Saturday, September 25, 2010

TRESE: Super(natural) Heroine


As the blog description puts it, this site covers Filipino comic book heroes from the 1980's, the 90's and beyond, and this is where the beyond part comes in-- in more ways than one. This also marks our 13th post, so it is perhaps only fitting to shine the spotlight on that darker corner of the Pinoy Superheroes Universe, where stalks...
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Trese is a black-and-white indie comic book begun in 2005 by writer Ferdinand-Benedict G. "Budjette" Tan and artist Jonathan A. "KaJo" Baldisimo, and released under the Alamat Comics imprint.

The criminal underworld meets the supernatural one in this horror-crime series, which adapts elements of Philippine mythology and folklore, updating them to a gritty contemporary urban setting.
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ALEXANDRA TRESE

As stated on the back cover of each issue:
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"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.
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When crime takes a turn for the weird, the police call Alexandra Trese."

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The daughter of famed paranormal expert Anton Trese, Alexandra works as a private investigator, taking on criminal cases with ties to the realm of the supernatural.
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Apart from her intimate knowledge of the occult, she is also a very formidable fighter, particularly proficient with her mystical kris, the Sinag.


THE KAMBAL

Trese is aided by her two masked enforcers, known only as the Kambal ("The Twins"). Armed with guns whose bullets prove fatal to supernatural beings, the mysterious twins also possess supernatural powers of their own, such as the ability to fly.


This is my favorite Kambal moment, for some reason...


CAPTAIN GUERRERO
An acquaintance of Anton Trese, Police Captain Guerrero typically calls in his old friend's daughter whenever an out-of-the-ordinary case (to put it mildly) baffles the Manila Police.



THE DIABOLICAL

When not out solving bizarre crimes, Trese runs The Diabolical, a popular Malate nightclub haunted by both mortals and malignos alike.


SUPERHEROES AND THE SUPERNATURAL
While Trese may not be your typical comic book superheroine, the series does make a number of superhero references. This is most notable in its third issue, Our Secret Constellation (March 2006), which is a dark and tragic homage to a classic Pinoy komiks character...


In the fourth issue, The Tragic Case of Dr. Burgos (May 2006), Trese faces an adversary inspired by a character from the Golden Age of American comics...


In that same issue, Trese makes a phone call to a man known as The Metalero, who resembles another iconic Pinoy hero...


And the story ends with a cameo from an earlier Budjette Tan creation, the superhero rock band Batch 72.


LUCKY TRESE
The series' initial 13-issue run has been collected in three graphic novel volumes (Murder on Balete Drive, Unreported Murders, and Mass Murders) published by Visual Print Enterprises. Its third volume has recently been announced as a finalist for the Graphic Literature category of the 29th National Book Awards.














Read a review of Trese volumes 1-3 on The Comics Cube!
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For news and info on the series (as well as the first few issues posted online), visit the official Trese website.

31 comments:

  1. Very cool! I never made the connection to Panday, nor did I know about Batch 72 (good material for Easter Eggs). Are you sure about the connection to the Human Torch though? (I can only think that that's who you're referring to.)

    Either way, great post!

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    1. Alex Fortune was part of international superheroes in popular media worldwide.

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  2. The character was named after the Golden Age Torch's creator. There's also a Silver Age reference: check out the name of his first victim.

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    1. She is the paranormal monster hunter and vigilante battles monsters ghouls witches vampires zombies and others became the crimefighter and main protagonist based from the story by Budgette Tan inspired from the TV animated series aired on Netflix worldwide.

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  3. Suh-weet! I can't believe I just missed those!

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    1. Alex Fortune a live action movie is coming to the big screen next year soon.

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  4. hey aris!

    how very observant of you :)

    gerry was the first one to point out the "karl burgos" connection. you're the second guy to mention it :)

    did you see Batman and Wolverine in Book3?
    I didn't! one of the readers mentioned it to me a couple of months after the book came out! hahaha!

    great review / overview of Trese! nice layout of the blog entry!

    btw, you're not the only one who likes the "higante in the banyo" line
    http://exhibit13.blogspot.com/2009/12/exhibit-101.html

    Thank you very much for this post!

    --budjette

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    1. I am the fan of classic TV and movies in popular media worldwide.

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    2. I am the fan of classic TV and movies in popular media throughout the world.

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    3. Alex Trece to be aired to Youtube Channel soon.

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    4. Alex Trece vs. Dr. Strange.

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    5. Alex Trece vs Loki.

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    6. Alex Trece vs. Constantine battle of both worlds.

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    7. Alex Trece vs. Death Note battle of both worlds crossover story.

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    8. Alex Trece vs. Valentina comicbook crossover story.

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    9. Alex Fortune vs. Lara Croft of Tomb Raider crossover story.

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    10. Alex Fortune vs Blade crossover story.

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    11. Alex Fortune she is the main protagonist/antiheroine from the popular novels by Budgette Tan.

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  5. I'm glad you liked it, sir. I don't have Book 3 yet, but I'll be on the lookout for Bruce and Logan when I do. Best of luck on Trese and your other projects.

    (^_^)

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    1. Alex Fortune a literary character and comicbook heroine created by Budgette Tan.

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    2. Alex Trece Filipino comicbook series from the Philippines.

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    3. Alex Trece the Movie coming soon to the big screen next year in 2024.

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    4. Shaye Mitchell as Alex Fortune American version of the popular TV series.

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    5. Liza Soberano as Alex Trece Filipina version of the popular TV animated series Alex Trece.

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    6. Alex Fortune becomes a live action adventure horror suspense superhero melodrama film coming soon to Universal Studios summer 2025.

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    7. Alex Fortune vs Freddy Kruger crossover story.

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    8. Alex Fortune vs. Predator/Yautja crossover story.

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    9. Alex Fortune vs. Zuma Snake King crossover story.

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    10. Alex Fortune vs. Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre crossover story.

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    11. Alex Fortune vs. Jason Voorhees crossover story.

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    12. Alex Fortune vs. Count Dracula battle of Transylvania crossover story.

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