Under the tree where no one sees TP
Writer/Artist: Patrick Horvath
Writer: Hassan Otzman Elhou
Publisher: IDW Press
Publication date: September 2024
I hesitate to use X meets Y’s often lazy structure to describe the comic, but Patrick Horvath and Hassan Otzman Elhou Under the tree no one seesthe pulling force is too strong. Dexter Meet Richard Scarry busy town That’s an apt description of the comic – now collected in paperback and hardcover by publisher IDW – so I had to give it a good look here.
That’s definitely the concept. Right on the cover, a bear drags a bloody bag and a shovel through a bright, flower-filled forest, painted so tenderly by Horvath. In a nutshell, this book tells the story of a long-term serial killer who lives in a small town but moves into the big city to kill. Her world is turned upside down when a copycat murderer starts killing people on her turf. And, to be honest, on the surface, it’s a concept that I might find dull or even cynical.
That said, for me, I need under the tree We’re going to do something other than ask what if there was a serial killer on the loose in Busy Town. This book definitely goes beyond that. exist under the treeHorvath has created a riveting murder mystery novel with an impressive mastery of comic storytelling and craft. It’s denser at the beginning, when the story requires exposition and construction to reveal the man behind its mystery. But it transforms in the second half into a quick and hair-raising rush to a bleak conclusion, and in the process makes itself into something far more interesting.
Chapter 5 is the chapter that impressed me the most. In it, our protagonist must evade the authorities, take a dark personal inventory, and decide how to deal with a copycat killer who is related to one of her closest friends. This is where Horvath really unleashes his comics, making the storybook world even more fantastical and surprising as we get some visceral understanding of his sociopathic protagonist. There’s a scene where our talking, clothed, storybook bear is faced with a traditional animalistic bear, its mouth covered in blood. This sequence is filled with ideas about cruelty and nature and a desire for violence. That’s probably the heart of the book, and I loved it so much.
See, one of the questions I asked myself after reading this installment was, how would the story work if you took away the cover of a children’s book? Basically, I wanted to think about whether it uncovered an interesting story beyond the superficial juxtaposition. After re-reading Chapter 5, I am convinced the answer is yes. In this chapter, the creators give a unique look into how and why the monsters live, and give us an insight into what it’s like to be so violent and evil. For me, this book became one of the funniest horror comics I’ve read all year.
But the storybook surface matters. This is what makes under the tree Perfect for comics, not animation, which is really the only other format it can be used in. It’s a very creepy trick, and the comic harkens back to childhood stories from the past. Its form reminds you that you were young and naive and thought the world was so simple and light – and then on the next page, reality declares itself to be much darker and more dangerous, a lesson you learn somewhere in between reading these children’s books and grow into a full adult.
Overall, I like it under the tree Quite a lot. I’ve been thinking about this book on and off since I read the stand-alone version. It always bothered me and I wanted to understand why. This new collection – which tells the whole story at the same time – gives me the opportunity to do just that. I should point out that this is also a trade collection that uses design in a way that enhances the story. Designer: Nathan Widick, The deal is reminiscent of a small-town newspaper, adding to an already creepy atmosphere. It all adds up to a fun addition to your comic bookshelf, and this cartoonist’s work is definitely worthy of future attention.
Under the Tree No One Can See is now available from IDW Publishing.
See The Beat’s comments section for more trade collections and graphic novel reviews!
