Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring - Patrick Horvath - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Patrick Horvath

SERIES: Beneath the Trees Compilation #2

GENRE: Horror Graphic Novel

PUBLICATION DATE: July 21, 2026

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A sequel to the acclaimed horror graphic comic series. Excellent plot and character development, though both might be difficult to gauge for readers who pick up this book without reading the earlier one. Even darker than the first, but thankfully, not more gory. A great continuation, but not for those looking for justifications or closure. Has potential for a sequel. Must be read in series order. Recommended!

Plot Preview:

Many years after the horrifying events that plagued the small town of Woodbrook, Samantha Strong, now popular as the local hero who saved the townsfolk from a serial killer, still runs her shop. In the nearby city, Monica Brewer has spent the same period looking for information about her missing brother who vanished eight years ago without a trace. When she receives an anonymous tip with his possible location, she is relieved to have finally found a lead. But this lead comes from a dark person, and bears dark consequences.

This graphic novel is a compilation of the six comics of ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring’. This edition is complete in its main plot. Though some of the subplots can be called incomplete, there is no cliffhanger as such.

Those who haven’t yet read the Eisner-nominated horror comics titled ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’ might process the above preview in a very different way from those who know Samantha Strong through the comics and are aware of what she is capable of. I shall not go into the sequel’s plot in detail as it is a proper continuation of the first book and hence needs to be read in series order without spoilers. So those who don’t know this series and want a mind-numbing dark horror story through graphics, just read both these comic compilations.

Those who have read the first set of comics either individually or through the graphic novel will find this new book a wonderful yet imperfect sequel. It offers answers, but raises many more questions. It provides some closure, but opens several other doors of possibility. You will end the book with a combined feeling of “Oh wow!” and “Oh my!” and “That’s it?”

As the story of this sequel is a continuation of the earlier plot but from eight years later, I regret not refreshing my memory by reading Book One again. While I remembered Samantha right down to her name (she is unforgettable in a creepy way), I had forgotten many of the other townspeople. It helped to go with the flow, but I would certainly recommend reading the first book before diving into this one.

The plot is much simpler this time in terms of width but makes it up in depth. The story is gripping right from the start, with a strong hook and steady pace. We see a glimpse of Samantha’s backstory and how she came to run the shop. We also get an idea of why she feels the way she does in the present time.

As indicated by the similarity in the title, the sequel echoes the first book in many ways. Most characters reprise their roles. Some have grown up, others have grown older. But their intrinsic nature hasn’t changed. (Which isn't good news for us when Samantha Strong is involved. She is so deranged!) Both books are quite dark, and the (im)morality of the main character makes the journey through the plot even darker. I was better prepared for the gore this time around, but its quantity was far less than in the first book. (Phew!) The focus is more on implied shock than visual shock.

The characters once again are anthropomorphic animals of various species. And echoing the earlier book, there are civilised animals (who function as characters for our story) and wild animals (who are just ordinary, non-verbal animals.) It is really strange to see animal-like characters judging wild animals for their appearance or behaviour when they are almost the same in physicality. It reminded me of how we humans judge ‘outsiders’ (humans of other races or religions or countries or even immigrants) even though they too are humans like us. I don’t know if the story meant to be metaphorical in this regard, but it does strike a sad chord.

The ending of this book left me feeling the same way as I did after the first book. Is it a great ending? Yes. Does it offer closure? Not really. Does it offer justice? Not at all. But keeping in mind that this is a horror story, the ending makes perfect sense. This book’s finale has a good potential for a sequel, and I hope we get one!

The art style is also reminiscent of the earlier collection, with the pastel watercolour style offering a bizarre contrast to the morbid proceedings. The only part where I struggled was in the flashbacks of Samantha’s younger years. The shift in colour tone was quite subtle when read digitally, so the sudden change in timeline was a bit confusing at times.

Overall, I wasn’t as creeped out or fascinated by this book as I was the first time around. It is still quite chilling, so it might just be that I was much, much better prepared for a reading experience involving dark deeds and missing ethics. It is a very good and absolutely bonkers book.

Definitely recommended to those who have read and enjoyed Book One: ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’. These two graphic novels ought to work well for fans of cozy horror. Better if read in series order.

My thanks to IDW Publishing and IDW Dark for providing the DRC of “Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.