Anthology: Trese ~ Book 1: Murder On Balete Drive

Story by: Budjette Tan

Illustration by: Kajo Baldisimo

Alamat Comics

Visprint, Inc.

(4.25/5 ★★★★☆)

"When the sun sets in the city of Manila,

don't you dare make a wrong turn

and end up in that dimly-lit side of the metro,

where aswang run the most-wanted kidnapping rings,

where kapre are the kingpins of crime,

and engkantos slip through the cracks

and steal your most precious possessions,

When crime takes a turn for the weird,

the police call Alexandra Trese."

The Good:

Trese is a great masterpiece done by an excellent writer and an incredible artist.

Who knew that our Filipino creatures would also adapt with the changing times. The best example among them is the Nuno sa Manhole.

There's a lot of great elements here but the best story, or case, would be the 4th case. Tan gave a wonderful homage to a well known Filipino superhero. The last panels of that case poetically ends with so much love and care.

The Bad:

No matter how incredible the story and art seems to be, it is a disservice to see how the layout was done. A reader cannot fully appreciate Kajo's illustrations. It is because some details of his art were at the edge of the panels which in turn were seen to be near the spine of the book.

The spell done on the 1st case, which was written in Baybayin like characters, could have been better if it was an actual word written in Baybayin.

A typo can also be seen on Case 3, in the scene where Oriol is in the bathtub.

The Verdict:

This comic is a gem that stands among the great number of komiks the Philippines has produced. The "Trese universe" presents to us fresh eyes of what our Philippine mythology creatures could be doing in our present time. An investigation of the paranormal world is unleashed in this cases.

Tan and Kajo paints the Philippine society as a society that has not changed despite the advancement in technology. Despite our history being slightly touched, such as the Bukidnon Massacre and the Great Binondo Fire, the same injustices and inequalities remains the same to this day.

This comic book is heading towards a great future. Trese shines brightly like the first star that you would see at night.

"But these aswang are the blood thirsty and stupid kind."

More information about the Trese comic can be seen at:

http://tresekomix.blogspot.com

 

* Breakdown of Rating:

★☆☆☆☆ -

★★☆☆☆ -

★★★☆☆ -

★★★★☆ - Case 1, Case 2, Case 3

★★★★★ - Case 4

Events: Drawing For Juan Panel Discussion

A panel discussion entitled Drawing For Juan will be held at the Lopez Museum and Library, Ortigas City on July 23, 2016 by 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Present on the event will be Manix Abrera (Kikomachine Komix) and Gilbert Daroy (contributing cartoonist for Philippine Daily Inquirer and Esquire PH). They will be talking about their individual projects and the current state of illustrative practices that find translation through a wider reaching platforms such as newspapers, magazines, comics and graphic novels.

Pre-registration is required (http://bit.ly/drawingforjuan). Registration is worth Php. 200. A discounted price of Php. 100 is offered for students, seniors and Lopez Museum and Library members. Payments may be settled on the day of the event.

More information about Drawing For Juan can be seen at:

Facebook Event Page: "Drawing For Juan with Manix Abrera, Budjette Tan, & Gilbert Daroy"

* Updated as of 07/22/2016. New schedule and the removal of one speaker was made in this post.

Comics: Josef Miggy & Yaya Karol ~ Issue 1 (of 4)

Story by: Budjette Tan

Illustrated by: Rysa Antonio and Kajo Baldisimo

Alamat Comics

(5/5 ★★★★★)

The Plot:

A kidnapping happened in front of Josef and Yaya Karol. Gifted with super powers, Josef Miggy a.k.a. Kid Kilowattz and Yaya Karol a.k.a. Dark Cloud, rescues Louie from his abductors. Will they be able to get Louie back? Will they finish all of this and still be in time for Josef's grandmother's birthday?

The Good:

This comic cleared the questions, from Josef Miggy & Yaya Karol ~ Super Secret Adventures, on whether their super powers were real or imaginary.

The illustrations and story still looks great. It maintained that tone that makes this comic to be kid friendly. The best example would be attack moves labeled as Electro Blaster and Sonic Boom Sigaw.

The Bad:

Now that the question on whether or not Josef Miggy and Yaya Karol had super powers were answered. The next question would then be regarding the origin of their powers. Since this is just the first of the four part series, we'll just have to wait on how the creators would tell the origin of their powers.

The Verdict:

A lot of things have been subtly mentioned for the future plot of this mini series as different antagonists and item were mentioned in this 1st issue. Who knows, maybe this story is part of the Trese universe that Tan and Baldisimo had built. Especially since this was marked as an Alamat Comics. A lot of events could happen, such as possible crossovers of characters or the recognition that they too belong to the universe where the guardian of the city wields a Sinag as the choice of weapon and is often protected by two demigods.

Josef Miggy & Yaya Karol's kid friendly story smoothly entered the Alamat universe that is often toned to be very dark.

"If only we had a real magic word to yell this would be easier!

Saying "Ula-Ula-Ula-Pow!" just makes me sound silly!" - Yaya Karol

Comics: Josef Miggy & Yaya Karol ~ Super Secret Adventures

Inks and Pencils by: Rysa Antonio

Story by: Budjette Tan

Inks and Backgrounds by: Kajo Baldisimo

Alamat Comics

(5/5 ★★★★★)

The Plot:

Super Secret Adventures is about Josef Miggy and his nanny's, Yaya Karol, adventures. A story between a nanny and the child she watches over as they live out their "super powers" with still enough time to do all the household chores.

The Good:

The diary type of story telling looks great in the illustrations of Super Secret Adventures. The illustrations matches the story perfectly. Refraining from illustrating a very detailed background and by simply focusing on things that matter most to the story, it gives the required tone for this comic to be enjoyed by young readers.

The Bad:

The story does not explain itself much if what we're seeing are the lives of two humans with super powers or if they still belong to the imagination of the child. The scene wherein Josef hopes his parents would know that he is Kid Kilowattz and that he has been a big help in lowering their electricity bill are just some of the scenes that would arouse curiosity if the child indeed has super powers or not.

The Verdict:

Alamat Comics surprises us with this child oriented comic due to the light tone that was made to the illustrations. A story about a child and his nanny, Josef Miggy and Yaya Karol is sure to hit the hearts of most people, especially those whose love and care during their childhood years were filled up by their nannies.

Comics: Skyworld ~ Volume 2

Story by: Mervin Ignacio

Illustrated by: Ian Sta. Maria

Edited by: Budjette Tan

Rated: For Mature Readers

Alamat Comics

National Book Store Inc.

(5/5 ★★★★★)

"Every legend hides a lie

The Queen of the Asuang and her legion

have taken over the country

Alexandra Trese leads the resistance

along-side Makabo, a Tikbalang warrior,

and Kaio, a Duwende trickster.

Trapped in their epic battle is Andoy,

a teenage boy tasked with uniting an army

of Tikbalang, Enkanto, Kapre and Duwende

against, the Asuang.

But before he can lead them, he must

first recover a mystical sword

that was once part of

the fabled Yamashita Treasure."

The Good:

No doubt the story and the illustrations remains to be great and even better in this 2nd volume of Skyworld. The creators of Skyworld took us even further as we were reintroduced to familiar stories and characters. Stories re-envisioned through their own retelling, like the 40 days and 40 nights of flood story and the story of Malakas and Maganda were appealing enough to make you forget how they were originally told. We were also given a treat as famous individuals, such as the U.S. President Barrack Obama and General Tomoyuki Yamashita, makes an appearance.

Crossovers of characters from other Alamat comics continue to persist as Kadasig joins the team of Andoy in battling Rianka in Manila.

Every panel was great to read since none of them bear any text that was near to the spine of the book.

The Bad:

I'm not sure if this is a typo or it was written as such but on page 30 it can be seen that it says, "It was Treses's idea to evacuate everyone here when war broke out." It may appear that it does not only refer to Alexandra Trese but it could also allude to her brothers as well. It would have been mind blowing to see the creators of Skyworld do a crossover of all the Trese siblings in this story.

The Verdict:

The third and fourth books, Prodigal and Requiem respectively, in volume 2 of Skyworld brings all their game for the conclusion of the story in Rianka's takeover of the Philippines. An exhausting climax, unforeseeable twists, a last minute suspense and the surprise ending, the creators of Skyworld has indeed created their own Philippine legend with this book.

One of the Philippine's finest graphic novel that tackles very well our culture, from our legends up to our history. Skyworld takes us to a journey wherein stories we had heard and read from our childhood are revisited and re-imagined. Ignacio and Sta. Maria has indeed created a masterpiece that will be among those that will be cited if your looking for a great Philippine comic book.

"Imagine if you can - hordes of asuang, prowling the streets of Tokyo, climbing the Eifel tower, walking up the White House lawn!" 

More of Skyworld can be seen at:

Facebook Page: "Skyworld"

The illustrator can be seen on:

http://iantoy.deviantart.com

 

Comics: Skyworld ~ Volume 1

Story by: Mervin Ignacio

Illustrated by: Ian Sta. Maria

Edited by: Budjette Tan

Rated: For Mature Readers

Alamat Comics

National Bookstore Inc.

(4/5 ★★★★☆)

"Every legend hides a lie

A murdered Skygod

re-emerges in modern-day Manila.

A Tikbalang prince plots vengeance

for the death of his father.

And the Queen of the Asuang

unleashes the mythical Bakunawa

upon the street of the city.

Caught in their age-old struggle is Andoy,

a crippled orphan that discovers

he is the fulfillment of a prophecy

dating back to Lapu-lapu himself."

The Good:

The illustrations and the story are great. Skyworld takes us to the story of the Skygod Kaptan as his rise and fall was shown to have affected our history. The battle of Mactan was depicted to have another version, which was written by Antonio Pigafetta himself. However, that version was quickly destroyed and the battle that took place that was accepted was the one we had come to know today.

It was nice seeing the Trese universe mixed in this story. The Diabolical was first presented before Trese and the kambal appeared on the panels. References to the Soulbook, Agimat, Underpass, Alamat ni Maria, and Bayan Knights were nicely hidden on a bookshelf on some panels.

The Bad:

Despite all the good things that was read and seen in the story, it still posses the layout which I don't like. It contain pages that have texts that are hard to read since they are almost near to the binding of the book. That is one of the biggest things that I don't like in a comic book.

The Verdict:

The two books, Apocrypha and Testament, compiled in volume 1 of Skyworld were greatly told. This is a story that mixes both our Philippine mythology and history to give us a wonderful reading experience. Social commentaries, such as regarding the governance of our former President, was inserted with wit.

Skyworld is one among the Philippine comics that was done right in delivering a story of substance. One that deserves to be read by the current generation. This 1st volume can definitely rock Manila as asuangs take over the capital city of the country.

"You don't see us, but we can see you."

More of Skyworld can be seen at:

Facebook Page: "Skyworld"

The illustrator can be seen on:

http://iantoy.deviantart.com

 

Anthology: Underpass

Summit Media
(4.25/5 ★★★★☆)

"You are invited to take a trip to the other side

and come face to face with your most horrible nightmares,

your deepest secrets, your greatest fears.

Follow the path down to the Underpass"

The Sim

Illustration and Story by: Gerry Alanguilan

"What do you do when you find a cellphone SIM CARD? Do you try to find the owner and try to return it? Do you keep it and use it for yourself? What do you do when you start receiving mysterious messages from the previous owner?"

The Good:

The first story gives the vibe like it can be a story for a horror movie anthology, such as the Shake, Rattle and Roll movies. The illustrations made by Alanguilan takes us back to the early drawings that were seen in Filipino komiks. These illustrations represent of those days wherein komiks were still being sold in the sari-sari stores.

The Bad:

The story bears a common plot. It gives off its slight shares of scares. If you had seen the Japanese movie called One Missed Call you will see the same elements are present except for the time of death.

Judas Kiss

Story by: Budjette Tan and David Hontiveros

Based on the short story by: David Hontiveros

Illustration by: Oliver Pulumbarit

"In a secluded house in the hills of Antipolo, Peter hides a secret. He has murdered his wife and brother and buried them in the garden. Peter is about to discover that the phantoms of his past hold an even more terrible secret."

The Good:

It is a great horror story for this anthology. A story that involves a mango tree and Judas' kiss would give you the chills. It was neatly written by the author.

The Bad:

Layout problems on some pages of this story can be seen. Thus, some of the texts can't be read.

Katumbas

Story by: David Hontiveros

Illustration by: Ian Sta. Maria

"When lost souls and wayward demons wreck havoc in our world, the Goddess of Death sends her immortal warrior to set things right. His name is Kadasig."

The Good:

Great story and illustrations for this short on Kadasig. The world of Kadasig made by Hontiveros was nicely illustrated by Sta. Maria. One of the coolest concept presented to us was Manduyapit. He is the grim reaper for the world of Kadasig. He rides on a cool skull laden jeepney and drives it as a way of fetching souls. Looking beyond these things would reveal his true image of a black hooded cloaked figure in a vessel that sails on a red river.

A nice promotional poster of Skyworld: Testament can be seen on one of the ads on the underpass.

The Bad:

It would have been nice if more information about Masakim, Ibu and Manduyapit were told. However, this is an anthology so that limits it, but it would be great to dwell upon them in the future stories.

The Clinic

Story by: Budjette Tan

Illustration by: Kajo Baldisimo

"Up-and-coming actress Lyn Reyes just found out she's pregnant. This unplanned development will ruin her career, or so says her manager. She agrees to have a very discreet operation at The Venus Clinic, where she discovers the darker side of showbiz."

The Good:

For some who don't know this duo, they are simply the ones responsible for the multi-awarded Trese books that has set a solid foot in the bookstores.

This is a rare treat to see their work in color. The story still persists in the Trese universe. Some references to Case 7 of the series was made pertaining to a dead body in Magna Mall.

Kajo Baldisimo gives us a wonderful two page spread showing a paranormal themed abortion. An abortion made by an aswang was nicely thought of and executed by the creators of this short story.

The Bad:

Trese should have known about this operation in one of her cases. It should have made it in one of her cases, most especially since it deals with an aswang.

The Verdict:

Underpass is one of the early anthologies made in order to get the attention of anyone who loves paranormal stories to explore the local comics.

The scariest story for me is Judas Kiss made by Hontiveros, Tan and Pulumbarit. It gives that creepy feeling of someone may be standing by your door while you sleep or resting on top of a branch while you take a shade from the sun. It draws fear due to the suspense given through expecting a terrifying event bound to happen any moment.

This anthology made up of 4 paranormal stories in comic form are greatly done. It is a nice stepping stone that gives us a view on how our local paranormal themed comics are shaped. Each one is crafted to suit the ride you may be looking for.

* Breakdown of Rating:

★☆☆☆☆ - 

★★☆☆☆ - 

★★★☆☆ - The Sim

★★★★☆ - Judas Kiss

★★★★★ - Katumbas; The Clinic

Comics: Precinto 13 ~ Calling The Parents Of A Little Girl In A Blue Dress

Story by: Budjette Tan

Illustrated by: Atan

Alamat Comics
(5/5 ★★★★★)

Precinto 13 shares the same universe with the Trese universe. It features short stories of cases that involves the paranormal.

The case presents the story of Tracy, the little girl in a blue dress that got lost in Robertson Mall. The story shows how the little girl is usually ignored and shouted at by her parents. She then got lost in a mall and is held under the temporary custody of the mall security until she is picked up by her parents. However, when two groups of adults shows up claiming to be her parents, she did not pick her dad and instead chose two parental figures who showered her with hugs and concern as they got to her first. The story ends with Tracy's parents asking for help from Capt. Guerrero to find her.

This is a nice story that could be a wake up call for some parents. Since Tracy's story can be heard and seen once in a while from kids who prefers to hangout with their friends rather than be at home. They do this since they are always just ignored or shouted at. What she had done in choosing a total stranger who gave her love and care from the first time they had just met is not far from the reality to some of the cases being reported on the local news.

As usual, Budjette shows his great writing abilities in giving us this story from Precinto 13. It is just a strange feeling for me that this comic is drawn by a different artist since I'm just accustomed that it is usually KaJo who draws stories from the Trese universe. But I don't have any negative remarks for Atan. I liked how he had drawn this comic most especially the cover.

I think no amount of praise will ever be sufficient since I know that stories that are part of the Trese universe is going to be worth the purchase.

More stories from Precinto 13 can be seen at:

http://tresekomix.blogspot.com/search/label/Precinto13

Anthology: Trese: Stories from the Diabolical ~ Volume 1

Story by: Budjette Tan

Illustration by: KaJo Baldisimo

VISPRINT
(5/5 ★★★★★)

 

This is one of the main reasons why I attended Aklatan 2013. It was one of the three books being launched by Visprint Publication. This is a treat that Budjette and KaJo has given to us in anticipation for the release of the 6th book of the Trese series.

Budjette, before starting his signing of the Trese books of fans, said a few words. He mentioned that this book, Trese: Stories from the Diabolical Volume 1, came about after receiving so many requests from the fans of the Trese series. They requested to have the stories that were put up in the website (www.diabolical13.blogspot.com) to be published in print after one story from the said website made its appearance in the Trese 6 Preview comic, which was released last Summer Komikon 2013. The story that was made part of the preview was "The Choir", which was also included in this book. The book contains 5 stories which are titled: "One Last Drink at the Diabolical", "The Usual Spot", "The Last Full Show", "The Choir", and "Coffee Black".

In here KaJo used a different style to illustrate some scenes in the story. As I had come to know, the artist used watercolor this time instead of having the usual sketching that he does for the Trese comics. He also did an interesting thing on the story "Coffee Black" in which the art is comparable to the abstract paintings you would usually see in coffee shops. The stories was written and edited really neatly by Budjette, knowing that there were some minor grammatical and typographical errors that can be seen on the ones uploaded on the website. These side stories, or as some would term them as supplemental stories for the Trese series, especially the story "One Last Drink at the Diabolical", are really nice to be read as they give us a wider perspective of the world of Trese. Since that story is clearly seen to be a prelude to the very first case of the Trese series. The end of that story signaled the beginning of the story "Case 1: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street". The other stories, even though they are not in direct correlation to any cases of the Trese stories that are published as of now, nevertheless are still equally good. The stories "The Usual Spot" and "Coffee Black" are short stories about love, in which I find the former story to have a more interesting love story. "The Last Full Show", on the other hand, tells of an interesting life being proposed to the elderly. This is by being able to have a moment to see a part of your life which you would like to reminisce before deciding if the experiences he or she had gone thru is already enough or satisfying. On the other hand, "The Choir" is a great Christmas story perfect for the coming Christmas season.

Overall, Budjette and Kajo gave us a treat by releasing this book. It really is a nice goodie while we await the release of the 6th book about the 6th child of the 6th child of Trese in the Winter Komikon 2013

More stories from the diabolical can be seen at:

www.diabolical13.blogspot.com

More of Trese at:

www.tresecomics.com

Facebook Page: "Trese Comics"

Comics: Trese 6 (Preview)

Story by: Budjette Tan

Illustration by: KaJo Baldisimo

Alamat Comics
(5/5 ★★★★★)

Even though this is just a preview for the next installment of Trese 6, Budjette and KaJo gives us a short comic that is still worth to hold on until the complete one is released. In this preview, we are introduced to the same stuff, Manila's surroundings and its problems with the paranormal, however, we are finally given a glimpse of one of Alexandra Trese's brothers. Carlos Trese is presented here in which the underworld knows of him as "The Verdugo" and to some as "Uno the Hunter". 

His character is introduced finally here after just a few notations of him in the previous cases in the Trese series. In this preview, I can sense that a huge plot awaits us. A big battle may be emerging in this 6th book. I'm guessing it being the 6th book, a huge plot will be brought upon us in connection to Alexandra being the 6th child of the 6th child. Well with this story as a glimpse into that book, one thing will be sure and that is that many surprises awaits us in Trese 6.

Among other things in the preview of the 6th book, I just noticed a minor error. On page B of the preview, in the frame wherein JanJan's cellphone screen is shown. I think that the last message might have been from her teacher, thus it being a message which she received, it should have been placed in the left side and not on the right. Well it's just one thing that I had observed and I may be wrong about its placement, but hey its still a good read.

 

An interesting addition to this preview can be found on the back side of the comic. The Trese creators has managed to give us two stories by its inclusion of "Stories from the Diabolical." The story is presented thru Hank's character on how and what the "Diabolical" encounters daily. The story presented here is entitled "The Choir" which talks about a man in the denim jacket, a new customer of the Diabolical, and the strange experiences he has been getting lately in his aunt's apartment. He says that he was always woken up in the wee hours of the night by kids singing "Silent Night". This continued for nights with the number of kids increasing but as soon as he steps out of the gate to give them money for their beautiful voice in caroling they just disappear.

Well it was nice for Budjette and KaJo to also have made this story printed. The story "The Choir" apparently was actually put up online on December 24, 2008 with Elbert Or back then to do the illustrations. It would be nice for them to have these stories compiled up and be printed for avid fans of the Trese comics.

For the Trese fans out there, well done if you managed to get this preview. I can say that this will be a great addition to our collection. Kudos to Sir Budjette and KaJo for opening us to Trese's world. We, Trese and soon to be Trese fans, awaits for the release of Trese 6 and maybe if possible we can have a copy or a preview of the shortfilm Trese: Case One that was made by a group of DLSU students as their thesis film. Well it would be great if there were a CD copy. Hoping that all of us would be able to see it on the next Komikon.

Note: Some of the images were taken from the net, while the others were just a photo from my copy since I couldn't find them uploaded on the internet.

More information about the Trese Comic can be seen at:

www.tresekomix.blogspot.com

More stories from the diabolical can be seen at:

www.diabolical13.blogspot.com

Comics: The Filipino Heroes League ~ Book Two: The Sword

Story and Illustration by: Paolo Fabregas

Edited by: Budjette Tan and Miren Alvarez-Fabregas

Cover Design and Chapter Covers by: Ian Sta. Maria

Alamat Comics
VISPRINT
(5/5 ★★★★★)

"In a final desperate move to cling to power amid the scandal of the Opposition Assassinations, President Reyes declares Martial Law.

The Filipino Heroes League believe that by doing so the President has fallen into a carefully laid trap constructed by the Torch and his cronies.

Before the President falls even deeper into the Touch's schemes, the FHL draw up a desperate plan to save him.

They plan to kidnap him"

The Filipino Heroes League (FHL), entails a Filipino version of, well you might already guess from the name, the Justice League. But, even with this similarity, Paolo Fabregas managed to create a great circle of Filipino heroes. One of the memorable things in Book 1 is the scene where there are two heroes on a pedicab while chasing after some armed men that just finished robbing a bank. It gives the tough of Filipino culture with the usage of that kind of transportation that is part of the Filipino culture. Book 1 ends with us wondering on how the turnout of events will be at the second book.

This is the pedicab scene from Book 1

In Book 2, the story just gets wilder with twists emerging from everywhere. There's a recollection of the People Power that transpired in EDSA years ago in which a dictator was removed from office. But take note, the dictator that occurred in the story was a super villain. A villain that has the power to kill anyone with just a touch of his hand, he can even make the air unbreathable, thus having been given the name "The Touch". There's also the similar personalities like Cardinal Sin, in which he lead the people into a peaceful rally towards Malacañang Palace. The immediate rescue and escape from Malacañang by the President, which could have been a reference to Former President Estrada's evacuation of the palace in the height of the so called EDSA 2 People Power.

The end of Book 1, gives the heroes a task of kidnapping the President, which is for the betterment of the country. With the President of the Philippines being kidnapped, the law takes into effect of the need of appointing a replacement. The President, still within the headquarters of the FHL, mentions to the group whoever replaces him as President is the villain that they are looking for

I would love to say more details about the contents of the book, but I'll just let you grab a copy instead. Since it can be easily bought from any known bookstores nationwide. Especially, since this comic is being distributed by Visprint, Inc. I can say that Paolo Fabregas has done a good job both in the art and the story line of this comic. He really got me confused as to who "The Touch" may be. I highly recommend that you grab Books 1 and 2 now, before the 3rd and final installment comes out in the market.

Note: Images were taken from the internet

More information about the comic book can be seen at:

www.filipinoheroesleague.com