Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, a terrifying new hybrid comic from IDW, combining Dexter, has been revealed to be inspired by an actual murder. The horror story crafted by filmmaker Patrick Horvath is expected to follow the seemingly innocent world of Woodbrook Town as one bear named Samantha lives a double life as a serial killer, in a twist pulled straight out of Dexter.
In an interview with Comic Book Resources, Patrick Horvath discussed what inspired the idea for his newest horror story, stating that he ed "hearing about a true story that I think took place in a small Belgian town around 2007," a story that "always stuck with" with the creator as he was crafting the dark secrets of characters in the supposedly sleepy town of Woodbrook.
The Connections Between Beneath the Trees and Real Life Are Crystal Clear
On the surface, the premise of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees feels like a direct homage to Dexter, which initially ran on Showtime from 2006-2013, and also focused on a man who moonlighted as a killer to satiate his bloodlust. However, Horvath has stated the book takes even more inspiration from real life, relating terrifying true story of a person visiting a friend for dinner, while the friend's wife and child were supposedly away. However, when the visitor went downstairs to help their friend clean-up, they "found the wife's frozen body inside" a freezer. Looking at the premise of Beneath the Trees, the inspiration from the real-world murder appears clear.
Beneath the Trees' Story Explores What Happens When Samantha Is Discovered
Woodbrook Town is a peaceful-looking village, similar to the type found in hit video game Animal Crossing. The animal designs are adorable, leading the reader into a false sense of security. When the surprisingly disturbing murder happens, it jars the reading, just like the shock the person in Horvath's story must have felt when discovering the body of his friend's wife. It is something no one expects from an innocent-looking set-up, but as is often the case in real life, an unassuming surface can hide sinister depths. What is exciting about Horvath's comic is that it will go further than the story that inspired him.
The real-world murder Horvath describes in the interview with CBR ended with the unnamed person getting out of their murderous friend's house "without drawing suspicion, so they could call the police." Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees will push it further. Samantha is shown to have a set of rules similar to Dexter Morgan where she only kills those outside of town to prevent the gossip that's prevalent in an area where word spreads fast. However, that will all come "crashing down" as she potentially will need to break these rules at one point, leading to "violence and paranoia."
This is a clever way of exploring just what could happen when a person turns out to be "a killer hiding in plain sight." Readers will get a chance to check out Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees just in time for Halloween, when it releases on October 18, 2023. Serial killers can be a horrifying topic, since they can potentially be anyone hiding among the crowd, waiting to strike. The idea has led to countless depictions in media becoming ingrained in popular cultural in a number of ways. However, Horvath's blend of Dexter and Animal Crossing sets out to prove the scariest murder stories are the ones nobody expects.
Source: Comic Book Resources
Look for Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #1 when it hits stores on October 18, 2023 from IDW Publishing!
