Beginning in October 2023, writer-artist Patrick Horvath captivated readers and the industry alike with Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees. Once described as “Dexter meets Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town,” Beneath the Trees followed Sam the brown bear as she tenuously maintained her identity as both a serial killer stalking the big city and a charming resident of the quaint burg of Woodbrook. As it turns out, though, Sam’s not exactly in the clear as her past comes roaring back in a brand-new sequel series.
Due out this summer via IDW, the six-issue Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring takes places some eight years after the original Beneath the Trees. As the world leaves behind the ’80s, Sam must own up to her past deeds when the family of a former victim (the young duck) seeks revenge, with the promise of a “reckoning” descending upon both Sam and Woodbrook. Can Sam keep up her double life as the world shifts around her, or will it be our “hero” who finds herself the beneath the trees at last?
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 debuts on July 9. (The FOC is today, Monday, June 2.) To get a better idea of what awaits Sam, we spoke recently with Horvath via email. There, we discussed Beneath the Trees‘ continued reception, how this sequel developed, some standout moments, the mystery of the other brown bear, and much, much more.
If you haven’t already, read AIPT’s early review of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1.
Courtesy of IDW.
AIPT: How do you feel about the first Beneath the Trees in the grand scheme of your bibliography? Is it odd at all that this is the thing that seems to have really, really resonated?
Patrick Horvath: It’s a little wild to me that this was the thing that caught a wave. It definitely fits in well with all the work in horror that I’ve done, but specifically tapping into the cozy nostalgia of children’s books with Beneath the Trees is pretty unique compared to everything else I’ve done. Even other anthropomorphic animal work that I’ve done in the past is fairly different in tone. I’m grateful to have other work out there, but if I end up being remembered as the murderbear guy for the rest of my career, I’d be absolutely cool with it.
AIPT: Did you always intend to tell more of Sam’s story/the story of this world? Or were you inspired by the reaction to the first book?
PH: I’d had an idea that there was a lot more I could do with this world after I made the very first issue. By the time I had finished up the third issue, I already had the bones for what this second arc could be about. When the first issue finally came out, and we saw what the reaction was, IDW asked if I was interested in doing more and I was quick to answer “Yes! And I think I know what we can do!”
Courtesy of IDW.
AIPT: How has your perception of Sam evolved between books? Do you feel a certain affinity for her, or are your feelings more complicated for our very clever brown bear?
PH: She’s always had that undeniable appeal on the surface, but I keep my distance. I’ve come to think of her more as a force of nature, and often there’s only an illusion of safety when you don’t appreciate how much destruction can be caused. One of the biggest challenges that I was excited for was trying to keep that balance going of rooting for her to restore order in a sense, but at the same time reminding everyone that she is 100% cold-blooded. You start to test out how deep the well is with a character like that, and you can spook yourself when you realize how far down it goes.
AIPT: Tonally, visually, etc., did you try and stay close to the first series? Or, did you opt to push yourself in that regard?
PH: I’m definitely aiming to keep this book in the world that was set-up with the first, but in the same way that the ’90s feel different from the ’80s, there’s a shift here as well. I think there’s a certain loss of innocence in Woodbrook following the trauma of the first book, but on the surface it’s going to feel very much like a return to the town we know.
Courtesy of IDW.
AIPT: The book takes place roughly a decade after the first. What’s changed for Sam, and where is she personally coming into this latest chapter?
PH: During the years in-between, the world has gotten a little smaller for her. The internet has arrived for the public, [there’s] suburban sprawl due to corporate land development is cutting into forests, and big-box stores are spreading across the country syphoning away business from the small town main streets. Amidst all of that, Samantha finds herself reassessing her place in all of it with the vigilance she’s gained from having been made vulnerable during her ordeal with Nigel.
AIPT: This sequel seems to focus on revenge and Sam’s chickens (bears?) finally coming home to roost. Why’d you opt for that specific premise, and what can we expect when Sam is backed into a corner like this?
PH: As I mentioned above, I really started thinking about the guts of this arc after completing issue three of the first Beneath the Trees. That had focused on grief, and specifically the impact it has in the immediate aftermath of losing a loved one to violence as well as years later. In that issue when she attends Martin’s funeral, she acknowledges that she’s causing this type of turmoil for the families of all her victims, and it felt like such an interesting idea to have her confront that type of impact head-on. Ultimately, I don’t think anyone is going to be prepared for how Sam is going to react.
Courtesy of IDW.
AIPT: How much of this story is told from the loved ones/family of the deceased duck from the first series? What about a new protagonist or focus proved interesting to you as the creator, and did it complicate writing Rite of Spring at all?
PH: Monica is a big presence throughout this arc, though the focus is going to widen as we move along. Realizing that we needed to broaden the scope in telling this story was one of the main revelations in discovering what the unique identity of it was going to be. Ahead of that, I was worried that we’d be treading familiar ground if we just stuck to Sam’s perspective with all of it. Back in 2024 when I was talking through elements with [IDW editor] Maggie Howell, she mentioned it might be great to have more than one narration going on, and that clicked with what I’d be turning over in my head. It’s really enriched everything and helps to broaden the world that we’re returning to.
AIPT: Do you have a favorite moment in the first issue? Something that sets the tone for what you’re trying to do here?
PH: One of my favorite moments is the sequence leading up to and including her visit to the medical examiner’s office. It really touches on all of the elements that are roiling inside her: the task that’s become an obsession (which she’s essentially put her life on pause for, almost to the point of self-destruction), her vigilance in courting hope, and the obvious emotional toll that all of this is taking on her that she does everything in her power to suppress. It’s a lot of sadness and anger, and it’s the tip of the iceberg with her.
Courtesy of IDW.
AIPT: Is there anything from that first story that you would have done differently? Is the sequel almost a way to “correct” the record at all?
PH: I’m honestly extremely proud of the first story, and I wouldn’t change anything. There were definitely lessons learned, particularly in squandering the value of characters that were unfortunately murdered, but alas.
AIPT: Are we going to see more of Sam’s brown bear friend this time around? Are we any closer to revealing that “mystery”?
PH: I don’t think I’ll ever have a definitive answer as to how all of it connects, but I can guarantee you that we’ll still have our animal-folks and animal-animals… And there will absolutely be an appearance of a brown bear.
Courtesy of IDW.
AIPT: Could we see even more from Sam down the road? Is Beneath the Trees something you’d want to revisit over the years with new stories?
PH: I’ll never say never. Honestly, the first book was such a gift to me. I didn’t know if anything would ever come from it, and the fact that I’ve gotten to do a second arc is such a huge treat. As I mentioned earlier, by the time I had made a couple of issues in the first arc, new ideas were popping up for what else could happen, and it’s never stopped. Fingers crossed [that] readers will enjoy where this second arc takes them, and we can see if there’s an appetite for more.
AIPT: Is there anything else you’d like to mention about Beneath, comics, sentient bears, etc.?
PH: It’s an amazing time to be reading comics, and I’m constantly floored that our book gets to sit on the shelves next to those from people whose work I’ve admired for years and years. I’m just grateful for the opportunity from IDW and grateful for all of the readers, retailers, and critics that have championed our strange little book and allowed me to grab a seat at the table.
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