Rite of Spring #1 – Justice Comes Knocking [Advance Comic Review]
If you thought Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was a one-hit wonder, think again. Patrick Horvath returns to his pastel-drenched world of saccharine facades and buried secrets with Rite of Spring #1, a chilling and gripping continuation that fans of the original won’t want to miss.
In Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring, Horvath expands the world he built so masterfully by shifting the narrative lens. This time, the focus is on Monica: a grieving sibling of one of Sam’s victims - seemingly a mild-mannered duck on the outside, but is quickly revealed to be a commanding force in her tireless pursuit of justice for her brother. As this new character works to unravel the mystery of her brother’s death, Horvath treats us to a masterful slow-burn mystery, full of taut pacing and restrained tension. The creeping unease grows page by page, until the inevitable moment when Sam herself finally steps onto the stage…and suddenly, the temperature drops.
What makes Horvath’s work so special is his ability to juxtapose the charming with the chilling. His artwork continues to delight with its storybook aesthetic - bright-eyed animals, cozy shops, sleepy towns - but that only heightens the horror when darkness creeps in. Every panel is thoughtfully composed, and every beat of silence feels loud with implication.
Sam, once again, proves to be one of the most captivating protagonists in indie comics. The bear-next-door demeanor belies a calculating predator’s instincts, and seeing her through the eyes of someone determined to bring her to justice only sharpens her enigmatic edge. Horvath’s restraint in storytelling (never over-explaining, never rushing) makes the tension simmer beautifully.
When Beneath the Trees dropped in 2024, it was a surprise hit. Rite of Spring proves that success wasn’t a fluke. It’s a thrilling return to a deceptively wholesome world teeming with rot and retribution.
The official order cutoff is June 2nd, so make sure this one is on your pull list. The ride’s only just beginning - and trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
