COMICS WARLOCKS

I was really curious to return to this world, and Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring did not disappoint.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer, Artist, Colorist: Patrick Horvath
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Release dates: July 2025 – March 2026

The six issue series is written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath, returning to the world he created in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, which became a big hit back in 2023-2024. That first story set a strong tone with its mix of cozy visuals and dark horror, and this sequel builds on that in a really confident way. You can tell Horvath knows exactly what makes this world work, from the quiet small town moments to the sudden bursts of violence. And that’s why we were so happy when we learned a sequel was coming.

Set years after the original story, Rite of Spring shifts focus to Monica, a duck searching for answers about her brother who disappeared nearly a decade earlier. Her investigation leads her to Woodbrook, a quiet town hiding a very dark past. Through online message boards and strange encounters, she crosses paths with Samantha, the same seemingly harmless brown bear who has been hiding a much more violent secret. As Monica gets closer to the truth, the story slowly reconnects past crimes with the present, showing how the rise of the internet and new connections begin to unravel secrets that once felt buried for good.

I really liked how this sequel takes its time at the beginning. The focus on Monica and her personal story made it easy to get invested right away, and it felt different from the first series in a good way. At the same time, we still get those small town moments that I loved before, with random characters, quiet conversations, and even people discovering the internet. It gives the world a lot of charm, which makes the darker moments hit even harder.

Then things start to escalate, and when they do, it goes all in. The reveal in issue five was honestly insane, and from that point everything just explodes. The violence, the pacing, the decisions Samantha makes, it all becomes bigger and more chaotic. And somehow, even after everything she has done, I was still kind of rooting for her, which says a lot about how well the character is written. The ending works really well and leaves the door open for more, especially with that final tease that suggests her story might not be over yet (a boy can dream).

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring is a strong sequel that expands the world while keeping everything that made the original so memorable, and with the trade paperback out in July 2026, it is a great time to dive in.