I got my hands on Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo’s supernatural crime graphic collection Trese: Murder on Balate Drive (published by Visual Print Enterprises).

I previously bought a graphic short story of the comic team’s mysterious detective Alexandra Trese, and I was intrigued enough to get the 4-story collection for P100. It was more than worth the price.

I’m a sucker of comic book stories based on our local culture. From Arnold Arre’s Mythology Class (a look into Philippine Mythology) to Carlo Vergara’s Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah (a deconstruction of local superheroes), I always knew Pinoys had a lot of stories to tell, especially with the best graphic novel conventions and techniques from all over the comic world. Trese is a worthy link to the chain that would eventually open up these stories to the general public.

What is Trese? Trese is about the daughter of a famous (infamous?) figure in the supernatural world, who now spends her time investigating occult mysteries in Manila. Little is know about her background so far, where she got her two inhuman henchmen, why she investigates occult crimes all over the Metro, or why she even wears trench coats in this tropical climate. But Budjette’s writing and Kajo’s illustrations pulls in the reader to the mysteries behind each investigation, and the folklore behind each mystery keeps them anticipating the next chapter.

For anyone who is hungry for local comics with content, grab a copy of Trese. I’m eagerly awaiting for the next two installments to be released later this year.

Tags: Alexandra Trese, Budjette Tan, Kajo Baldisimo, Visual Print Enterprises

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