Notice! Mild spoilers for Beneath the Trees Where No One Sees
IDW Publishing sublime horror series Underneath the trees where no one sees has sold nearly two hundred thousand issues to date, making it one of the most commercially successful comics of the year in addition to its critical success – and in the process, proving that there's a huge appetite among readers for smart, self-aware genre mash-ups like this.
Underneath the trees where no one sees – created by author and illustrator Patrick Horvath, with lyrics by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou – is a stunning murder story set in a seemingly idyllic community of cartoon animals. Screen Rant is excited to share this exclusively individually, and in their collected form, the six numbers of the Below the trees combined to sell more than 180 thousand editionsqualifying it as a “great success” and much more.
With a highly anticipated Below the trees sequel already announced, it's worth taking a closer look at the book's success, as many publishers hope to replicate Horvath and IDW's success.
IDW's success with “Beneath The Trees” proves that sometimes all it takes is a great story to catch readers' attention
Under the trees where no one sees #1-6 – Available now from IDW Publishing
Under the trees where no one sees is creator Patrick Horvath's debut comic book series, and there was little pre-existing expectation for the book before the first issue's release. In an era where the predominant share of public attention is devoted – or perhaps diverted – to major IP franchises, the emergence of new and exciting stories like Horvath's is always worthy of attention. However, while this may be enough to get readers to invest reading time and, more importantly, the cost of a comic book, when picking up the first issue, it takes more than that to keep them hooked.
[Beneath the Trees] continued to grow in popularity and readership as its release progressed, and ultimately received two much-coveted Eisner Award nominations as one of the best titles of the year.
In other words, for readers to continue reading and, even more importantly, become fans, the story must be worth it – and with Below the treesthat is absolutely the case. Horvath's story is inventive and can be, at times, hilarious and shocking, while still managing to convey a certain degree of emotion. this makes your surface-level hooks look almost like a “Trojan horse.” The series continued to grow in popularity and readership as its release progressed, and ultimately received two highly coveted Eisner Award nominations as one of the best titles of the year.
How the Story of Beneath The Trees' “Shock And Aww” Led to Critical and Commercial Success
Under the trees where no one sees: Ritual of Spring Arriving in 2025
The success of Underneath the trees where no one sees stems first and foremost from its unique premise and refreshing mix of familiar elements – while artist Patrick Horvath deftly mixed the cute and the profane in what amounted to a “shock and aww” style. Described by critics as “Dexter meets Animal Crossing,” the series is an ode to the appeal of genre flexibility. The book's tonal incongruities are, in fact, one of the great joys of reading Below the treesas the seemingly innocuous images make the harsh reality of the story even more unnerving.
The reception of Below the trees resulted in multiple printings of the series, and the year-end sales date of approximately 180,000 will only continue to grow as more people discover the series. With a sequel already in production to be released next year Below the trees is one of 2024's best examples of the organic birth of a franchise. Fans should expect its growth to continue in the coming years, as IDW Publishing seeks to build on the success of Underneath the trees where no one seesone of the best new comics to hit stores this year.