of course. When a local man is murdered and his body found in a gruesome fashion, Samantha realizes there's another serial killer in town and she needs to stop them before the cops accidentally stumble upon her.
The juxtaposition of the animal characters, the warmth of the small town and the soft color of the artwork vs the unhinged gore of the murders taking place is what really works here and elevated it from Yet Another Serial Killer Story to something special for me. The growing dread of the town's inhabitants as more bodies pile up, the focus on some of the townsfolk as more bodies drop, exploring Samantha's relationships with others - it all makes for a great good time.
I would say the only negative for me here is how things are wrapped up in the end. The discovery and climax seem to happen in one single issue and it blows by so fast that it was almost unsatisfying.
Still, I had a good time with this comic - at least, as much of a good time as one can have when see-sawing between cozy small town vibes and gory murder. Very much recommend this if it's up your alley.
Content warning: I'm not kidding about the gore. There's some gruesome shit in here, but it works so well in contrast to the overall artwork choice.
4.5 stars rounded up. Many thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for an eARC. The trade paperback is now available!
October 24, 2025
8.0/10
I got intrigued by the cover and decided to give this one a go. Boy, am i glad i did?
The story follows Samantha, who lives in a small town. People like Samantha, she is helpful and kind. She also happens to be a serial killer, but they don't know that so..shhhh.
Samantha never kills close to where she lives. She goes to the big city and chooses a random person. One day however, a gruesome murder takes place in her own town. Now Sam has to find the killer, before trouble finds her.
I really liked this. I like how cynical it is, how short and on point. My favourite thing is the antithesis between the art style and what it depicts. The art style is very sweet and seems as if it came out of the pages of a children's book.The story and therefore what you see in the pages very much isn't out of a kids book.
I got intrigued by the cover and decided to give this one a go. Boy, am i glad i did?
The story follows Samantha, who lives in a small town. People like Samantha, she is helpful and kind. She also happens to be a serial killer, but they don't know that so..shhhh.
Samantha never kills close to where she lives. She goes to the big city and chooses a random person. One day however, a gruesome murder takes place in her own town. Now Sam has to find the killer, before trouble finds her.
I really liked this. I like how cynical it is, how short and on point. My favourite thing is the antithesis between the art style and what it depicts. The art style is very sweet and seems as if it came out of the pages of a children's book.The story and therefore what you see in the pages very much isn't out of a kids book.
November 27, 2024
A serial killer who is careful to not shiv where she sleeps has to solve a small-town murder mystery before she becomes a suspect herself. The twist to this B-movie thriller is that it is set in a world of anthropomorphized animals. Your mileage may vary; for instance, I have seen way too much sex and violence performed by funny animals over my decades of comix reading for this to be a real novelty, but it is still well done.
July 6, 2025
É estranho ver uma história de assassinos protagonizada por animais tidos, no imaginário infantil, como fofinhos, mas resultou muito bem.
Read
June 25, 2025Bajo la tierna y encantadora apariencia de un mundo de animales antropomorfos, dibujados con acuarelas y en tonos pastel, se esconde una truculenta y sangrienta historia de asesinatos en serie con un ritmo y una intriga que ya quisieran la mayoría de los thrillers terroríficos de corte realista.
Una osa parda psicópata y ferretera vive un día a día idílico en un pueblecito de ensueño... pero, en algunas ocasiones, de vez en cuando, cuando ya no puede contener sus ansias de sangre, se va a la ciudad y acaba con algún desconocido al azar. Pero alguien, de su mismo pueblo y con sus mismas inclinaciones, se entera de todo y da comienzo a un juego macabro de lúgubres consecuencias.
BAJO LOS ÁRBOLES (DONDE NADIE TE VE) es un cómic originalísimo e hipnótico que bebe de forma directa de la ficción televisiva estadounidense y que plantea unos escenarios y unos personajes fascinantes. Patrick Horwarth consigue lo que los grandes creadores de mentes retorcidas: que su público, casi, esté más del lado del verdugo que de la víctima.
Ojalá hubiese cincuenta libros expandiendo este mundo y estos personajes; me los merendaría de uno en uno y sin remordimientos.
🐻🔪 Por si queréis verlo por dentro: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH6EEd...
Una osa parda psicópata y ferretera vive un día a día idílico en un pueblecito de ensueño... pero, en algunas ocasiones, de vez en cuando, cuando ya no puede contener sus ansias de sangre, se va a la ciudad y acaba con algún desconocido al azar. Pero alguien, de su mismo pueblo y con sus mismas inclinaciones, se entera de todo y da comienzo a un juego macabro de lúgubres consecuencias.
BAJO LOS ÁRBOLES (DONDE NADIE TE VE) es un cómic originalísimo e hipnótico que bebe de forma directa de la ficción televisiva estadounidense y que plantea unos escenarios y unos personajes fascinantes. Patrick Horwarth consigue lo que los grandes creadores de mentes retorcidas: que su público, casi, esté más del lado del verdugo que de la víctima.
Ojalá hubiese cincuenta libros expandiendo este mundo y estos personajes; me los merendaría de uno en uno y sin remordimientos.
🐻🔪 Por si queréis verlo por dentro: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH6EEd...
October 27, 2025
Shady Hollow but make it bloody and vulgar 😂😂😂
July 10, 2025
EN I'm a sucker for cute characters mixed with extreme violence. Things like "Happy Tree Friends" or "I Hate Fairyland" really hit the mark for me — that clash between adorable visuals and brutal gore creates such a striking and entertaining contrast.
This comic follows a similar path. If it weren't for the cover — which immediately gives it away — you'd think this was just a sweet little tale about humanoid animals living peacefully in a village. But it's not. Beneath the cute atmosphere lie dark secrets… and murder.
I had a great time reading this. It's a perfect example of how the independent comic book scene is alive and well, with plenty of amazing stories waiting to be discovered.
Often, stories like this fall apart at the end — but that wasn’t the case here. I was genuinely surprised at how the author managed to wrap everything up so effectively, especially with just a few pages left when it still felt like there was much more to tell.
A truly fun and satisfying read!
--
PT Sou completamente viciado em personagens fofinhas misturadas com violência extrema. Coisas como "Happy Tree Friends" ou "I Hate Fairyland" acertam em cheio para mim — esse contraste entre visuais adoráveis e gore brutal cria um efeito tão marcante quanto divertido.
Esta BD segue um caminho semelhante. Não fosse pela capa — que denuncia logo tudo — e pensaríamos estar perante uma história ternurenta sobre animais humanoides a viver pacificamente numa aldeia. Mas não é isso. Por detrás desta atmosfera fofa escondem-se segredos sombrios… e assassinatos.
Diverti-me imenso a ler isto. É um excelente exemplo de que o mercado de banda desenhada independente está bem vivo, com várias obras incríveis à espera de serem descobertas.
Muitas vezes, histórias deste género estragam-se no final — mas não foi o caso aqui. Fiquei genuinamente surpreendido com a forma como o autor conseguiu fechar tudo de forma eficaz, especialmente quando, a poucas páginas do fim, parecia que ainda havia muito por contar.
Uma leitura mesmo divertida e satisfatória!
This comic follows a similar path. If it weren't for the cover — which immediately gives it away — you'd think this was just a sweet little tale about humanoid animals living peacefully in a village. But it's not. Beneath the cute atmosphere lie dark secrets… and murder.
I had a great time reading this. It's a perfect example of how the independent comic book scene is alive and well, with plenty of amazing stories waiting to be discovered.
Often, stories like this fall apart at the end — but that wasn’t the case here. I was genuinely surprised at how the author managed to wrap everything up so effectively, especially with just a few pages left when it still felt like there was much more to tell.
A truly fun and satisfying read!
--
PT Sou completamente viciado em personagens fofinhas misturadas com violência extrema. Coisas como "Happy Tree Friends" ou "I Hate Fairyland" acertam em cheio para mim — esse contraste entre visuais adoráveis e gore brutal cria um efeito tão marcante quanto divertido.
Esta BD segue um caminho semelhante. Não fosse pela capa — que denuncia logo tudo — e pensaríamos estar perante uma história ternurenta sobre animais humanoides a viver pacificamente numa aldeia. Mas não é isso. Por detrás desta atmosfera fofa escondem-se segredos sombrios… e assassinatos.
Diverti-me imenso a ler isto. É um excelente exemplo de que o mercado de banda desenhada independente está bem vivo, com várias obras incríveis à espera de serem descobertas.
Muitas vezes, histórias deste género estragam-se no final — mas não foi o caso aqui. Fiquei genuinamente surpreendido com a forma como o autor conseguiu fechar tudo de forma eficaz, especialmente quando, a poucas páginas do fim, parecia que ainda havia muito por contar.
Uma leitura mesmo divertida e satisfatória!
August 9, 2024
i LOVED this antihero serial killer graphic novel about a butch bear and her cute lil animal town, suddenly facing the prospect of MURDER!
if you like the animal element of bojack horseman or tuca and bertie, this might be right up your alley. somehow a cast of characters is infinitely more interesting when they're all cute critters, many of whom have a dark side.
there is both a level of ironic humor and a tension when anthropomorphized animals and non-anthropomorphized animals coexist. the humanoid german shepherd cop walks his fully-animal police dog on a leash. the friendly teddy bear local business owner secretly brutally murders and dismembers cityfolk now and then. the art is warm and soft, yet extremely gory. and all the contrast is gives me dopamine!
even aside from the animal characters and juicy premise, this story shines. small town vibes are matched with intense suspense and mystery as our big bear protagonist realizes she's not the only killer in town.
i think the pacing is a bit inconsistent across volumes, but the shocking moments and murderous drama make it all worthwhile. i loved this, and would be thrilled to read more stories set in the same universe.
Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
if you like the animal element of bojack horseman or tuca and bertie, this might be right up your alley. somehow a cast of characters is infinitely more interesting when they're all cute critters, many of whom have a dark side.
there is both a level of ironic humor and a tension when anthropomorphized animals and non-anthropomorphized animals coexist. the humanoid german shepherd cop walks his fully-animal police dog on a leash. the friendly teddy bear local business owner secretly brutally murders and dismembers cityfolk now and then. the art is warm and soft, yet extremely gory. and all the contrast is gives me dopamine!
even aside from the animal characters and juicy premise, this story shines. small town vibes are matched with intense suspense and mystery as our big bear protagonist realizes she's not the only killer in town.
i think the pacing is a bit inconsistent across volumes, but the shocking moments and murderous drama make it all worthwhile. i loved this, and would be thrilled to read more stories set in the same universe.
Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
November 13, 2024
This was fantastic!!
I'm a big fan of horror stories in a fairytale setting, so these homicidal anthropomorphic animals are exactly my cup of tea.
Samatha is a serial killer, who never does her dirty work in her small town. So when bodies start turning up, she's determined to find the killer before her own crimes are discovered.
The artwork is gorgeous - sweet lil animals contrasting with horrific crime scenes. It's jarring and PERFECT.
Really loved it. Perfect length, but I'd be happy to discover a sequel.
Highly recommend to those who love their horror with a side of cute.
I'm a big fan of horror stories in a fairytale setting, so these homicidal anthropomorphic animals are exactly my cup of tea.
Samatha is a serial killer, who never does her dirty work in her small town. So when bodies start turning up, she's determined to find the killer before her own crimes are discovered.
The artwork is gorgeous - sweet lil animals contrasting with horrific crime scenes. It's jarring and PERFECT.
Really loved it. Perfect length, but I'd be happy to discover a sequel.
Highly recommend to those who love their horror with a side of cute.
September 30, 2025
A sociopathic serial killing bear races against time to find a copycat sociopath in her idyllic small town. What's not to like!?
Samantha Strong runs a hardware store in Woodbrook, the kind of town where you know all your neighbors. Carpentry is her job, but her real passion is abducting and dismembering strangers from the big city. Sam would never harm her fellow villagers, it's just not a smart SOP.
Unfortunately the town's 200th anniversary rings in a series of mysterious murders of townspeople Sam knows ... The race is on for Sam to find the killer before the investigation stumbles across what she's got buried in the woods. It's The Big Clock meets Dexter meets Richard Scarry.
The wonderful artwork takes an interesting, if not too surprising, story to another level. The six-issue sequel "Rite of Spring" just started publishing this year!
Samantha Strong runs a hardware store in Woodbrook, the kind of town where you know all your neighbors. Carpentry is her job, but her real passion is abducting and dismembering strangers from the big city. Sam would never harm her fellow villagers, it's just not a smart SOP.
Unfortunately the town's 200th anniversary rings in a series of mysterious murders of townspeople Sam knows ... The race is on for Sam to find the killer before the investigation stumbles across what she's got buried in the woods. It's The Big Clock meets Dexter meets Richard Scarry.
The wonderful artwork takes an interesting, if not too surprising, story to another level. The six-issue sequel "Rite of Spring" just started publishing this year!
January 6, 2025
A serial killer living amongst her fellow animal folk, small-town suspicions, blood, gore, and quite the body count! BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES was easily a home run for me! Now I have to binge-read the entire series!
January 1, 2026
Prva knjiga u Novoj godini, u kojoj sebi i ostalim ljubiteljima grafičkih novela želim još ovakvih otkrića! (Interesantan kontrast između slatkih šumskih antropomorfnih životinjica i izuzetno nasilnih ubistava)
April 1, 2025
3.5 Stars
Anthropomorphic animal horror! Um…yes, please. It’s both gruesome and adorable!
Woodbrook is a cozy, quaint little town. It’s not big enough for two murderers. But that’s exactly what we got going on here. It all wraps up a little too neatly at the end, but I had fun in these pages. I mean look at that cover! I was sold at first sight.
Recommended. The cuteness has a surprising chill.
p.s. Bertie, a sweet turtle neighbor, and his sour apple pop made me laugh out loud. :)
Anthropomorphic animal horror! Um…yes, please. It’s both gruesome and adorable!
Woodbrook is a cozy, quaint little town. It’s not big enough for two murderers. But that’s exactly what we got going on here. It all wraps up a little too neatly at the end, but I had fun in these pages. I mean look at that cover! I was sold at first sight.
Recommended. The cuteness has a surprising chill.
p.s. Bertie, a sweet turtle neighbor, and his sour apple pop made me laugh out loud. :)
October 3, 2024
I was proud of myself for conceiving of "Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees" as "Dexter" meets "Busytown" until I saw that's how the book pitches itself on Goodreads.
The graphic novel does succeed in blending those dual influences. We get a cozy, small town populated with human-like animals coupled with gruesome, "Hannibal"-styled disembowelments. The art by Patrick Horvath is skilled, both in a "bear runs a hardware store" kind of way as well as painstakingly detailing the type of anatomy that's normally hidden behind hair and skin.
I'm not a fan of serial-killer stories. I understand the rubbernecking "it could happen to me" interest, and I think it's natural to wonder "what's missing" in people who conduct these types of atrocities. But "Beneath the Trees" features a savant-style serial killer, one of those fictional murderers who's so precise and meticulous as to give a hint of genius. It strives to get us to lean closer, to try to see things from the perspective of this clever killer who, in reality, would undoubtedly be heartbreakingly gross and desperate and sad.
Because a serial killer is naturally someone we're inclined to root against, the book stacks the deck by having them face off against an even worse serial killer. But while the initial set-up is creepily paced, the book loses that assurance as it hits its twist, ping-ponging between setbacks and reversals so quickly that is strains whatever credibility could be baked into this gonzo premise.
Horvath also muddles the world building. There are anthropomorphic animals--bears and goats and cats--but there also also butcher shops with pigs hanging in the windows. It seems the animals identify with their wild cousins, but it's never entirely clear, especially during a late, unlikely scene that strains for some kind of "nature red in tooth and claw" revelation.
"Beneath the Trees" displays a craft for what it is, particularly in art and atmosphere. But what it is isn't for me.
The graphic novel does succeed in blending those dual influences. We get a cozy, small town populated with human-like animals coupled with gruesome, "Hannibal"-styled disembowelments. The art by Patrick Horvath is skilled, both in a "bear runs a hardware store" kind of way as well as painstakingly detailing the type of anatomy that's normally hidden behind hair and skin.
I'm not a fan of serial-killer stories. I understand the rubbernecking "it could happen to me" interest, and I think it's natural to wonder "what's missing" in people who conduct these types of atrocities. But "Beneath the Trees" features a savant-style serial killer, one of those fictional murderers who's so precise and meticulous as to give a hint of genius. It strives to get us to lean closer, to try to see things from the perspective of this clever killer who, in reality, would undoubtedly be heartbreakingly gross and desperate and sad.
Because a serial killer is naturally someone we're inclined to root against, the book stacks the deck by having them face off against an even worse serial killer. But while the initial set-up is creepily paced, the book loses that assurance as it hits its twist, ping-ponging between setbacks and reversals so quickly that is strains whatever credibility could be baked into this gonzo premise.
Horvath also muddles the world building. There are anthropomorphic animals--bears and goats and cats--but there also also butcher shops with pigs hanging in the windows. It seems the animals identify with their wild cousins, but it's never entirely clear, especially during a late, unlikely scene that strains for some kind of "nature red in tooth and claw" revelation.
"Beneath the Trees" displays a craft for what it is, particularly in art and atmosphere. But what it is isn't for me.
Read
January 12, 2025one sick cookie
I don't know why I read this graphic novel, I rarely read about horror even less murder but this was the proverbial car - gore- wreck-can't stop to watch.
Samantha is a model citizen in a small town, Woodbrook , and has her hobbies like 'hunting' ppl in the city because you never dirt where you eat innit, so she is pissed off when somebody commit murder in her town. B/c the last thing you want is to attract the attention of the police.
The most difficult thing to swallow in the story, since here they compare it with "Dexter", is that there is no motive or reason for the crimes. .. there is some mumbling subtext about loneliness and invisibility but....
not my jam.
I don't know why I read this graphic novel, I rarely read about horror even less murder but this was the proverbial car - gore- wreck-can't stop to watch.
Samantha is a model citizen in a small town, Woodbrook , and has her hobbies like 'hunting' ppl in the city because you never dirt where you eat innit, so she is pissed off when somebody commit murder in her town. B/c the last thing you want is to attract the attention of the police.
The most difficult thing to swallow in the story, since here they compare it with "Dexter", is that there is no motive or reason for the crimes. .. there is some mumbling subtext about loneliness and invisibility but....
not my jam.
July 27, 2025
Okay... so I loved this graphic novel but I feel odd saying that. It is done up in pastels and with cute adorable animals. It has that small town vibe going on. All warm and friendly. Yet there is a serial killer amongst them. This serial killer is one of their own and they are brutal but it gets worse. There is one that knows that serial killer's secrets and that one wants to be just like them. So with all the cuteness and fluff, we have brutality and slaughter and it just works. It is so disturbingly hilarious, I just felt uncomfortable enjoying it so much. Hope to see more.
April 25, 2025
Really loved this story, I knew going in it would be a surprise contrast of the art and the theme but damn. I actually thought Sam was an interesting character and it was a good murder mystery from an interesting point of view. Overall a surprise hit that kept on catching me off guard!
September 22, 2024
This series has been hyped up to me for months now and it actually paid off beautifully! Lived up to the expectations I had for it. Great read!
July 4, 2025
this is definitely not for kids
February 11, 2025
It was one hell of a ride!! 🤯
April 22, 2025
Kind of an interesting serial killer thriller, and it’s darkly funny that it’s anthropomorphic animals. Felt meh about it.
October 12, 2024
My expectations for this book were perhaps a bit too high. The folks who work at my local comic shop have spent the past year lavishing this series with praise. One of the store's owners gave me an umpteenth printing of issue 1 to flip through and I found myself beguiled by the cute-yet-grisly art within. Fast forward a few months later and I've finally read the trade paperback. I think the most damning thing I can say is that I wish I could get my money back.
BtTWNS takes place in a version of eighties America that seems to posit the question "What if Richard Scarry's Busytown was the real America?". It's not unlike, say, Wes Anderson's adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox or even Bojack Horseman in some of its tone, humour, and imagery. Or any slew of other things about cute anthropomorphs engaging in not-so-cute human activities. Activities like retail work and murder.
The book follows one Samantha Strong, a bear that runs a hardware store in the idyllic town of Woodbrook. Sam's a well-loved citizen of Woodbrook, but she harbours a dark secret. She's a serial killer. Sam has her rules and makes sure to target only city animals. In this way she's gone undetected for decades. This all changes when another killer begins to murder the citizens of Woodbrook, forcing Sam to engage in detective work to protect her freedom and lifestyle.
IDW's blurb for this book proudly proclaims that it's a melding between Dexter and Busytown. Rarely have I seen a blurb be so bloody accurate. Not in a good way, mind you. I'm not sure if I would have though of Dexter were it not for the blurb, but it's hard not to feel this books is too derivative of that character. Sam's narration and commentary seem to owe much if not everything to Dexter, to the point of annoyance. The story itself, apart from the cute animals angle, also feels derivative of any number of serial killer yarns. I can't say I found myself caring much about Sam or most anyone in Woodbrook. Or that I noticed Sam evolve or learn anything by the story's end.
The real star of the book is Patrick Horvath's art. It's beautiful, both when depicting leafy autumn streets and vivisected victims. The contrast between the realism of his characters' animal features and their humanoid bodies is rendered immaculately. But it's not enough to offset how unoriginal the story is.
There are some interesting wrinkles in Sam's world that caught my attention. Details like the fact that there are normal animals kept as pets, in the wild, and sold at butcher shops. Non-citizens that the characters treat as animals. These kept me wondering if there would be some Odd Taxi-esque twist involving the truth of Sam's POV. If Horvath was trying to hint at something like that, it doesn't come to fruition in this book. I also found the character Melody's story fascinating and sad, but it isn't a prime focus of the narrative. Oh well.
Not terrible October reading, but not the bee's knees either. A mixed paint can mostly full of meh.
BtTWNS takes place in a version of eighties America that seems to posit the question "What if Richard Scarry's Busytown was the real America?". It's not unlike, say, Wes Anderson's adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox or even Bojack Horseman in some of its tone, humour, and imagery. Or any slew of other things about cute anthropomorphs engaging in not-so-cute human activities. Activities like retail work and murder.
The book follows one Samantha Strong, a bear that runs a hardware store in the idyllic town of Woodbrook. Sam's a well-loved citizen of Woodbrook, but she harbours a dark secret. She's a serial killer. Sam has her rules and makes sure to target only city animals. In this way she's gone undetected for decades. This all changes when another killer begins to murder the citizens of Woodbrook, forcing Sam to engage in detective work to protect her freedom and lifestyle.
IDW's blurb for this book proudly proclaims that it's a melding between Dexter and Busytown. Rarely have I seen a blurb be so bloody accurate. Not in a good way, mind you. I'm not sure if I would have though of Dexter were it not for the blurb, but it's hard not to feel this books is too derivative of that character. Sam's narration and commentary seem to owe much if not everything to Dexter, to the point of annoyance. The story itself, apart from the cute animals angle, also feels derivative of any number of serial killer yarns. I can't say I found myself caring much about Sam or most anyone in Woodbrook. Or that I noticed Sam evolve or learn anything by the story's end.
The real star of the book is Patrick Horvath's art. It's beautiful, both when depicting leafy autumn streets and vivisected victims. The contrast between the realism of his characters' animal features and their humanoid bodies is rendered immaculately. But it's not enough to offset how unoriginal the story is.
There are some interesting wrinkles in Sam's world that caught my attention. Details like the fact that there are normal animals kept as pets, in the wild, and sold at butcher shops. Non-citizens that the characters treat as animals. These kept me wondering if there would be some Odd Taxi-esque twist involving the truth of Sam's POV. If Horvath was trying to hint at something like that, it doesn't come to fruition in this book. I also found the character Melody's story fascinating and sad, but it isn't a prime focus of the narrative. Oh well.
Not terrible October reading, but not the bee's knees either. A mixed paint can mostly full of meh.
June 14, 2024
An adorable and disturbing graphic novel about a small town serial killer who finds herself having to hunt down a new killer in town after a dead body is gruesomely displayed in town. A Dexter-like story of a sort of anti-hero in a quaint town of anthropomorphic animals. This cute and quaint charm juxtaposed with gory scenes of murder and dismemberment. A truly unique reading experience and art style that I absolutely loved. If this becomes a series, I will absolutely read more.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2024
Good art. Good writing. Anti-hero story. A little too much empathy for serial killers though. There’s no visceral sense of morality in this story.
Feels anticlimactic at the end a bit, but I guess that’s what happens when you shove the “third act” into one issue.
Feels anticlimactic at the end a bit, but I guess that’s what happens when you shove the “third act” into one issue.
February 19, 2025
Wow, that was a wild ride. I love the Arthur style artwork that really sells the quiet peaceful town vibes. I expected violence but what I didn't expect was how perfectly the mystery and story unfolds. Excellent and I can't wait to read more from Patrick Horvath. Incredible first graphic novel.
October 28, 2024
this was so fun and so creative and so graphic i’ve never been so obsessed with a book before
July 22, 2025
How deceptive and devious this book is! . . . . and I love it. If you casually read this and gloss over certain shocking images you might think you’re reading a children’s illustrated book. The cursive lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou certainly helps enhance the effect.
After all, this is a fantasy world centered around a small village where everyone knows everyone and inhabited by cute animals dressed in clothes, walking on two legs and conversing. Plus, there are actual real animals interspersed throughout the story. Don’t miss the talking bear’s encounter with the real bear - it’s a hoot.
Samantha the talking bear dresses appropriately for the owner/manager of a small hardware store and is extremely helpful and friendly. However, she’s apparently a loner and has some serial-killer fascinations. When she gets the urge she travels to the big city for her victims and spares her village.
When a murder occurs in her town and the body left on display during a holiday parade, Samantha will become the prime suspect as she was instrumental in setting up the parade float where the body was discovered. Are her urges becoming too strong for her to confine her murders to the big city?
By Issue #2 it becomes apparent that there is a killer within the town who is sloppy and careless and might draw attention to what Samantha has been doing. So, she decides to become the prime investigator and flush the suspect out.
Her early detective efforts take her down the wrong rabbit hole, but eventually she ferrets out the killer, who turns out to be a big admirer of her. Samantha wants a truce, but things don’t go her way and soon she is on the run. I won’t spoil it any further, but I love the turnabout that concludes the story.
Whimsical and wicked at the same time. Just how I like my children’s literature. Looking forward to the second story arc. I read this in the original monthly issues #1-#6.
After all, this is a fantasy world centered around a small village where everyone knows everyone and inhabited by cute animals dressed in clothes, walking on two legs and conversing. Plus, there are actual real animals interspersed throughout the story. Don’t miss the talking bear’s encounter with the real bear - it’s a hoot.
Samantha the talking bear dresses appropriately for the owner/manager of a small hardware store and is extremely helpful and friendly. However, she’s apparently a loner and has some serial-killer fascinations. When she gets the urge she travels to the big city for her victims and spares her village.
When a murder occurs in her town and the body left on display during a holiday parade, Samantha will become the prime suspect as she was instrumental in setting up the parade float where the body was discovered. Are her urges becoming too strong for her to confine her murders to the big city?
By Issue #2 it becomes apparent that there is a killer within the town who is sloppy and careless and might draw attention to what Samantha has been doing. So, she decides to become the prime investigator and flush the suspect out.
Her early detective efforts take her down the wrong rabbit hole, but eventually she ferrets out the killer, who turns out to be a big admirer of her. Samantha wants a truce, but things don’t go her way and soon she is on the run. I won’t spoil it any further, but I love the turnabout that concludes the story.
Whimsical and wicked at the same time. Just how I like my children’s literature. Looking forward to the second story arc. I read this in the original monthly issues #1-#6.
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