IDW is continuing the critical success of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees with a new arc out this summer, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring by Patrick Horvath. If you’re a Beneath The Trees fan, gear up for a big summer. After IDW’s Free Comic Book Day preview, we can’t wait to see more!
The Beat emailed Horvath to discuss the new character in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring, what has changed in the sleepy town of Woodbrook, and his collaboration with the variant cover artists.
This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.
JAVIER PEREZ: Hi Patrick, thank you for your time. How are you feeling about the fans’ reaction to the first arc? Congratulations on the Eisner nomination.
PATRICK HORVATH: Thank you. I’m still wrapping my head around how amazing the reaction to the first arc has been. I had modest expectations regarding readers digging into the story beyond its novelty, and I am blown away by how much it resonates with them.
PEREZ: Anything you learned from the first arc you took to this new arc, Rite of Spring?
HORVATH: The biggest lesson I learned was to trust in my own inclination to take the story to as strange and dark a place as felt necessary. I honestly thought I was going to lose readers with some of the stranger elements I put into the first arc, but I added them in because I didn’t want to pass up what might be my only chance to put them in a book that would be published. When it turned out that many readers responded to that, I realized it was foolish not to lean into it more.
PEREZ: Fans also enjoyed Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees: Präludium. I remember being on the floor at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, and it was flying out of the IDW booth. How will Präludium be connected to Rite of Spring?
HORVATH: Without getting into spoiler territory, there will be a bit of a through-line. While we’re jumping forward in time with this next installment, we’ll also be visiting the past, connecting Sam’s trip of self-discovery in Präludium to how she came to re-establish herself in Woodbrook.
PEREZ: The preview from FCBD 2025 gave us a view of not only Samantha but also the sister of a previous victim. What can you tell us about her?
HORVATH: Monica Brewer has been haunted by the disappearance of her brother, and in the many years since, it has shaped her existence into this gnarled person whose only purpose is bent towards finding out what happened to him. It’s an unhealthy obsession, to the point of self-destruction, mentally and physically. It felt like a natural extension of the previous book to have a character set into motion by the trauma and grief of Samantha’s actions, and to see the toll it takes.
PEREZ: Will we see any other characters from the first arc?
HORVATH: We will indeed! If they’ve survived the first arc, we’ll see them again in Woodbrook. They’re older now (and in some cases, they’ve grown up into teenagers and adults), and just like Samantha, they’re dealing with a changing world of the 1990s—the internet, suburban sprawl, globalization, and big-box stores will have a massive effect on everything. As with Monica Brewer, all of it carries on under the shadow of what happened before.
PEREZ: Are there any characters that were killed that you wish you could have fleshed out more?
HORVATH: As soon as I finished issue 2 of the first arc, I wished I could have figured out a different storyline for Cherry Gherkins. It would have changed so much, but I had so much fun writing her, and she would have been a great set-up for a character arc that had a major transformation. She still made such a significant impact on the story, though. It’s bittersweet.
PEREZ: There is a jump in time of 8 years. I’m wondering how that will affect the town and story setting?
HORVATH: As I mentioned above, in addition to the psychological effect those years will have on all the characters that lived through the first arc, they’ll all be faced with a changing world. Thanks to accelerating technology and commerce, the world is beginning to shrink, and it’s getting harder and harder for Woodbrook to ignore it.
PEREZ: There seemed to be tension between Woodbrook and what was going on in the city, and I’m wondering how the 8-year gap in time will affect that tension.
HORVATH: Much of that contrast will remain mostly intact, but as I mentioned above, an undeniable erosion of innocence in Woodbrook was set into motion in the first arc. As the world becomes more connected, I think there’s an evolved understanding of it by the folks in this sheltered town, especially with the children who have grown up.
PEREZ: Are you writing and drawing the whole second arc? Any artist you are excited about that you brought in for variant covers?
HORVATH: I’m writing and drawing this second arc, ink and paint on paper. I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.
For variant covers, it’s an embarrassment of riches: Riley Rossmo is returning with an excellent storybook alternate cover, and we have Tony Fleecs creating a specific set of horror movie poster homage covers that he always knocks out of the park. We also just received an excellent #1 variant from Skottie Young, and I was blown away that he agreed to jump on board.
BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES: RITE OF SPRING #1 (of 6) is on sale July 9, 2025, with a pre-order deadline of June 2, 2025. Check out a first look on The Hollywood Reporter for even more information.
