Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #6

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #6

by Patrick Horvath

The series finale of the critically acclaimed cozy-horror smash hit! Samantha Strong has made her choice…and Woodbrook will never be the same. The events of the previous issue are so incredibly wild that we actually can’t type anything else here without it being a major spoiler. But you won’t want to miss the conclusion to Patrick Horvath’s epic follow-up to Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees.

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Adult, Thriller, Comix, Comics Manga

Kindle Edition

First published March 4, 2026

Reviews

[Brooke ☯︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rite of Spring arc (issue #1-6) of Beneath the Trees. Review for the full arc.
Soft lovely watercolor anthropomorphic animals live small town lives in Woodbrook. Small town, outside of the city, where Samantha joined the family paint business.

The first two issues introduce us to Sam, whose modus operandi is creepy and odd. We get to know what happened to Samantha's parents. There is not a sense of who Samantha is, outside of just pure emptiness. She is not breaking bad, there's nothing to break. What makes Sam tick!? This intrigues me, as I believe Horvath is building to something very interesting with Samantha's psychology.

As things escalate, there is one citizen who can't rest knowing that her brother's murderer is out there somewhere. Samantha offers to help her, as if this is part of her game. Their dynamic is incredibly interesting because for the first time ever, Samantha feels "close" to someone.

The best part of this story is that it evolves. It is not an episodic serial killer series. It escalates and weaves in psychological intrigue. The artist does a fantastic job of representing the echo of trauma, and how it's not just Sam's direct victims who are harmed. It's their families, it's revenge, it's how the revenge is handled.

Then, Sh*t ->Fan -> Hit.

Issues #5 and #6 are cliffhangers.

Sam has had some pretty big back up plans all along. She knew one day she'd be found out and took measures to protect herself. She is so bored with daily life, she's going gray, and she resents all the small town people.

This ends with Sam moving to new a home in the middle of nowhere. She is writing her story for us, in addition to the author's representation. The very last line of this arc indicates that Samantha's fiasco in Woodbrook will not be her last.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

"And then he said he’d lick her fur clean instead of taking a shower. Eww! I know!!"

I’ve been chewing my fingernails waiting for this volume. I needed answers to how this was going to end and learn if Sam will drive off into the sunset.

My theories were actually a lot better than how this turned out. The last page of this was so disappointing. There was this huge lead up and I was anxious to know what the hell was going to happen. It let me down, well, just the very last page.

This was a great series and it all came down to that last bit. It wasn’t what I was hoping it would be. Still a phenomenal and twisted tale. One I will definitely reread.

[Elle]

I don't even know what star rating to give, but there had BETTER be more of this series coming because if not, this ending was a huge letdown.

[Mason Eloph · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing 6 issue graphic novel harkening on the theme of you can’t always trust your neighbor. The art was one of a kind, reminding me of childhood shows and themes mixed with a lot of body horror. I can’t say i’ve ever read anything like this, but i’m always open to new and fun ways to write an interesting story, and this was definitely that!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt a little anticlimactic especially after issue #5 and in comparison to the final issue of the original series. Does seem to set up a future series so I’m excited to see what happens with that. But I’m of the opinion that a good series should be able to stand on its own, and this finale ultimately impedes the rest (which was very good) from doing so.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this wrap up to samantha’s crazy murder escapades!! things were ultimately wrapped up for the good or the bad

i wasn’t really rooting for samantha at all and the way she did monica kinda made me feel like she is a straight up poison. not only is she a vicious murderer but she will bring you to your lowest point before she kills you.

i may have waited a bit too long between reading the 5th one and this one because i forgot some details for a second, but that’s on me

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a finale!
I stand by me saying “good for her” with Sam. This felt nice and final but I would love to see more!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang, a good but frustrating ending!

[Claire Giannino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha, you're a really bad bear.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow this was both crazy & not crazy enough. I loved this series, but I’m left wanting a little more from how abruptly this last installment ended. I was waiting for a bigger payout at the end!!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending!!!! 😯

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 2 out of 5]

For such a suspenseful, climactic series this ending was a total let down. It wasn’t even unsatisfying in a way that a cliffhanger is because at least with a cliffhanger there is a buildup and you have something to look forward to. This was just bland. It wasn’t even unsatisfying like no effort went into it. Fail. I’m sure there will be a new story arc but it can’t have the same umph as this one especially after that weak ending. 2 stars

[Raaven💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay im the first review! I’m only giving this a 4 star because the ending made me mad. But what a trip. This series is so sad and frustrating and I loved it. I really wish there could be more. Samantha is the biggest sociopath/psychopath and the perfect example of someone just purely evil. And Monica. Not knowing is sometimes better. This series was so much fun and I’m kind of sad it’s over. But another part of it could pop up again. It was sort of an open ending. But all in all, fuck you Samantha Strong.

[Lizzy DeMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic ending to this series!

[TAJ ALGADDAFI | تاج القذافي · Rating 2 out of 5]

واخيرا النهاية...كنت متوقعه العداله بس الكاتب غير كل توقعاتي..
هذا الجزء ذكرني بحرائق كاليفورنيا

[Rebs ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

already looking forward to vol. 3 of this series, absolutely fantastic.

[Reading by Mothlight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit

[lula · Rating 3 out of 5]

i know theyre setting up a sequel, but damn, could u at least have tried a bit harder to tie up the finale to feel less anticlimactic? maybe a few high speed chases out of the city or something? its been a solid 5/5 for the rest of the comic but the ending felt super rushed 😔

[Shellz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Her plot amor was too fucking thick it pissed me off. Also how OBVIOUSLY its baiting a third entry I DO NOT WANT NOW. Did she do fucking become an internet troll basically and did this for the "lawlz"?

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn’t care much for the ending, I still do like Sam as a character. I wrote a very long post on my Tumblr about how female villains are so lackluster compared to male villains because writers always restrict the way they write women to how women are systematically and culturally restricted to be in society: Sexy, cute, in pursuit of romance, or in pursuit of motherhood. Thus female villains always fall into one of four tropes: femme fatale seductress (usually compounded with gold digger), evil little darling (usually a child or a child-like entity), spurned lover, or grieving/longing mother. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with those tropes, when an entire demographic of people are only allowed to be one of four things in stories, that’s when it becomes a problem. Sam doesn’t fit into any of these tropes, thus she’s allowed to exist as a villain and a character beyond her gender. It’s too bad her story had such a lukewarm unsatisfying ending, but I still appreciate it for being more creative with its female villain way more than the majority of horror stories.

One question I had though is why didn’t Sam ever kill homeless people? If her only reason for killing is because she enjoys it no matter who it is, then why didn’t she target the only demographic of people that the police wouldn’t care about nor would run the risk of her getting caught? She’s presented as a genius killer, so it makes even more sense for her to target people that she knows for sure have no connections and one who’d miss them. I guess the logic is she wants to keep her kills as random as possible so the police never catch one, and since she’s been killing for decades without being caught, she had no reason to change that pattern. However, I still think it would’ve been so much more tragic if part of the reason why the police were apathetic to Monica’s brother’s missing person case was because he was homeless. If Daniel was homeless, then he wouldn’t have had any traceable documents such as job time cards, dental records, or medical files, thus further demotivating the police to investigate his case and made Monica’s pursuit for justice even more tragically hopeless. It also could’ve compounded as extra commentary to how abandoned and unprotected homeless people are by society, and how that leaves them vulnerable to violent acts without reproduction on the offender’s end. Not to say this would’ve made the series better. I just think it would’ve an interesting aspect to explore.

[Daniel Freer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope this isnt the end but still loved every second of this run!!!

This is the 2nd run if Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees. The 1st was just called that and was one of the best written and coolest art styles id ever seen. A little more cat and mouse as the plot/point of the 1st run was a little different. Sometimes 2nd runs of such amazing stories can be lame and done just for the sake of doing it to make money and capitalize on the 1st runs success. Honestly was a little hesitant to jump into this one knowing that. BUT IT TOTALLY DELIVERS AND HAS A GREAT STORY AS WELL. Wasn't done just to do it and you can tell it was ment to move the story along and was done in an excellent way while still being amazingly brutal and likeable at the same time. Not knowing whats gonna happen and that feeling of loosing someone, not knowing what happened and needing to find out. But also being careful what you wish for. To see the destruction Samantha caused in the 1st run while creating a whole new story from some of that but also making it new and also showing how different people deal with and handle loosing the people we love. Just an amazing piece of writing and artwork, storytelling and character building. Can't wait to see where they go with the series and hope they do continue to build on it. Definitely a must read for fans of comics/manga/graphic novels but also anyone who loves good stories and great writing. This things gonna come to a head and I cant wait to see how it turns out!!!

[Henry Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The collection isn't published yet so I'm gonna put my thoughts on this whole sequel here.
What's weird is that I think I like the concept of this one more than I like the concept of the original. I do have a soft spot for legacy sequels or stories with time jumps in them. But I think this one is lacking in some execution (no pun intended).

SPOILERS BELOW

Oddly enough, I really enjoyed the back story portions and would've liked more of that. Our killer is very methodical in her ways, and I would have loved some more info on that or looks into why she started killing. I enjoy the trope of a killer in your own backyard, but for a sequel I'd like some more developments about her and who she is.
The ending was...interesting. I certainly get the spectacle but some of the specifics kind of lost me. Of course, I know a story like this isn't realistic but some stuff was too much to believe.
I liked the wild animals coming into town a lot. That reoccurring image is great.
And the implication that she's actually writing this all? From prison or something? Or online while living in secret? Idk I like ambiguous endings usually but this one left a sore taste on my tongue.
Art is still great and I love the little details. I'd probably still give this a 3.5? But considering it's leaning towards a 3 this time I've marked it as such.

[Lordlight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrible. it's impressive how quickly this series has went to shit to use the dexter comparison it's like we immediately jumped from s1 dexter to s7 dexter within 2 issues. Sam turns from a grounded serial killer who wins by being clever and methodical to a supervillain who wins because UH ACTUALLY I HAD MACHINEGUNS MOUNTED IN MY STORE'S ROOF THE WHOLE TIME SO I WIN.

it's cartoonish in the worst way possible don't even be get me started on how Sam acts like a completely different character to the first volume she's rash, sloppy and literally invites trouble by bringing Monica to woodbary seemingly just because she's bored, this would all be fine if it led to her demise like it seemingly was heavily hinting at with stuff like the bear wondering into town and getting shot for it but than she just wins and it makes the story feel incomplete. what the hell was the point of everything from highlighting how much harder Sam has it in the modern world? to how she's getting older to everything with the bear foreshadowing just for her to win and face no consequences for anything, it's just a poorly made story.

The art is still as good and solid as the first volume's though...so as long as you ignore all the words you'll still have a good time looking at the pictures i guess.

[Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked
6 volumes
- i said in my previous review that sam kills anyone for any reason, but I realize now that is not true. she really enjoys making kind people suffer, from random strangers to grieving relatives to her own family. i read präludium as well and that really solidified that perspective for me. i think she wants to make them worse
- i found the ending to be a bit anti-climactic given how much was set up, but it did continue the previous series’ vibe of a serial killer’s day in the life
- i like seeing how the characters are doing now. it was especially interesting with the family of moles (? are they moles?)
-NOTE: when the 1-6 omnibus is released i'm probably just gonna move this review over there cause its technically a review of all of the volumes

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. So... Sam literally burned everything to the ground.

After what went down in the last issue (murdering a bunch of people with hidden guns) I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she had the whole town rigged to burn.

I liked that Bertie took some action, and that Lewis was able to confront her and escape (even if he doesn't know the full story). The poor kid is going to be fucked up when we inevitably see him again in the sequel (because that last scene is definitely setting us up for a part 3).

4.5 stars rounded down, because I was a little disappointed Monica wasn't able to do anything except yell threats, and that no one other than Lewis confronted Sam as the world burned.

[RSC_Collecting · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent end to an excellent series! This book was full of chaos and destruction. And we can never go back. This series has been one of my favorites in recent years. The first arc and this second arc were both thrilling. We get to see inside the mind of a killer. An extremely intelligent serial killer. And we get to see how her life declines as her secret is finally found. I won't spoil the ending. But it could be good or bad depending on your outlook. You can catch a killer or let the killer get away. Where does your ethics cross your fandom? Highly recommend.

[Colin Post · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when a horror story explodes into chaos. It's fitting that Samantha literally burned the town down on her way out because things were becoming pretty untenable for her there. This was a thrilling end, but I felt that some of the subtle themes that Horvath has been developing throughout this arc relating to the changes in society during the 1990s were not properly wrapped up. I suspect that those themes will continue to develop in the next arc, though, as the conclusion here hints that Samantha will gain notoriety - maybe through the early Web?? We can only hope.

[Angustia⋆Cósmica · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're here at the end of the journey after so long. What a ride this has been.
A terrible one, in the best sense of the word.

No that many happy endings, but it was not an open one so that's more than enough for me.
Very true to life, sometimes justice doesn't prevail. I guess we all knew, somehow, that this is how it was going to be.
Patrick Horvath tied it all up nicely; it's hard not to feel satisfied with the way things ended. (I do wish the evil was defeated but I can't have my bloody cake and eat it.) Thanks for all the horrible things I've seen along the way!

[David Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc 2 wraps up with Samantha burning down the town allowing her to escape the mayhem she left behind. Curious to see where arc 3 takes us.

Arc 1 Samantha was interesting, like the early seasons of Dexter. Arc 2 Samantha is much more evil and malicious. Will arc 3 bring her around to us again, it will she further her descent into evil.

Also with the introduction of the Internet in this series will it be harder for her to continue her killings in secret?

[Humberto V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The future was coming fast, knocking on the door of every sleepy town in the country. The big question was what you wanted to do about it.”

I hope there's more to come from this series, because if not, that ending was soooo anticlimactic. There were a lot of things left open, and it seems that there might be a continuation, so I really hope we get more from Samantha, cause she's so unhinged and I love her.