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: Visprint's Libro x Tag-ulan Online Book Sale

The wet season is here. It's a great time to spend those rainy days reading. most especially since Visprint will be having an online book sale.

The sale will occur on July 4 - 29, 2016. Visprint books will be having 40% OFF on all of the books that they have in their stocks. The books could be delivered or picked up personally at Visprint's office in Pasay City.

Shipping rates are as follows:

• Metro Manila
• Large = Php. 75
• Extra Large = Php. 95
• Province
• Large = Php. 115
• Extra Large = Php. 185

Shipping pouches size Large is 9'' x 4'' while Extra Large is 12" x 18"

The prices of each books can be seen below:

(Comics & Graphic Novels) 

(Fiction & Creative Non Fiction)

Better send those orders quick for some books have less then 50 copies left in the office.

More information about VISPRINT can be seen at:

Facebook Page: "VISPRINT"

Novels: Tatlong Gabi Tatlong Araw

Story by: Eros Atalia

VISPRINT

(4/5 ★★★★☆)

(Cover by Karen Francisco)

"MULA  TABLOID HANGGANG TV NETWORK, naibibigay ni Raymundo Mojica ang hinihingi sa kaniya ng industriya. Nagsimulang horoscope writer sa isang tabloid na may pinakamalaking sirkulasyon hanggang maging kilala sa paggawa ng documentary.

Bumalik siya sa kapistahan ng Brgy. Magapok, dahil na rin sa kahilingan ng namatay niyang ina, upang ilagay ang picture frame sa altar at isaboy ang kaunting abo sa kapatagang napalapit sa puso nito. Pagdating ni Mong (kanyang palayaw) sa probinsya ng Sta. Barbara na nakakasakop sa Brgy. Magapok, tutumbukin ito ng super typhoon. Nakipag-unahan si Mong sa bagyo para makarating agad nang ligtas sa Magapok.

Napuno ng kababalaghan at karahasan ang isa sanang simpleng kasiyahan ng tatlong araw na pista ng patron na si Sta. Barbara de Bendita. Isa-isang nawala ang mga alagang hayop at tao. Nasaksihan niya kung paanong kinain ng lupa ang isang buong baka. Nakipaghilahan siya kasama ng mga taga-Magapok laban sa isang kamay na humihila-pailalim sa isang bata. Nagawa niyang mai-record sa kaniyang camera ang daan-daang kataong hindi na nagising at pati na rin ang pag-agaw ng kung anong liwanag sa mga natitirang buhay sa Magapok.

Sa dinami-dami ng kaniyang teorya, mula sa pakikipagsabwatan ng mga minero sa bandido, ng rebelde sa sundalo, ng sinkhole, ng bio-chemical warfare hanggang sa alien abduction...naging mailap ang katotohanan sa isang tulad niyang mamamahayag na tagapaghatid o tagalikha ng katotohanan."

The Good:

The story of life in Barangay Magapok was neatly told through the eyes of Mong.

It is presented in the perspective of a journalist, hence, the documentary-like vibe that one could get from reading this novel. Setting up the horrors that Barangay Magapok would have to endure besides the approaching super typhoon, Atalia has made this story appear like an investigative research.

At first glance, it might just be a simple overview of disturbances in some communities that can usually be seen on documentaries such as illegal logging, illegal mining, bandits and rebels. It also takes a look at how some news are carried out. From the simple horoscope readings up to the big announcements made by politicians, there indeed is a bigger news revolving around the news reporter.

The Bad:

If one is really strick about grammar, such reader could find a couple of those in this novel.

The Verdict:

It really deserves the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award that this novel got for such type of story telling that the author has managed to give.

Tatlong Gabi Tatlong Araw can make one wonder as to how this novel might look like if it is adapted to the big screens via found footage type of story telling. If it fails, I'm sure it would work just fine if it was turned as a documentary type of film. Because that is how amazing the narrative was written here.

Although it might be hard to interview a Malakat for this film. This is an excellent work that will bring you to tears as the news report comes to an end.

"...matutulungan po nating mamulat at mag-isip ang masa kahit paano. Na hindi totoong ang kausap lang ng matalino ay kapwa matalino." - Mong

Book News: Visprint Announces Lineup of Comics for 2016

Komiket Talks were held as part of the program of the February Komiket 2016. Part of it was a talk on the topic of "Getting Published", which was conducted by Kyra Ballesteros from Visprint.

It was here where Visprint made a lot of fans happy due to their announcement of the comics lined up for 2016. It echoes a feeling deep inside that is similar to that time wherein Marvel Studios announced the movies lined up for Phase 3.

The following are the comic book titles announced. As of the moment only a few were mentioned to be finished by their respective comic book creators. Two comic book covers so far has been posted by their creators online. But only one has a definite release date.

• After Lambana
• Eliza Victoria and Mervin Malonzo

• Zsazsa Zaturnah sa Kalakhang Maynila Blg. 2
• Carlo Vergara
• Summer Komikon 2016

• Kikomachine Komix Blg. 12: Mandirigma ng Tadhana
• Manix Abrera
• November Komikon 2016

• The Filipino Heroes League ~ Book Three
• Paolo Fabregas

• Trese 7
• Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo

• The Dark Colony ~ The Demon Dungeon 2
• Budjette Tan, Bow Guerrero and JB Tapia

Caught off guard. This announcement will surely entice the fans to check out the different comic conventions for the release of these books.

Comics: 14

Illustration and Story by: Manix Abrera

VISPRINT

(5/5 ★★★★★)

The Plot:

It begins on one rainy night. The best thing to do, during this weather, is by sharing stories. Fourteen (14) stories filled with different themes to match the rain are told by different Philippine mythological creatures that ends with a story told by a human being.

The book begins with a guy arriving at his apartment during a heavy rainfall. Upon his ascent inside the elevator, towards the 14th floor, different mythological creatures began entering from different floors. They all exited at the 13th floor, a floor that wasn't on the elevator's button to begin with. Exiting the elevator at this floor is where all the stories began.

Eight (8) different mythological creatures namely; a mananangal, diwata, doppelganger, kapre, white lady, tikbalang, duwende and a tiyanak, told the first 13 stories. The last story was told by a human to complete the 14 stories.

The Good
In comparison to 12, Manix's first published silent comics, there were a lot of changes that was done to 14. First is the nice binding of the pages in contrast to 12 whose pages easily comes off. Then, there's the manner how all 14 stories were told to appear to be interconnected to one another. It sure does feel great to see that each story fits perfectly in the bigger picture.

The best story for me is the one told by the tiyanak. It has a sad and a nice way of reasoning out their incessant crying that will surely terrify anyone who hears it.

The Bad:

I guess the only bad thing in here is the abrupt and short confusion that may be experienced in reading the Tiyanak story. It would be seen that the illustrations were suddenly rotated upside down. It would give a slight confusion if this page was wrongly printed by the publisher.

The Verdict:

This 14 silent comics made by Manix gives a representation of the type of stories that we tend to talk during a rainy weather. Stories about our local mythology, mystery and love are just some of those.

When one expects Manix to have done all that he could in his 12 silent comics, he comes back showing to us that he can still raise the bar even though he has already raised it up so high.

Manix never disappoints his fans, all those crazy guys (including myself) who suddenly appears out of nowhere and begin the absurd line formation in order to get the ink (of whatever he is holding) be splattered out unto our most cared and regarded as sacred Kikomachine Komik books. His fans will often be comforted knowing that almost always they are going to have a great time reading his works.

14 lands nicely on a sweet spot on my bookshelf that holds the best works that could be read, even after the rain has stopped falling.

More of the creator's works can be seen at:

Facebook Page: "Kikomachine Komix!"

Twitter: @kikomachinekmx, @manix_abrera

Anthology: Wakasang Wasak

Story by: Carlos "Siege" Malvar

VISPRINT

(4.14/5 ★★★★☆)

(Cover by Kit Lapeña)

"What is the hiwaga that is in the dako paroon?

Created by the balintataw or of, like, OA na imagination?

I mean, what the fuck is a balintataw, anyway?

Here are three tales of wild,

wonderful women in wicked situations.

Why are men dying to be on The Kama ni Stella?

Why does Dindin have a bad feeling about

Ang Mutya ng San Isidro?

And who's the DJ in the place Where Angels Fear to Dance?

What are you waiting for?

Yes, you, holding this book at the bookstore?

Buy this now.

Ang magsoli nito sa shelf...

MAMAMATAY."

The Good:

Siege Malvar provides us with more than 3 stories in this anthology. He gave us around 7 short stories whose main characters were mostly women. From the story of the poor mother in the introduction up to the hilariously written vampire slaying witch at the post credit scenes, it has been a fun, hilarious and enjoyable ride reading Wakasang Wasak.

The best story, excluding the one in the introduction and the post credit scenes, was the Ang Kama Ni Stella story. For the Post Credit Scenes, the best one among the three was Sparkle, Bitch!

All the three main stories were written to entertain most of us and to penetrate the social awareness in some of us. These three stories that circulate around the lives of these three women imply different current social issues. The first story dwells on the prevalence and even the current accepted norm of casual sex. On the other hand, the second story leans more on the topic of the RH Bill (which has already been passed and is now a Law). The third story mixes a bit of the two underlying themes to give a story about unwanted pregnancy.

The cover of this anthology represents well the different stories enveloped in the book. The portrayal of the dark society that we live in, especially to women.

The Bad:

Other readers may be discouraged from finishing this anthology once they reach the second story. The usage of words and countless curses thrown everywhere may raise the eyebrow and be the cause of the return of this book back by "conservative" and "religious" readers.

If the only reason why you had picked up this anthology is because of the cover, due to the hint that it implies that the book is a horror story, rest assured that it would really disappoint you. But it has a nice surprise to those who are open-minded enough to realize the underlying themes that was written on it.

There are also some things in here that the editor and/or author has failed to notice which could get the attention of grammar nazis.

The Verdict:

A warning for Mature Readers would have been better if it was placed on the cover of this excellent work by Siege Malvar.

Stories full of H.P. Lovecraft's works, sorcery and the current young adult novel themes, Wakasang Wasak would have been fun to see if it was given its own movie adaptation to the likes of the Shake, Rattle and Roll movie franchise.

This has been a great first read of Malvar's books. It was overwhelming as Siege Malvar ended this book hilariously with Sparkle, Bitch!

"... what makes us monsters is our need to be saints."

More of the creator's works can be seen at:

Twitter: @whatsiegesaid

* Breakdown of Rating:

★☆☆☆☆ - 

★★☆☆☆ - 

★★★☆☆ - Where Angels Fear to Dance; The Other Woman's New Affair (Post Credit Scenes)

★★★★☆ - Ang Mutya ng San Isidro;  Run, Barbie, Run (Post Credit Scenes)

★★★★★ - Intro Story; Ang Kama Ni Stella; Sparkle, Bitch (Post Credit Scenes)

Novels: Dwellers

Story by: Eliza Victoria

VISPRINT
(3/5 ★★★☆☆)

(Cover by Aldy Aguirre)

"Rule No. 1: You don't kill the body you inhabit.

Rule No. 2: You should never again mention your previous name

Rule No. 3: You don't ever talk about your previous life. Ever.

Two young men with the power to take over another body inhabit the bodies and lives of brothers Jonah and Louis. The takeover leads to a car crash, injuring Jonah's legs and forcing them to stay in the brothers' house for the time being.

The street is quiet. The neighbors aren't nosy. Everything is okay.

They are safe, for now.

Until they find a dead body in the basement."

The Good:

The synopsis will clearly get anyone's attention. An ounce of sorcery. Add in that mystery and crime plus the author that gave us Project 17. It will really lure us into the lives of Louis and Jonah.

These rules regarding the switching of bodies are a great way to capture a reader's attention. Rule No. 4 is hidden and can only be read in the novel.

You would think sorcery, mystery and crime was the only thing that can be read in this novel. Well you're wrong. Eliza makes that surprise of adding a frightening moment in the story. What better way of doing that by having the soul of the dead body haunt the brothers, even though the current owners of the brothers' bodies have no idea of why they have a dead body in the basement.

The Bad:

The sorcery in the whole 3 parts of the novel had left me in deep hunger in trying to know of the past lives of the current Louis and Jonah. I personally would have loved to know a little more on why their bloodline can have such 'tricks' or power. I just can't think of a being that can cast spells by reciting them or by drawing a symbol on a piece of paper. I would love to know more on that part of the character's life.

The ending was a cliffhanger for me. Initially, I thought that it ended with Jonah going into a deep deadly sleep. But after reading the novel again, it seems to me that he could have just have passed out due to exhaustion. He could have not yet taken the pills like Louis so there could have been more to the story.

The Verdict:

It was a great adventure of learning the identity of the body of the brothers that was recently acquired. Even though, this was a story of body snatching and murder, there are a lot more positive points presented by the author. There is this part where the personality of the antagonist changed. Revealing more of the personality and thoughts (if I think I'm right on this one) of the author. The character talked more on the government, corruption, society and the environment. It was thrilling to read a moment of the author's thoughts from one of her characters in the story.

Even at the very end, the story manages to hide from us the true names of the inhabitants of the bodies of the brothers, Louis and Jonah. Dwellers is a nice story that has the right blend of sorcery, crime and horror. The mystery of another stranger's life is interestingly uncovered through clues within their reach.

"Let's say my name is Jonah and he is Louis.

Even here, in this story, I can't make myself tell you our real names." - Jonah

More of the creator's works can be seen at:

http://www.elizavictoria.com

Twitter: @elizawriteshere

Events: Visprint WIT 2015

Hey! If by some chance that you need some distressing after waves of exams, looking for a reward after graduating or simply just in search of events that consists of meeting with our local authors, well here's a good news from Visprint.

Novels: Project 17

Story by: Eliza Victoria

VISPRINT
(4/5 ★★★★☆)

(Cover by Jap Mikel)

This is one of the three books that was launched by VISPRINT on Aklatan: The First All-Filipino Book Festival last year.

The story is set in the Philippines, mostly in Hagonoy, Bulacan. The country is seen to be in the period wherein technology has taken over our security. The SentryServ becomes the future Police Intelligence with the Sentry serving as the ground police enforcer who maintains peace and order round the clock.

The plot begins with Lilian temporarily working in the Dolores brothers' household as a summer job while school is off. She lands as a babysitter for Paul's brother, Caleb, who is suffering from a schizoaffective disorder. However, curiosity regarding her employers' background makes a shocking revelation. According to the records, her employers' name does not exist. It gets weirder as she discovers a different identity that her employers seem to previously have. Strangely those names are claimed to be already dead for more than 10 years. As several bodies related to Northpoint-Pascual ends up dead, more information about the brothers' identity surfaces. The story unravels itself in an amazingly fast pace that makes you want to run after Lilian as the truth unfolds.

This is the first time I've read a novel whose plot involves robots and drugs targeting schizoaffective disorder. As a medical student, the drugs mentioned in this novel suddenly made me think if any of these are really prescribed. Aside from those things, the writer included a nice way to tell some parts of the story. It was entertainingly done by using the twitter ID of known local news agencies. The events felt more realistic as twitter, currently one of the ways we use to check for news that occurs around us, was utilized. Twitter played a big part in the dissemination of information, like what happened during the Zamboanga siege, Visayan Earthquake, and Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan.

This is another great book from VISPRINT. Aside from the nice story telling made by Eliza Victoria, one cannot ignore the illustrations made in each chapter and on the cover of the book. All these illustrations were made by Jap Mikel. Their combined work makes Project 17 a fun and an exhausting read that will surely set our imaginative adrenaline to rise up. Just be on the look out for any Girl X. She might be your final days companion.

More of the creator's works can be seen at:

Twitter: @elizawriteshere

www.elizavictoria.com

Comics: 12 Silent Comics

Illustrated and Story by: Manix Abrera

VISPRINT
(5/5 ★★★★★)

"Mga tagpo ng kawindangan, kaligayahan, at kamatayan."

This is the first wordless Kikomachine Komix anthology made by Manix Abrera. It features 12 silent comics. It gives the reader their own interpretation on each stories for the text bubbles have been omitted out. The story will depend on how each facial expression and gesture are interpreted by the individual.

There are 12 stories which obviously doesn't have a title. But if I'd give a title for each one it would be like:

1 - Why?

2 - Late

3 - Anger Management

4 - Letting Go

5 - Killer Instincts

6 - Responsibility

7 - Respect

8 - Blind

9 - Day Dreaming

10 - Cheating

11 - Pursuit of Happiness

12 - Birthday Blues

I would say that my favorites would be the 3rd, 6th, 8th and 12th story. The third story depicts that we should always try to control our anger. Sometimes, for whatever reason it is, the fight that we have with that person isn't really worth prolonging.

The 6th story flashes back some memories since it deals with the dissection of a frog. I think the underlying theme for this story can be found from the famous line of the Spider-man comics, "Remember, with great power, comes great responsibility."

The 12th story is a sad closing story for the book. It is one of the worst things that could happen on anyone's birthday. I'd rather not spoil this one since this is better seen.

The story that really struck me is the 8th one. It deals with the story of a little girl who got lost in the crowd with her mother. Disturbing events followed, such as the removal of the girl's eyes and attaching it to her balloon. This served as her guide since she can now see above the crowd. The story ends with the crowd around her realizing that she's blind.

This is a nice collection of stories made by Manix. Some stories are really dark. But as with any work, it is the differences in the points of view that will elicit different responses as to the lightness or heaviness of the message of the story being imparted. Especially since these stories give us an image of how our current society functions. Such is the story of anger management, wherein numerous incidents of lack of self control often leads to death on the road. A common example usually seen is road rage.

These are stories seen in our everyday life. We just don't see it since most of them are just ignored. Indeed every story unfolds silently.

More of the creator's works can be seen at:

Facebook Page: "Kikomachine Komix!"

Twitter: @kikomachinekmx

Events: VISPRINT's October Treat

It has been a while since I last updated this blog. Well with the semestral break that I finally got from medical school, I'll try to post some reviews that I had been delaying. Well enough of that and let's move on to this good news from the publisher of most of the local books that I read and own.

VISPRINT, in celebration of its anniversary, is holding a treat for loyal customers this October 2013. It will be holding two promos for this month which will surely be enjoyed by book lovers. The first is the "Warehouse Sale", which is conducted on all Saturdays of October. In here, books ranging from novels up to comics are on sale for 20-40% off. It really is a treat which could also be used as a way to get some of your Christmas shopping of books for your love ones be finished right away from your Christmas list.

The second treat, which is mostly for those who cannot go to the Warehouse Sale, is their conduction of a "Free Shipping Promo". This is added by having a Php. 100 rebate for every Php. 500 worth of purchases. 

These promos are indeed a nice Halloween treat and an early Christmas gift that Visprint gave to us. Make sure to be able to do your purchases right away since these promos will only occur for the month of October 2013.

More information about VISPRINT can be seen at:
Facebook Page: "VISPRINT"
www.visprintpub.blogspot.com

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: 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