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Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1-6
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring
Not yet published
Expected 21 Jul 26The Eisner-nominated cozy-horror comic series returns in this sequel to the critically acclaimed first volume!
It’s been eight long years since a bloodlusting brown bear drove into the city, kidnapped a kind young duck, dissected his body, and buried the pieces in the woods. The duck’s family painstakingly sought justice…but this brown bear was smart…she covered her tracks…and in the ’80s, there simply wasn’t a way for the duck’s family to find answers.
But it’s not the ’80s anymore. Almost a decade after cuddly brown bear Samantha Strong solidified herself as the sole serial killer in Woodbrook, the world is entering a new era. As Samantha will soon find out, there are no secrets in the age of the internet. And those who lost loved ones to her massacre haven’t given up the flame of justice.
A reckoning is coming to Woodbrook. Join visionary writer and artist Patrick Horvath as he returns to the hit series that has taken the comic world by storm!
It’s been eight long years since a bloodlusting brown bear drove into the city, kidnapped a kind young duck, dissected his body, and buried the pieces in the woods. The duck’s family painstakingly sought justice…but this brown bear was smart…she covered her tracks…and in the ’80s, there simply wasn’t a way for the duck’s family to find answers.
But it’s not the ’80s anymore. Almost a decade after cuddly brown bear Samantha Strong solidified herself as the sole serial killer in Woodbrook, the world is entering a new era. As Samantha will soon find out, there are no secrets in the age of the internet. And those who lost loved ones to her massacre haven’t given up the flame of justice.
A reckoning is coming to Woodbrook. Join visionary writer and artist Patrick Horvath as he returns to the hit series that has taken the comic world by storm!
144 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 21, 2026
177 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
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March 26, 2026Samantha Strong is one of the most evil characters to ever grace the pages of a comic book, and, as in the previous series, the dichotomy between the cute storybook designs and the graphic violence only heightens this. If you thought what came before was sickening, wait till you get to the back half of this one. Don't love the sequel tease at the end, but that's mostly because .
March 4, 2026
5/5 stars! This sequel was so well worth the wait, and I’m biting at the bit for the next installment! So much action, gore, and suspense in packed into a short, deceivingly cutesy box. Samantha is even more menacing and conniving in this series than previously. I loved the introduction of the early internet in the story. It creates a perfect time capsule for this comic. I can’t gush about it enough! I can’t wait to get my hands on the physical copy.
March 12, 2026
If we get another part please do a complete collection
March 27, 2026
The series that asks, "What if a serial killer lived in Busytown?" returns for Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring. Patrick Horvath returns us to Woodbrook eight years after the events of book one, though no one has forgotten what happened.
In fact, that is what fuels this story arc. In the first issue, we're introduced to Monica. She has moved to the city in which her brother used to live, all these years later still desperately searching for what may have happened to her brother. She has no interest in others, a dead end job to pay for her needs and a regular rotation through the police stations and hospitals seeking updates or any sign of her brother. She wants closure, unable to live her own life with this uncertainty. In a strong wink to the AOL discs of old, the internet is now available and Monica spends time pursuing webforums exposing the worst of humanity (wonderfully illustrated in a way to show the absorption one can experience) in cold cases and murder forums. Then one night, a suggestion is made that triggers an impulsive trip and our reintroduction to Samantha Strong and Woodbrook
Where volume 1 felt like a Dexter season 1, but animals!, retread, here in volume two Horvath expands the emotional depth. Strong is still a brutal unfeeling killer, but the rest of the town still shows their scars and the spectrum of emotional responses murder creates.
Rite of Spring gives more of Strong's backstory and can serve to ask wider questions of what does it mean to belong to a community? How much can you truly know another person?
The covers of the series also play with the genre, recreating other classic children's books with the twisted horror bent, included Harold and the Purple Crayon or Corduroy.
Recommended to readers of slasher horror, anthropomorphic stories or sequels that surpass the original.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
In fact, that is what fuels this story arc. In the first issue, we're introduced to Monica. She has moved to the city in which her brother used to live, all these years later still desperately searching for what may have happened to her brother. She has no interest in others, a dead end job to pay for her needs and a regular rotation through the police stations and hospitals seeking updates or any sign of her brother. She wants closure, unable to live her own life with this uncertainty. In a strong wink to the AOL discs of old, the internet is now available and Monica spends time pursuing webforums exposing the worst of humanity (wonderfully illustrated in a way to show the absorption one can experience) in cold cases and murder forums. Then one night, a suggestion is made that triggers an impulsive trip and our reintroduction to Samantha Strong and Woodbrook
Where volume 1 felt like a Dexter season 1, but animals!, retread, here in volume two Horvath expands the emotional depth. Strong is still a brutal unfeeling killer, but the rest of the town still shows their scars and the spectrum of emotional responses murder creates.
Rite of Spring gives more of Strong's backstory and can serve to ask wider questions of what does it mean to belong to a community? How much can you truly know another person?
The covers of the series also play with the genre, recreating other classic children's books with the twisted horror bent, included Harold and the Purple Crayon or Corduroy.
Recommended to readers of slasher horror, anthropomorphic stories or sequels that surpass the original.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I've started reading the single issues for this one months ago and forgot to finish it, since it either got delayed or intentionally not released monthly.
I really enjoyed the original/previous installment and I think it got a perfect ending and doesn't need any sequel. This has some plot threads connecting to the first one, Monica searching for clues regarding her brother's whereabouts (victim of the first book), while also opening up doors to more sequels in the future... and at this point I'm honestly won't be surprised and won't complain if there's another one. Samantha even cameo'd in the latest DC Comics Event - DC K.O. Boss Battle where she "went against" Lex Luthor.
Back to the book, aside from an origin story from Samantha we also have multiple storylines (a) the main one - Monica's quest to find what happened to her brother, (b) the Burrows family, especially Pauline and Lewis, and (c) Bertie the turtle. Among these I find the Bertie one, a bit unnecessary. I feel it's just there to contrast the bad things happening in the story. Aside from him doing something later in the series, I feel it's just there to say that there's still some goodness in Woodbrook.
This sequel reminds me of Scream 2 rule - where sequels are said to be bloodier. I'll add to that, specially the 2 last issues/chapters - it's way bigger and honestly a bit crazier. I still can't believe what happened in the last pages of issue 5.
While I still prefer the first one, this one is still very enjoyable to read.
I really enjoyed the original/previous installment and I think it got a perfect ending and doesn't need any sequel. This has some plot threads connecting to the first one, Monica searching for clues regarding her brother's whereabouts (victim of the first book), while also opening up doors to more sequels in the future... and at this point I'm honestly won't be surprised and won't complain if there's another one. Samantha even cameo'd in the latest DC Comics Event - DC K.O. Boss Battle where she "went against" Lex Luthor.
Back to the book, aside from an origin story from Samantha we also have multiple storylines (a) the main one - Monica's quest to find what happened to her brother, (b) the Burrows family, especially Pauline and Lewis, and (c) Bertie the turtle. Among these I find the Bertie one, a bit unnecessary. I feel it's just there to contrast the bad things happening in the story. Aside from him doing something later in the series, I feel it's just there to say that there's still some goodness in Woodbrook.
This sequel reminds me of Scream 2 rule - where sequels are said to be bloodier. I'll add to that, specially the 2 last issues/chapters - it's way bigger and honestly a bit crazier. I still can't believe what happened in the last pages of issue 5.
While I still prefer the first one, this one is still very enjoyable to read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If the first round of Beneath the Trees was a proof of concept, this is the author making good on that promise. We get to take the base serial killer story set in an uncannily cute setting that we got in the first series and build something much more complicated.
To start with, there's a killer origin story that helps sketch a deeper understanding of Samatha the serial killer bear. We also get to see the impact on the community and its members who survived the initial round of death. This includes bringing in a character relentlessly seeking justice for her brother's death with a resulting cat and mouse dynamic that is more compelling than the original dueling serial killers. There are also softer impacts like a neighbor's agoraphobia and a survivor's addiction. Running throughout, the presence of non-anthro animals continues to blur lines of what matters about personhood in an eerie kind of way, particularly with invading bears and a charming dog.
The last issue takes the violence and drama up a notch as Samantha establishes herself as an absolute villain in ways I could not have predicted. We are left with an opportunity for another ongoing series, and I would not be disappointed to return to this world yet again.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
To start with, there's a killer origin story that helps sketch a deeper understanding of Samatha the serial killer bear. We also get to see the impact on the community and its members who survived the initial round of death. This includes bringing in a character relentlessly seeking justice for her brother's death with a resulting cat and mouse dynamic that is more compelling than the original dueling serial killers. There are also softer impacts like a neighbor's agoraphobia and a survivor's addiction. Running throughout, the presence of non-anthro animals continues to blur lines of what matters about personhood in an eerie kind of way, particularly with invading bears and a charming dog.
The last issue takes the violence and drama up a notch as Samantha establishes herself as an absolute villain in ways I could not have predicted. We are left with an opportunity for another ongoing series, and I would not be disappointed to return to this world yet again.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy
Solid but at what point is it enough?
Patrick Horvath clearly has a lot of affection for Samantha and the world he’s built around her, but that attachment feels like it’s starting to work against the story.
Samantha's cold, unsettling psychology made her a compelling character, but we're now risking stretching this too thin. Instead of feeling like a natural endpoint for her arc, Rite of Spring reads more like a bridge designed to have a trilogy.
At this stage, what more can we learn about Samantha? She's a sociopath, she lacks empathy, she has no traumatic backstory to explain her behavior. We know this already.
Continuing the saga feels less like deeper exploration and more like prolonging something that might have been stronger if it had simply ended here.
Patrick Horvath clearly has a lot of affection for Samantha and the world he’s built around her, but that attachment feels like it’s starting to work against the story.
Samantha's cold, unsettling psychology made her a compelling character, but we're now risking stretching this too thin. Instead of feeling like a natural endpoint for her arc, Rite of Spring reads more like a bridge designed to have a trilogy.
At this stage, what more can we learn about Samantha? She's a sociopath, she lacks empathy, she has no traumatic backstory to explain her behavior. We know this already.
Continuing the saga feels less like deeper exploration and more like prolonging something that might have been stronger if it had simply ended here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love this series so much. The first volume was great, and I had just as much fun with this. There is a caveat to that, though. The ending is extremely abrupt and anticlimactic, so if there's another volume, I might bump up my rating. I think a lot of people are going to have an issue with the ending, which is unfortunate, because the leadup is so fun. The art, the story and the suspense are all so good, but then it just kind of stops. I would still absolutely recommend reading it, though. It's one of those Stephen King kind of things sometimes where the journey can make up for the end up to a point. I can't hate over 100 pages of something I really enjoyed because it didn't wrap up the way I wanted it to. I do really hope that there's another volume. I'll jump on it immediately if there is for sure. At the same time, I do wish that the story ended here. It definitely could have, but oh well. Still a mostly extremely solid book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring is the best sequel I’ve read to a comic series of all time. I got the ARC of the graphic novel compilation, and that puts together all 6 of the comics from this installment. I loved seeing how my favorite characters had fared after 8 years passing in the story.
What I can say is that this is totally unhinged and unexpected. It was a wild ride for sure and I was left guessing the whole time. I love that it’s left open for more and I can’t wait to see if that comes to fruition.
I love the art so much in these comics. It's got the feel of a kid's book but is absolutely not for children. It kind of gives you that feeling of nostalgia.
Overall this was a 5 star read for me, and I was so excited to get the ARC!
What I can say is that this is totally unhinged and unexpected. It was a wild ride for sure and I was left guessing the whole time. I love that it’s left open for more and I can’t wait to see if that comes to fruition.
I love the art so much in these comics. It's got the feel of a kid's book but is absolutely not for children. It kind of gives you that feeling of nostalgia.
Overall this was a 5 star read for me, and I was so excited to get the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
These animals are so cute and cuddly. I, mean, there is a lot of death and dismemberment, but, oh my gosh, they are so adorable.
There were so many times I was laughing at the absurdity of it all. I didn’t catch the first graphic novel. This is my first go round in this twisted world. But, dang it, it was so much fun.
Parents, don’t get confused. This isn’t for small children. Well, unless you are raising a psychopath. Other than that, the language, violence, and gore should keep them away. But man, this is good. If you are horror fans, sit back and enjoy the read.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
There were so many times I was laughing at the absurdity of it all. I didn’t catch the first graphic novel. This is my first go round in this twisted world. But, dang it, it was so much fun.
Parents, don’t get confused. This isn’t for small children. Well, unless you are raising a psychopath. Other than that, the language, violence, and gore should keep them away. But man, this is good. If you are horror fans, sit back and enjoy the read.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Patrick Horvath's serial killing fuzzball is back in this bloody good follow up to Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, a genius juxtaposition of small town Americana a la Mayberry, a deceptively cozy art style, and the grim crimes of a Dexter type murderer with a code. The ante is upped, time moves on (changing things in interesting ways), and the cutest psycho in comics spirals ever deeper into her own twisted nightmare. The combination of the blackest of humor, genuine pathos, and a smart satirical edge makes this series pack a real punch.
Review of advance copy
Richard Scarry if he drew a Dexter comic. You think you know where this is headed, then there's a record scratch during issue #5 and it heads in a completely different direction. The juxtaposition between the cozy storybook art and then a butchered body is jarring, yet works so well. Horvath is on my shortlist of creators at this point to buy anything he's involved with.
Review of advance copy received from Publishers Weekly
The sequel pushes the limits of Samantha's madness more than the first book. Many of the foreshadowings turned out to be reverse Chekov's gun, but all in all, the story was well structured, albeit a little too protective of our favorite psycho bear. I'm looking forward to seeing the justice all the victims deserve in the next book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I found the first volume last year and loved it. I love how it mixes such cute animals with one of them being a serial killer, the art totally sells the story. This second volume was no exception, I also loved it and can't wait for another volume.
Review of advance copy
So i read this by the issue on hoopla and i got to say this was not great. It was a wash rinse repeat of the first but darker and less entertaining.
I expected some sort of evolution in the story but it never happened… im sure there will be a third, people just love violence for the sake of it🤷🏽
I expected some sort of evolution in the story but it never happened… im sure there will be a third, people just love violence for the sake of it🤷🏽
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
I loved the first in this series, and the second was just as good! It did leave on a cliffhanger, so I'm really eager to see what comes next! The art is unique and laid out beautifully, and the story is gripping.
I loved the first in this series, and the second was just as good! It did leave on a cliffhanger, so I'm really eager to see what comes next! The art is unique and laid out beautifully, and the story is gripping.
Review of advance copy
7.5/10
Review of advance copy
A followup installment that is a logical sequel in and of itself and a potential jumping-off point for more adventures without being cliff-hanger-y.
Review of advance copy received from Publishers Weekly
A satisfying sequel to the original.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’m conflicted on the ending and felt rushed tbh but solid story regardless
Review of advance copy
3.5
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
I liked it, but not as much as the first volume.
Will be keeping an eye on how the story evolves
Will be keeping an eye on how the story evolves
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March 14, 2026I know that Samantha is crazy from the start, but I didn't expect it to go this far.
I'd say this (sequel?) is a richer text than the first one. More themes and character's journey to disect.
I'd say this (sequel?) is a richer text than the first one. More themes and character's journey to disect.
Review of advance copy
A fantastic series up until the ending. I felt like I was sandbagged by an abrupt and not fully complete ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
Samantha Strong es brutal...
Review of advance copy
DARK.
I'm going to be haunted about that specific fire panel for the rest of my life.
I'm going to be haunted about that specific fire panel for the rest of my life.
Review of advance copy
YESSSS a good sequel to a great miniseries already... I think it took a bit of a tonal and pacing fumble particularly in the last issue but I am still excited to see more of these characters fawk yes
March 17, 2026
Can’t wait to see how this story ends and what will become of Samantha!
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
Started strong but fell short on the end, from cold and calculated killer to supervillain in one issue.
Review of advance copy
(3.5)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews