One of my top 3 favorite series of the last few years!
Richard Scarry meets Dexter with a touch of Mr. Brooks. There’s nothing better than a story that takes you by surprise, and this one does that excellently.
Looking forward to a follow up!

I don't know what I was expecting when I started this graphic novel. I had just finished Shady Hollow and thought it might be similar. Instead it was much darker and more graphic, but just as addictive and enticing! This is absolutely a page turner and you wont put it down once you start. This is your life now until you finish the series.

This macabre story reads like a cross between Richard Scarry and Dexter. It's an odd mix, but I thought the story was interesting and the main character is both unsettling and endearing. There are high levels of gore, so I'd only recommend it for those with strong constitutions, but if this type of creepy/cute is your jam, you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to IDW and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Some graphic novels strength is in the art. Some, the writing. The truly great ones excel in both and Patrick Horvath's Beneath the Trees certainly fits into that category. Fantastic work.

Thank you to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for providing a review copy of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees in exchange for my honest opinion.

**4 Stars**

Spoilers throughout this review.

I got a bit more than I bargained for with Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath. The first few pages introduced Woodbrook as a sleepy town with eccentric and comforting animal characters on par with Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow residents. I originally thought the book would be a campy horror poking fun at the idea of murderers who look like children’s book characters. When the intro felt like it was leaning into a comfy and cozy mystery vibe instead, I was still excited to read on.

But then we veered off into Dexter-level gore territory. It was a shock.*

I’m chalking up most of the dislike I have for Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees to user-error. It’s ultimately a comic about a serial killer who kills animals. I should have considered the book may be off-putting for me because I hate any kind of animal abuse or animal death in any form of media. We’re talking; I’m covering my ears and singing la-la-la-la until my bestie fast forwards through the scene level of avoidance. So, take my review with a grain of salt if that topic is not as big of a factor for you.

In spite of everything I just said, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was way too short. The main story was able to be resolved, but I had so many more questions about Samantha and why she started killing? What was her back story? There were a ton of interesting characters like the cat who slept with a stuffed figure with interchangeable heads. I really wanted to know the circumstances leading to that decision. I was also hoping to see more of how the town worked and the hierarchies between the citizen animals and their normal counterpart animals. Like does the pig lady feel empathy or fear when she looks into the butcher shop window and sees pig heads on display? Or is she so secure in her civility that the animal is… just an animal to her? I’m absolutely fascinated. These and many other questions are still circling in my mind days after reading. I hope Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees continues with further volumes to explore more residents and their secrets.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is a terrifically and precisely executed comic that kept me turning the pages long after I would’ve stopped. I deeply respect the author’s skill and creativity in crafting this story even though I’m not its ideal audience. Fans of a good grisly serial killer story like Killing Eve and Dexter will love Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’ cute twist on murder old as time.

*I regularly consume true crime media and horror movies. It wasn’t the violent content that bothered me, so much as it being in the context of picture-book-style animal illustrations and the level of detail.

What’s so interesting about <it>Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees</i> is that it genuinely elicits a collective experience of abject bafflement. Readers finish this introduction to Patrick Horvath’s world and main character just a little bit she’ll shocked at the story they have just finished. Fortunately for Horvath and the tale in question, readers also exit this book rather curious to know what will happen next.

For me, the weirdest aspect of this book is the dichotomy of the subject matter alongside the artwork which, at times, feels like it belongs in a middlegrade book. With that said, the illustrations are superb, the story pace is exceptional, and though the content isn’t my typical read the characters and plot remain deeply engaging.

This is certainly a story path I’ll be interested to see play out.

I love that horror/suspense graphic novels are being published more frequently. There is definitely a demand. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was high on my list and it certainly delivered. The story kept me on my toes and the artwork provided an unusual atmosphere which made the story even more appealing.

I really loved the art style of this book. The art is what drew me in to begin with, but the story did not disappoint. I enjoyed the story from the very first page.

The initial vibe of this graphic novel really let me think it was going to be a completely different vibe to what it was. I ended up shocked but it was totally worth it. I had a lot of fun reading the story and wondering what was going to happen next. Very twisty and twisted.

this was okay for the most part. I wanted to know more about Sam and how she got where she was mindset wise. I felt that story was lacking and I
wish there was more to it. I love the character design and the setting.

This was such a neat comic! I loved the duality of the art style and the plot. The pastel-ish colors and cutesy cartoon animals contrasted with the brutality of the murders and duplicity of the characters was fantastic.

This one was creepy and beautifully illustrated. I cannot speak to it other than that because you should just read it yourself!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

I'm not sure if there was supposed to be a deeper symbolism to the fact that everyone was an animal or if it was just a stylistic choice for the cartoonist. Over all this was an entertaining story but not deeply compelling

I really enjoyed the contrast of cozy art to the plot elements. I can see why this wouldn't be for everybody, but I really thought it was great, and I hope to start seeing more like it out there. Patrick will be an instant read going forward!

I completely forgot what this story was about when I finally got around to reading it, so boy was I shocked with the content, especially when I got to the graphic bits. I really enjoyed this because of the cozy and gory vibes. The media (Dexter and Busytown) the publishers compared this story to were spot-on. It kind of gave me the same vibes as I Hate Fairyland but less deranged 😂 This poor town, though. Poor Bertie and Martin. I also didn’t see that plot twist coming at all. Holy moly. Things got real intense. If this is a series, I will most likely continue it because I’m really curious what happens next, plus I just really loved the vibes.
4.5 Stars

This was hands down one of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time! A story about murders in a small town are a dime a dozen, but what sets this one apart is that it featured anthropomorphized animals, which made it so uncomfortable and delightfully gruesome! I could not guess at any time where the story was going or how certain plot points would pan out, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Perfect for fans of shows like Dexter or Fargo!

An idyllic small town populated by cute animals is thrown into turmoil when two of its residents are gorily dispatched by a psycho.

I’m not giving away anything else, but just know that, as Clarice Starling handily discovered, sometimes it takes a killer to catch a killer.

I found the mix of sweet innocence, and dripping intestines to be nearly irresistible, but then my tastes run to the “sorta weird” zone.

If the idea of adorable critters gettin’ stabby-stabby bothers you, stay away from this disturbing book.

I may of entered a genre that is not for me BUT it was still interesting.

In a small town, filled with talking animals, there is a bear named Samantha. She keeps to herself and always handles her business, murdering people, out of town. Then comes one day when someone else takes to murdering the people in her town. She’s not a fan and is out for revenge before she gets caught because of them.

I thought perhaps this graphic novel would be a little more cutesy than it was. This is definitely a horror book. My bad. I was still intrigued by the story and interested to see where it went. I would have enjoyed it a little more if there was a reason to like Samantha but not much stuck out to me. Wild that a book would want you to like a serial killer, I know.

Overall if you’re into horror you’ll definitely enjoy this! It was a fun short story with a unique art style.

Thank you for the ARC provided by NetGalley!

While the story feels like an episode of Dexter, the depiction of these characters as cuddly woodland creatures gives it a spark of novelty while also making a point that even the most innocent looking places hold danger.

A story of a serial killer with competition is one a thousand stories have told before, but the use of illustration to mix childhood whimsy with the very real graphic and messy reality of a murderer is something that is fresh and gripping. Definitely a must read for fans of shows like Dexter!