The Philippine Online Chronicles

In this metropolis, supernatural beings are not immune to death or damage. And “just as the universe seeks balance, so does the underworld.” Right at the maelstrom where the universe and the underworld seek balance, Alexandra Trese is there following the trails of crime and events involving the supernatural.

Just as Arthur Conan Doyle (through the faithful Dr. Watson) chronicled the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo follow the adventures of Alexandra Trese, bar owner, detective and police consultant on crimes involving the paranormal in Trese. The streets, places and personalities they portray are so eerily familiar they might even convince you that there are nuno in the sewers and monsters right in the neighborhood.

Each installment of Trese is a standalone story featuring a crime. As Alexandra Trese follows each lead and interrogates suspects, victims and other persons, she uncovers the dark truth about paranormal creatures encroaching on the lives of “normal” folks. If the action gets hotter and more dangerous, she relies on the “Kambal” to protect her from harm she cannot handle herself.

So far, there are two Trese comics collection released by Tan and Baldisimo: Murder in Balete Drive and Unreported Murders. Each collection contains four standalone but interconnected stories.

Tan deftly takes elements of Filipino folklore and integrates them in the nitty-gritty of urban life in Metro Manila. The resulting tapestry is so amazing that Ruel De Vera compared Tan’s work to the likes of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and Chris Carter’s X-Files.

Mythological noir

The art of Trese is done in black and white. No graytones. No screentones. The heavy shadowing rendered by Baldisimo fits the creepy storylines, according to the Silent Waters. The dark lines and shadows illustrate how dark Manila can be with supernatural beings running wild against rules and restraints that normal folks know nothing about.

The series has begun to attract an international audience. As Comicmix blogger Andrew Wheeler's review says:

“[T]he art is gorgeously inky, with a sometimes scratchy intimacy and flow… Tan has an entirely different mythology to work with – one he and his original audience knows well, and which he explains just enough so that non-Filipinos can figure them out. But they’re still new and exciting, the way supernatural beings should be – they may have rules and restraints but we don’t know what those are.”

Tan and Baldisimo's is a contribution to the growing comics resurgence in the Philippines. It is certainly in the tradition of Arnold Arre’s Mythology Class and Whilce Portacio's Stone.

“Nothing short of brilliant”

Journalists, bloggers and DeviantArt users have been captivated by Trese. The6thcorner blog calls it “Not Another Noypi Ghost Story.” J. Vincent Sarabia Ong of Supreme.ph declares Trese a “fitting homage to monsters, mythology and Metro Manila.”

Leigh Reyes of Adobo Magazine identifies the influences of Trese and why it is worth putting in anyone’s collection: “Beyond the culture riffs and references, what makes it worthy of your shelf space is that most comic-book of qualities: the alchemy of words and art. The ultimate mystery of Trese is how, at its best, it makes you believe in Filipino comics all over again.”

Gerry Alanguilan, a noted local comics artist is impressed with the talent of Tan and Baldisimo, saying that Trese is “nothing short of brilliant”. A quick glance at deviantart.com fan illustrations would show that Trese is indeed growing in popularity and appeal. Cosplayers have even portrayed Alexandra Trese at Komikon and other events.

A new energy in komiks

Through the efforts of Budjette Tan and other graphic artists and storytellers, a new generation of Filipinos is enjoying the recreation and fresh interpretation of Pinoy folklore and culture. It is considered Filipino speculative fiction at its best.

Even the best stories in Pinoy komiks can be buried like the proverbial needle in the haystack of pop culture with the dominance of imported comics such as Marvel and DC. That is, if local audiences will not patronize and buy locally written and produced comics. In Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo’s Trese, however, another world-class product by Filipinos is waiting to burst into the mainstream comics scene.

Published by Visprint, Trese is available at Comic Quest, Comic Odyssey, Pandayan, National Bookstore, Best Sellers, Fully Booked, Powerbooks and other leading bookstores and comics outlets. You can also get a preview at http://tresekomix.blogspot.com/