Editor's Desk 
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is, without a doubt, the best serial killer story in the last ten years, and it’s rightfully getting a Halloween special on October 7th. One might wonder how you explore Samantha Strong’s story after two story arcs of her merciless killing, but it’s quite clear there’s an aspect yet to be explored: Serial killers become infamous for their crimes, but their legacies are also shaped by how those crimes are remembered, retold, and mythologized long after they’re gone. Enter Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Halloween Special, where a few teens share stories, true or not, about the killings that reshaped their hometown.
With an advance copy in hand and the final order cutoff set for August 31st, I had to dive into what was one of my most anticipated comics of the year. I wasn’t disappointed, as Patrick Horvath tells the interstitial story through four creative teams that weave in campfire-style scary stories centered on his inventive serial-killer world. While the main series has felt more like a serial-killer story than a horror one, this one-shot leans into the horror surrounding Sam and how stories can add to a legacy, whether real or not.
Horvath writes and draws the opening, closing, and interconnected bits of this story, bringing his now-iconic art style to the book and making it feel right at home with his previous story arcs. The main plot is fairly simple: high school kids gather in the woods around a campfire during Halloween, mostly because they’re too old for trick-or-treating. The first two who show up are already jumpy, with a parakeet kid acting a bit of a bully by scaring them. The dynamics of this group are clear, with the character design easily making these anthropomorphic animals easy to relate to.
An unlettered preview.
Credit: IDW
Che Grayson and Matt Emmons jump in with the first tale titled “Riley’s Story.” This story feels most at home with the goings-on of Halloween, complete with kids planning to egg houses and others looking forward to dressing up, even if they’re “too old” for it. The twist in the story also ties into the fear of Sam returning to the town, with some horrific visuals.
After another break, with Horvath continuing the drama around the campfire, “Nate’s Story” cuts in by Jared Cullum. The animal nature of Sam is explored here, with some of the most disturbing visuals and ideas to make Sam a true monster. The disturbing nature of the story and the way Cullum draws it will stay with you.
“Sean’s Story” follows, by Tony Fleecs and Dave Wachter, two creators familiar with the horror genre. A kind of haunted-house sort of tale, complete with a flashback, this story puts pressure on the bully, and he’s just as scared as the others.
The last story before Horvath closes things out is by James Tynion IV and Tyler Boss, titled “Fiona’s Story.” This story utilizes Sam the most, giving the overall one-shot a strong return to the title character. The morbid nature of Fiona’s real connection to Sam adds a unique angle, making her less a victim and more of a mutual who might be a bit like Sam herself. This tale adds a layer to the bigger world for sure.
Closing things out, Horvath not only leaves us in an eerie place, but there’s an epilogue not to be missed by fans of the series.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Halloween Special is pretty much the perfect Halloween one-shot. Patrick Horvath and company find a clever way to revisit Samantha Strong by exploring how her crimes have become stories, rumors, and local mythology, while the campfire framing gives each creative team room to deliver its own flavor of horror. Every story adds something to the unsettling legacy Sam has left behind, and Horvath’s connective material ensures it still feels like an essential piece of the larger series. Scary, inventive, and capped off with an epilogue fans won’t want to miss, this is exactly the kind of comic you want to read for, during, and on Halloween.
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