Graphic Novel Reviews: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Road, The Deviant
The month we’ll be reviewing three graphic novels that are most certainly not for younger readers, with two focusing on vicious serial killers, and a third being an adaptation of a bleak apocalyptic story.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
By Patrick Horvath
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is the first graphic novel written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath. This violent horror comic reminded me of 2021’s Stray Dogs, another book I really enjoyed, in that the art style being employed strongly contrasts what you’d expect the subject matter of the story would be about.
Horvath’s art is detailed, really pleasant to look at, and what I’d describe as almost a classic fairytale style sort of art. The fact that the book focuses on friendly-seeming anthropomorphic animals lends itself to the notion that the book would be lighthearted in tone. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The protagonist of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is a bear named Samantha who owns a store in a peaceful small town. She is also a brutal serial killer who travels to the city periodically to gruesomely murder victims there. Her one rule is that she never kills anyone in the town where she lives. So, when residents of her town begin to be murdered by another serial killer, Sam’s world is turned upside down.
I really enjoyed this setup and found the graphic novel to be unique. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart and is disturbing, but if you’re into that sort of story, this is a page-turner that you’ll likely finish in one sitting.
Everything wraps up nicely after these six issues (which are compiled in the graphic novel). If I had one main critique, it would be that the story could’ve used one or two more issues to really provide additional depth. The book would’ve benefited from spending more time with certain characters (like the second killer). Still, this gets a definite recommendation from me, and I’d be excited to read anything else the writer/artist releases.
Grade: 8/10
The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
Based on the book by Cormac McCarthy, Illustrated by Manu Larcenet
Before his death last year, Cormac McCarthy gave his seal of approval to a French cartoonist named Manu Larcenet to adapt his acclaimed 2006 post-apocalyptic novel, The Road, into graphic novel form. The book was also made into a well-received 2009 film starring Viggo Mortensen. It’s worth pointing out that, though I’d heard of both of these works, I have neither read the original novel, nor seen the film based off of it.
As such, I had an idea of what the overall story would be about, but I didn’t read the graphic novel from the perspective of someone who’s already a fan of The Road. Saying that, I found the story to be both bleak and predictable. I know that the plot is what it is – that’s The Road, but it just wasn’t a story I particularly enjoyed or appreciated.
I’m sure that many fans of McCarthy’s book are big fans of the author’s style of writing. That’s largely lost here, and the fact that there really isn’t much that actually happens plot-wise is very clear. Since there isn’t even a ton of dialogue between characters, the graphic novel can also be read very quickly.
As for Larcenet’s artwork, I think it’s a good fit for the story. He’s able to capture that bleak and hopeless feeling, and I think the mostly black and white style works well. If you’re a fan of The Road, I think you’ll be able to get something out of this adaptation. For me, personally, it’s a story that I don’t really find worthwhile or as profound as I think fans do.
Grade: 5/10
The Deviant Vol. 1
By James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson
I’ve always been a fan of Christmas horror, and, in honor of the ever-approaching holiday season next month, I decided to give James Tynion’s horror series, The Deviant, a try. This first volume of the comic collects the first four issues of a nine-part series, with the graphic novel collecting the final part set to be released early next year.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of the book. The graphic novel is violent, sure, but in terms of being actually scary (or having scary ideas), I don’t think it delivers. The story goes back and forth between showing us events in the past and present. In the past, we get to see the aftermath of murders committed by someone wearing a Santa suit. Mainly though, we focus on the present, where we follow a writer interviewing the man convicted of said killings.
The characters actually reference the interviewing as being like Silence of the Lambs – a thought I had before it was even brought up on the pages. I don’t know if it’s smart though for Tynion to be bringing up a far, far superior work that’s a little similar to his comic book in the actual comic itself. I found the interview parts of The Deviant to be sort of standard for what you’d expect with nothing really original.
The Deviant also has a major LGBTQ+ element to it with the accused killer and protagonist being gay. This does add a different aspect to the story, but I didn’t find it particularly interesting. Hixson’s art is largely fine – I think it fits the story. It’s nothing to write home about, but I don’t think it’s bad either.
Overall, if you happen to be specifically looking for a graphic novel that contains both true crime and LGBTQ+ aspects (and has brutal violence), The Deviant might be the book for you. Personally, I wasn’t at all hooked by the story or characters and I won’t be reading Volume 2 when it’s released.
Grade: 3.5/10