At first glance, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees may seem like a lighthearted children's story, but scratch beneath the surface, and you'll discover the twisted tale of a serial killer in a small town setting chalked full of anthropomorphic animal characters.

The small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong's cardinal rule is to not kill the locals.

After all, there's a sea of perfectly ripe potential victims in the big city just beyond the forest, and when you've worked as hard as Sam to build a cozy life and a thriving business in a community surrounded by friendly fellow animal folk, warm décor, and the aroma of cedar trees and freshly baked apple pie...the last thing you want is to disturb the peace. So you can imagine her indignation when one of Woodbrook's own meets a grisly, mysterious demise-and you wouldn't blame her for doing anything it takes to hunt down her rival before the town self-destructs and Sheriff Patterson starts (literally) barking up the wrong tree.

Written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees is by far the most unique comic book of recent times, something we haven't seen since Stray Dogs from Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner. A twisted tale of horror and murder behind the vail of a Richard Scarry-style children's story.

While not an original story, something similar to the hit tv series Dexter, this IDW Original is unique in the way it is presented. Horvath uses a tone that is reminiscent of a children's storybook, complete with rhyming phrases and whimsical illustrations. However, as the story progresses, the tone changes, and the darker side of the story begins to reveal itself.

Patrick has a great style of artwork paired with the unlikely serial killer story that makes for a standout comic series. This book is dark and twisted, yet still has elements of light-heartedness and humor that make it an enjoyable read. If IDW Originals continue to be anything even remotely similar to Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees we have extreme hope for the publisher.

Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees is by-far one of the best comic series of the past year. It is a perfect blend of unique horror and cuddly animals, what a weird combination to even say. All we can hope for is more from Patrick Horvath in the world of Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees.

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you like shows like Dexter, this graphic novel is for you.
Having all these cute animals as the main characters in this brutal dramatic story was such a fun twist.
I absolutely loved the art here. The muted pastel colors were playful and perfect. It really made you feel like you were reading a children's book, but the story is so dark and gritty.
I loved the contrast of light and dark.

This was a delightfully deranged graphic novel. I LOVED how this dark and gory story was mixed with drawing that make it look like a children’s book, the contrast was fun and a big part of the appeal, if I’m being honest.
If the story is nothing very original, it’s the concept that I adored. I enjoyed the plot itself and the way we’re made to actually root for a serial killer. The fact that the anthropomorphic animals were cute made this thriller almost fascinating. I’ll definitely read more of this series soon.

These animals were oh so cute, and the story so so very dark. I didn't expect it to be as graphic as it was, even having read the description. This is 100% going to be someone's niche, but it's not quite mine.

When I first saw this comic, I was instantly hooked. The cute art reminded me of children's' story art, almost Richard Scarry-like, combine that with the gruesome and dark story of not just one, but two serial killers? Out of the world awesome. Be warned, there are a lot of content warnings for this comic, and I had to take multiple breaks while reading this because it was so dark. It is not a comic for the faint of heart, but if cute art with gruesome and dark stories is your thing, you really need to check this out.

My kids and I loved this book before bedtime. It was beautifully done! Such a wonderful story told, and the way it was laid out was just fantastic. Loved the illustrations as well.

3/5
Well, that was interesting.
This felt like reading a children's book, but not a children's book at the same time. It definitely took a moment to get used to the art style and how it worked with the story. These sweet looking characters are not as sweet as they seem. This was a disturbing and twisty read, perfect for anyone who loves serial killers and gore!

4.5/5 | "Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees" by Patrick Horvath is a stunning graphic novel that captivates with its mysterious plot and incredible art style.

The story follows Sam, a well-beloved citizen of this small town, who also happens to be a serial killer. As another serial killer shows up to her town, she starts to feel threatened and so this lead us to an intriguing story, full of amazing twists.

Despite its short length, the book does a great job introducing the town and its people. I loved this story could totally see it as a movie. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author (and this small town!)

3.5 🌟I enjoy contradictory things. So a story about sweet Richard Scarry looking characters being murderers or victims or murder was bound to be entertaining. This was a very well done, albeit very disturbing story. But that’s its purpose. Murder is disturbing enough but mixed with anthropomorphic animals and a children’s book art style, it was taken to the next level. It was full of twists and turns and constantly left me gasping in shock. It is not for the faint of heart. This was a solid 4 star read for me, up until the end. I wasn’t a fan of the ending, but I’m not sure I was really supposed to be. I recommend this for anyone who enjoyed Everything is Fine and Dwellings. A well done murder mystery/thriller/horror graphic novel.

An adorable and disturbing graphic novel about a small town serial killer who finds herself having to hunt down a new killer in town after a dead body is gruesomely displayed in town. A Dexter-like story of a sort of anti-hero in a quaint town of anthropomorphic animals. This cute and quaint charm juxtaposed with gory scenes of murder and dismemberment. A truly unique reading experience and art style that I absolutely loved. If this becomes a series, I will absolutely read more.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is a dark graphic novel about a serial killer. It took me a second to get used to the art style, but an early twist had me racing to the end of the story.

Perfect for fans of graphic novels, Dexter, and You.

I received an ARC from IDW Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.