War Of The Green Lanterns - Love it!

It’s been about 4 years now since I last re-visited Green Lantern and realized why I had this penchance for rings when I was a kid. Fast forward to today and after major yearly crises that has plagued OA and the rest of the DC Universe; I am still hooked and proud to be a Lantern at heart. Reading War of the Green Lanterns this month as it only came out in hardcover and compiles the entire storyline via different issues of Green Lantern and Emerald Warriors; Geoff Johns has once again won my heart and proved why he is the man who wears the DC crown.

Touted as the big crisis following the successful and my favorite GL crisis, Blackest Night and its 3 part sequel, Brightest Day, one would think that there would not be another crisis than can come close to equalling these past 2 big events. And it so happens that they didn’t have to create another villain to spin a brand new crisis that would incapacitate and affect our ring wielding friends because they already have one in their midst. And this came in the form of a renegade guardian named Krona. The hardcover 10-issue compilation collects the different runs of the storyline as it appears in Green Lantern #63-67, Green Lantern Corps #58-60, Emerald Warriors #8-10.

Having met Krona first in the 80’s series, Crisis on Infinite Earths and then have him associated with past DC events like Infinite Crisis and the 2 most recent GL crises, it was but natural that they bring him back to finally tie up loose ends with his fellow Guardians and to give Krona the centerstage attention that he so long desired. (I’m not saying, deserved either)

With Krona’s entrance, it’s also the resolution of the damage that the so called Guardians have had to answer for. From the secrets and lies that they told in order to keep the Lanterns in the dark of what they must not know and limit their knowledge to what they need to know, this war was very much a war among the Guardians themselves and not just confined to their Green “police squad”. Following the events of Green Lantern: Brightest Day, we find our hero Hal Jordan working alongside with the other members of the different corps, branded as such by the Guardians as enemies, in protecting the various emotional entities from Krona’s influence.

So far Krona has succeeded in obtaining all the emotional entities (Ion for Green; Parallax for Yellow; Ophidian for Orange; Butcher for Red; Adara for Blue, Proselyte for Indigo and Predator for Violet) and have “led” this temporary truce-bound group of lanterns to the Planet Ryut; which is in Sector 666, and home world of the red lantern leader, Atrocitus. This same planet where his Red Lantern, representing the emotional spectrum of rage, was formed and tragically is also site of the massacre of his people by the robotic Manhunters made by the Guardians eons ago.  According to the Book of Oa that contained a history of the Lantern Corps, the Manhunters were robots manufactured by the Guardians to ensure peace in the galaxy but a glitch in their basic programming caused them to massacre everyone on the planet Ryut and thus begin Atrocitus’ lifelong dream of exacting his revenge on the Guardians.

On Ryut, the multi-colored Lanterns fell susceptible to the Book of the Black kept by Krona and protected by now Black Keeper Lyssa Drak who once was a member of the Sinestro Corps and wielded a yellow Ring that represented the emotional spectrum of fear. The Lanterns were thus given a glimpse into the true secret that the Guardians have kept for so long. The “secret” was actually the omitted and torn out passages or journal entries from the Book of Oa and were replayed in their minds as they are strapped to the book by Black Chains for the duration of their “virtual history lesson”.

As the book shows, Krona was one of the original Guardians hailing from the planet Maltus who sought out the meaning of life; the origin of creation. 

He was a brilliant scientist that dared to question and in his result bungled his own experiment and created the opposite of all life called The Anti Universe. For this and for recognizing the existence and use of emotion to which the Guardians were totally against he was sentenced to death and was in pursuit by the Manhunters. The book further revealed, much to the horror of all that It was Krona who re-worked the programming of the Manhunters and to randomly select a world to kill; a point which he had hoped to bring across to the Guardians that he meant business. That an “emotionless” police force is not without flaws and must be corrected.

Having thus learned the truth, the Lanterns were sucked into the book, but not before Sinestro and Hal detonated their own rings and enabled Hal to be free of the chains that bound him. Which was well and good, had it not been for the arrival of several Green Lanterns lead by Salaak who were commanded by the Guardians to arrest Hal and bring him back to Oa for sanction.

Krona as this time had already returned Parallax, the yellow entity of Fear into the central battery and have begun manipulating the bearers of the Green Lantern ring thru Parallax and was having them fight against Hal, former Guardian Ganthet (but now a self inducted Green Lantern), John Stewart, Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner.

That basically is the gist of the run of the storyline and I’m stopping here lest I be tempted to reveal more spoilers. Just like my favorite GL crises, The Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night, this compilation has all the action that any GL fan has come to love and expect with its own share of character introspection and plot twists. Only when I re-read this a second time did it dawn on me that Hal for all his bravado and will is turning out to be rather Machiavellian in his ways and it is perhaps in this that the Guardians have begun to fear him and regard him as a threat; that he perhaps could be another Krona in the making. But in his defense, Hal is aware of the radical steps that he has taken and in one panel, has admitted he has bitten off more than he can chew at the height of this crisis.

Suffice to say, Johns has given us another reason to love the Green Lantern Corps and what it stands for and in the process have given two major lanterns a shot of soul searching and redemption. If you like your reads action packed and unpredictable  then  War of the Green Lanterns is a must this holiday season. And although the end certainly paves the way for the new reboot of the franchise by way of the new-52 by DC, I can only imagine the next chapter that all our favorite Lanterns would have to go through following this devastating blow of a war. No one said that war will exempt the brave and the lucky ones from being a casualty. But after this, the word “casualty” is certainly being redefined as the Corps itself is being reshaped and put into the ringer. Power up Poohzers. Time for a new beginning!

War Of The Green Lanterns - Gotta Love It!

It’s been about 4 years now since I last re-visited Green Lantern and realized why I had this penchance for rings when I was a kid. Fast forward to today and after major yearly crises that has plagued OA and the rest of the DC Universe; I am still hooked and proud to be a Lantern at heart. Reading War of the Green Lanterns this month as it only came out in hardcover and compiles the entire storyline via different issues of Green Lantern and Emerald Warriors; Geoff Johns has once again won my heart and proved why he is the man who wears the DC crown.

Touted as the big crisis following the successful and my favorite GL crisis, Blackest Night and its 3 part sequel, Brightest Day, one would think that there would not be another crisis than can come close to equalling these past 2 big events. And it so happens that they didn’t have to create another villain to spin a brand new crisis that would incapacitate and affect our ring wielding friends because they already have one in their midst. And this came in the form of a renegade guardian named Krona. The hardcover 10-issue compilation collects the different runs of the storyline as it appears in Green Lantern #63-67, Green Lantern Corps #58-60, Emerald Warriors #8-10.

Having met Krona first in the 80’s series, Crisis on Infinite Earths and then have him associated with past DC events like Infinite Crisis and the 2 most recent GL crises, it was but natural that they bring him back to finally tie up loose ends with his fellow Guardians and to give Krona the centerstage attention that he so long desired. (I’m not saying, deserved either)

With Krona’s entrance, it’s also the resolution of the damage that the so called Guardians have had to answer for. From the secrets and lies that they told in order to keep the Lanterns in the dark of what they must not know and limit their knowledge to what they need to know, this war was very much a war among the Guardians themselves and not just confined to their Green “police squad”. Following the events of Green Lantern: Brightest Day, we find our hero Hal Jordan working alongside with the other members of the different corps, branded as such by the Guardians as enemies, in protecting the various emotional entities from Krona’s influence.

So far Krona has succeeded in obtaining all the emotional entities (Ion for Green; Parallax for Yellow; Ophidian for Orange; Butcher for Red; Adara for Blue, Proselyte for Indigo and Predator for Violet) and have “led” this temporary truce-bound group of lanterns to the Planet Ryut; which is in Sector 666, and homeworld of the red lantern leader, Atrocitus. This same planet where his Red Lantern, representing the emotional spectrum of rage, was formed and tragically is also site of the massacre of his people by the robotic Manhunters made by the Guardians eons ago.  According to the Book of Oa that contained a history of the Lantern Corps, the Manhunters were robots manufactured by the Guardians to ensure peace in the galaxy but a glitch in their basic programming caused them to massacre everyone on the planet Ryut and thus begin Atrocitus’ lifelong dream of exacting his revenge on the Guardians.

On Ryut, the multi-colored Lanterns fell susceptible to the Book of the Black kept by Krona and protected by now Black Keeper Lyssa Drak who once was a member of the Sinestro Corps and wielded a yellow Ring that represented the emotional spectrum of fear. The Lanterns were thus given a glimpse into the true secret that the Guardians have kept for so long. The “secret” was actually the omitted and torn out passages or journal entries from the Book of Oa and were replayed in their minds as they are strapped to the book by Black Chains for the duration of their “virtual history lesson”.

As the book shows, Krona was one of the original Guardians hailing from the planet Maltus who sought out the meaning of life; the origin of creation. 

He was a brilliant scientist that dared to question and in his result bungled his own experiment and created the opposite of all life called The Anti Universe. For this and for recognizing the existence and use of emotion to which the Guardians were totally against he was sentenced to death and was in pursuit by the Manhunters. The book further revealed, much to the horror of all that It was Krona who re-worked the programming of the Manhunters and to randomly select a world to kill; a point which he had hoped to bring across to the Guardians that he meant business. That an “emotionless” police force is not without flaws and must be corrected.

Having thus learned the truth, the Lanterns were sucked into the book, but not before Sinestro and Hal detonated their own rings and enabled Hal to be free of the chains that bound him. Which was well and good, had it not been for the arrival of several Green Lanterns lead by Salaak who were commanded by the Guardians to arrest Hal and bring him back to Oa for sanction.

Krona as this time had already returned Parallax, the yellow entity of Fear into the central battery and have begun manipulating the bearers of the Green Lantern ring thru Parallax and was havin them fight against Hal, former Guardian Ganthet (but now a self inducted Green Lantern), John Stewart, Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner.

That basically is the gist of the run of the storyline and I’m stopping here lest I be tempted to reveal more spoilers. Just like my favorite GL crises, The Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night, this compilation has all the action that any GL fan has come to love and expect with its own share of character introspection and plot twists. Only when I re-read this a second time did it dawn on me that Hal for all his bravado and will is turning out to be rather Machiavellian in his ways and it is perhaps in this that the Guardians have begun to fear him and regard him as a threat; that he perhaps could be another Krona in the making. But in his defense, Hal is aware of the radical steps that he has taken and in one panel, has admitted he has bitten off more than he can chew at the height of this crisis.

Suffice to say, Johns has given us another reason to love the Green Lantern Corps and what it stands for and in the process have given two major lanterns a shot of soul searching and redemption. If you like your reads action packed and unpredictable  then 

War of the Green Lanterns is a must this holiday season. And although the end certainly paves the way for the new reboot of the franchise by way of the new-52 by DC, I can only imagine the next chapter that all our favorite Lanterns would have to go through following this devastating blow of a war. No one said that war will exempt the brave and the lucky ones from being a casualty. But after this, the word “casualty” is certainly being redefined as the Corps itself is being reshaped and put into the ringer. Power up Poohzers. Time for a new beginning!

Pisces Twittascope, Friday, December 9, 2011

Pisces Twittascope, Friday, December 9, 2011

Today...I Got HIT!

Today I got hit by a jeep.

Or to be more accurate, I was side swiped. And the impact left me down on the ground in disbelief & in shock.

What was different with today?

It was another Friday where I commute because the plate number of my car falls under today & I must either comply with the rules & adjust my driving time to fit the "open window" of 10am-3pm as I'm in Makati or refrain from using my car today. Given the continuing increase in gas prices, and it being a Friday, the logical thing was to use public transportation. I wasn't rushing when I got out of the house today. In fact, had much ample travel time at my disposal. With my Ipod playing India Arie, I casually walked a couple of blocks to take the jeep that would bring me to the MRT & then down at the Ortigas Center where I worked.

Perhaps it was because I was in high spirits & feeling carefree that all I saw was what was in front of me; which was a jeep slowing down to park just across the street. Perhaps it was also my thick-framed glasses that added to the blind spot & obstructed my peripheral vision. Whatever the case I stepped down from the curb & hoped to reach the jeep in time. And that's when it happened. I was suddenly struck with a force that spun me around so fast that the next thing I know was that I was on the ground with my arms out, my glasses on the street, a throbbing pain on my right knee & the feeling of being woozy. Instantly I know that I had been hit by an oncoming vehicle that came from my left & narrowly missed running me over. The driver stopped and was asking me if I was alright. People who saw what happened equally asked how I was feeling.

In truth, I felt nothing. I knew I didn't hit my head on the curb but instead grazed & banged my knee.

But I felt nothing.

I didn't get angry at the driver and like the old man in Disney's, UP actually shooed him away even when my mind told me to get his plate number should I decide to press charges. Immediately I knew there was a lesson to be learned here. Instantly I knew I was being alerted to something. Could it be the wake up call I needed to get myself out of my own devised inertia & finally scout & go for that job that I want? Could it be a reminder as well to finish that novel I've most recently revisited?

Or is it The Universe or Dad's way (from the ethers, that is) of shaking some sense back into me; to jumpstart me back into action? Either way I consider it a lesson learned & message received. And I thank my friends who took the time to call & inquire about my well-being. Either way you look at it, life, inspite of its upsets, drawbacks, delays, demands, doldrums and whatnots is still the best experience to have.

Thank you Universe.

 Message Received.

Today...I was HIT!

Today I got hit by a jeep.

Or to be more accurate, I was side swiped. And the impact left me down on the ground in disbelief & in shock. What was different with today? It was another Friday where I commute because the plate number of my car falls under today & I must either comply with the rules & adjust my driving time to fit the "open window" of 10am-3pm as I'm in Makati or refrain from using my car today. Given the continuing increase in gas prices, and it being a Friday, the logical thing was to use public transportation.

I wasn't rushing when I got out of the house today. In fact, had much ample travel time at my disposal. With my Ipod playing India Arie, I casually walked a couple of blocks to take the jeep that would bring me to the MRT & then down at the Ortigas Center where I worked. Perhaps it was because I was in high spirits & feeling carefree that all I saw was what was in front of me; which was a jeep slowing down to park just across the street. Perhaps it was also my thick-framed glasses that added to the blind spot & obstructed my peripheral vision. Whatever the case I stepped down from the curb & hoped to reach the jeep in time. And that's when it happened.

I was suddenly struck with a force that spun me around so fast that the next thing I know was that I was on the ground with my arms out, my glasses on the street, a throbbing pain on my right knee & the feeling of being woozy. Instantly I know that I had been hit by an oncoming vehicle that came from my left & narrowly missed running me over. The driver stopped and was asking me if I was alright. People who saw what happened equally asked how I was feeling.

In truth, I felt nothing.

I knew I didn't hit my head on the curb but instead grazed & banged my knee. But I felt nothing. I didn't get angry at the driver and like the old man in Disney's, UP actually shooed him away even when my mind told me to get his plate number should I decide to press charges. Immediately I knew there was a lesson to be learned here.

Instantly I knew I was being alerted to something. Could it be the wake up call I needed to get myself out of my own devised inertia & finally scout & go for that job that I want? Could it be a reminder as well to finish that novel I've most recently revisited?

Or is it The Universe or Dad's way (from the ethers, that is) of shaking some sense back into me; to jumpstart me back into action?

Either way I consider it a lesson learned & message received. And I thank my friends who took the time to call & inquire about my well-being.

Either way you look at it, life, inspite of its upsets, drawbacks, delays, demands, doldrums and whatnots is still the best experience to have.

Thank you Universe.

Message Received.

For Heaven's Eyes Only - Secret Histories Book 5

We all know or have heard of the expression, NO Rest for the Wicked. But perhaps a tad of that was forgotten or could be reworked for this novel, as there is certainly No Rest for the Ones who faced the Wicked! In this case, the new bad in the continuing Secret Histories series by award winning author and my fave, Simon R. Green.

Last we saw our hero, Edwin Drood, he was stabbed and left for dead in Book 4, From Hell With Love, after confronting the accursed Immortals who infiltrated the ranks and the family of Droods to assassinate their leader, the Matriarch. Although they were also successful in storming Castle Frankenstein to battle down the Immortals with the help of Frankenstein’s spawn, it was finally time for Eddie to get some peace and quiet.

But peace and quiet were not exactly what he had when the book opens up with a scene in a ghost dimension, or  Limbo, and has Eddie running up and down a cold, glass-frosted, and desolate looking Drood Hall. He’s all alone and hasn’t found a living soul to talk to except finding and talking to members of his family who already have died or those foes or friends that he has dispatched and died from the service of protecting the world from supernatural bad-asses, as that’s what the Drood Family does.

The Droods, all clad in their indestructible and retractable, Golden Armor, are our defense against the supernatural horde who want to lay claim to the world that is ours. In Limbo, Eddie encounters someone telling him, and alluding to it successfully, that his parents are actually alive. And of course, Eddie being the hero of our tale, never really was dead, as his girlfriend, the powerful witch Molly Metcalf comes into Limbo and brings him out.  Although he was nearly dead, he wasn’t quite so as Molly had the initiative of transporting his heart elsewhere; to a secret location and thus he couldn’t be killed. Dear reader, this was also a trick that Molly did in Book 4 when I thought she was a goner. I know, spoiler! Me bad.

But moving on, Book 5 continues on the mayhem and doubt instilled in the previous book and brings in a new malevolent force slated to create havoc in the world, by way of a Satanic conspiracy. The need to know who’s behind it and how deeply the organization has infiltrated the British and other governments of the world in preparation for the much touted, Great Sacrifice; once revealed was shocking enough to make me shake my head in disgust. Disgust, not from the writing or plot points, but for what it entailed for its success. Ah, Green, you still amaze me with each book outing.

Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this 5th book and urge anyone to not read it in random order but to start where it all began. From new characters like powerful telepath, Ammonia Van Acht, Charlatan Joe, Lady Damnation, Indigo Blue, the adorable spirit named Poof that finally has revealed itself and guards the Drood Library, to other noteworthy recurring and revealing characters like the Drood lovers Roger Morningstar and Harry Drood, the novel offers the same witty dialogue, repartee and snappish remarks between Molly and Eddie and also between other members of the Drood clan make this another classic Drood read for me.

Just when I thought Book 3 tired and burned me out early and left me for a revitalized reading, Books 4 and 5 certainly did that. And with another cliffhanger to top all endings, I fear that I may have to wait too long for the next book to come out next year. And because this is the supernatural James bond adventure that we have all come to enjoy and love with each release on the life of a Drood, Book 6 is aptly titled, Live and Let Drood.

Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where’s my Martini?

Shaken…not stirred. Please.

For Heaven's Eyes Only- Secret Histories Book 5

We all know or have heard of the expression, NO Rest for the Wicked. But perhaps a tad of that was forgotten or could be reworked for this novel, as there is certainly No Rest for the Ones who faced the Wicked! In this case, the new bad in the continuing Secret Histories series by award winning author and my fave, Simon R. Green.

Last we saw our hero, Edwin Drood, he was stabbed and left for dead in Book 4, From Hell With Love, after confronting the accursed Immortals who infiltrated the ranks and the family of Droods to assassinate their leader, the Matriarch. Although they were also successful in storming Castle Frankenstein to battle down the Immortals with the help of Frankenstein’s spawn, it was finally time for Eddie to get some peace and quiet.

But peace and quiet were not exactly what he had when the book opens up with a scene in a ghost dimension, or  Limbo, and has Eddie running up and down a cold, glass-frosted, and desolate looking Drood Hall. He’s all alone and hasn’t found a living soul to talk to except finding and talking to members of his family who already have died or those foes or friends that he has dispatched and died from the service of protecting the world from supernatural bad-asses, as that’s what the Drood Family does. 

The Droods, all clad in their indestructible and retractable, Golden Armor, are our defense against the supernatural horde who want to lay claim to the world that is ours. In Limbo, Eddie encounters someone telling him, and alluding to it successfully, that his parents are actually alive. And of course, Eddie being the hero of our tale, never really was dead, as his girlfriend, the powerful witch Molly Metcalf comes into Limbo and brings him out.  Although he was nearly dead, he wasn’t quite so as Molly had the initiative of transporting his heart elsewhere; to a secret location and thus he couldn’t be killed. Dear reader, this was also a trick that Molly did in Book 4 when I thought she was a goner. I know, spoiler! Me bad.

But moving on, Book 5 continues on the mayhem and doubt instilled in the previous book and brings in a new malevolent force slated to create havoc in the world, by way of a Satanic conspiracy. The need to know who’s behind it and how deeply the organization has infiltrated the British and other governments of the world in preparation for the much touted, Great Sacrifice; once revealed was shocking enough to make me shake my head in disgust. Disgust, not from the writing or plot points, but for what it entailed for its success. Ah, Green, you still amaze me with each book outing.

Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this 5th book and urge anyone to not read it in random order but to start where it all began. From new characters like powerful telepath, Ammonia Van Acht, Charlatan Joe, Lady Damnation, Indigo Blue, the adorable spirit named Poof that finally has revealed itself and guards the Drood Library, to other noteworthy recurring and revealing characters like the Drood lovers Roger Morningstar and Harry Drood, the novel offers the same witty dialogue, repartee and snappish remarks between Molly and Eddie and also between other members of the Drood clan make this another classic Drood read for me. 

Just when I thought Book 3 tired and burned me out early and left me for a revitalized reading, Books 4 and 5 certainly did that. And with another cliffhanger to top all endings, I fear that I may have to wait too long for the next book to come out next year. And because this is the supernatural James bond adventure that we have all come to enjoy and love with each release on the life of a Drood, Book 6 is aptly titled, Live and Let Drood.

Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where’s my Martini, shaken…not stirred. Please.

Trese - Book 3- The Best of the Lot!

To say that I was expecting a good read from my continued foray into the supernatural world of Alexandra Trese & her ghoul-fighting righthand Twins is an understatement. In fact, it was an awesome read! 

Expecting another series of paranormal vignettes stitched together with creative storyline by Budjette Tan & sharp depictive drawings by Koji Baldisimo plus the promise of more clues & hints to questions that loyal readers have wanted to be answered were just some of the expectations that greeted me when I started book 3.  But when I saw that it opens with a murder & in walks Anton Trese into the scene with our heroine, I knew that this was not just another book to be added onto the series, but rather was the beginning of a history lesson; one that should not be hurried.

At first seeing Anton Trese alive with no preamble whatsoever, it initially got me confused but having trusted the material so far, I owed myself as a reader to be led into the journey. We immediately pick up that this is a prequel and see that Alexandra has always been into the family business. And at 16 she had promise & held her own supernatural ground when enemies come knocking. But in the course of the reading, Alexandra along with her father uncovered the presence of the Bukidnon god of war, Talugbusao, connected in a series of murders. On top of that she must take care of its accursed progeny & face 3 trials to prove her worth as a champion, being the 6th child of the Trese line.

I don’t want to say a lot and give too much detail about the plot but let me just go out on a limb and say that Budjette has certainly brilliantly and cohesively weaved a tale that brings everything full circle in this 3rd book and like my favorite Tv show, Charmed, their 3rd season, as well as Book 3 of Trese provides the best writing of the series so far. With much care, not to mention creativity, in presenting Alexandra Trese both as a new player in the supernatural community and one who doesn’t shirk away from responsibility, I hope that Budjette has fully accepted that his responsibility to us the readers is to continue to give us amazing Trese adventures with each book outing while celebrating the culture that is ours; that is Filipino.

Fans of the Kambal will have a lot to cheer about in this one. I know I did! (And loudly too while reading).

More power Budjette and Kajo. May you always be inspired to equally inspire us all. If you love art, it will love you back.

Now off to…..work….and with Book 4 in tow. hehe

 

Trese Book 3: Mass Murders - Philippine Graphic Fiction

To say that I was expecting a good read from my continued foray into the supernatural world of Alexandra Trese & her ghoul-fighting righthand Twins is an understatement. In fact, it was an awesome read!

Expecting another series of paranormal vignettes stitched together with creative storyline by Budjette Tan & sharp depictive drawings by Koji Baldisimo plus the promise of more clues & hints to questions that loyal readers have wanted to be answered were just some of the expectations that greeted me when I started book 3.  But when I saw that it opens with a murder & in walks Anton Trese into the scene with our heroine, I knew that this was not just another book to be added onto the series, but rather was the beginning of a history lesson; one that should not be hurried.

At first seeing Anton Trese alive with no preamble whatsoever, it initially got me confused but having trusted the material so far, I owed myself as a reader to be led into the journey. We immediately pick up that this is a prequel and see that Alexandra has always been into the family business. And at 16 she had promise & held her own supernatural ground when enemies come knocking. But in the course of the reading, Alexandra along with her father uncovered the presence of the Bukidnon god of war, Talugbusao, connected in a series of murders. 

On top of that she must take care of its accursed progeny & face 3 trials to prove her worth as a champion, being the 6th child of the Trese line.

I don’t want to say a lot and give too much detail about the plot but let me just go out on a limb and say that Budjette has certainly brilliantly and cohesively weaved a tale that brings everything full circle in this 3^rd book and like my favorite Tv show, Charmed, their 3^rd season, as well as Book 3 of Trese provides the best writing of the series so far.

 With much care, not to mention creativity, in presenting Alexandra Trese both as a new player in the supernatural community and one who doesn’t shirk away from responsibility, I hope that Budjette has fully accepted that his responsibility to us the readers is to continue to give us amazing Trese adventures with each book outing while celebrating the culture that is ours; that is Filipino. Fans of the Kambal will have a lot to cheer about in this one. I know I did! (And loudly too while reading).

More power Budjette and Kajo. May you always be inspired to equally inspire us all. If you love art, it will love you back.

Now off to…..work….and with Book 4 in tow. J

Trese Book 2 - Unreported Murders - Philippine Graphic Novel

Equally as good as the 1st one, the second TRESE book continues the supernatural adventures of paranormal consultant & investigator, Alexandra Trese & her magical gun-wielding & flying righthand men, The Twins.

Focusing more & utilizing the appearance of elemental forces than the plethora of philippine mythological beings, the collection has Aswangs, Tiyanaks & zombies to keep you busy while keeping the suspense & mystery surrounding Trese with lotsa hints about who her father is & was in the supernatural underground community.

Book 2 also has a lot of crafty re-naming & association to real life urban legends like the Robinsons mall creature that abducts ladies in their dressing room or the evil conglomerate of a power company that require sacrifice for usage.

All in all this 2nd is another great read but like me I suggest you starting from the first & work your way to the more recent book. Coz thats how good ideas are, like seeds of a tree in book 1 they are introduced & planted. It grows beautifully into Book 2 & now as I write this has blossomed to fruition in Book 3 & has grown into an orchard in Book 4. 

So watcha waiting for, go get hooked on Trese. Coz if I had my way, I wanna be dressed as one of the Twins this Halloween 2011. And as a bonus, below, is a sample of a cosplay of Alexandra Trese by Bianca King. :)

Ok off to start Book 3 now, with Book 4, the current & recently released on stand by in my room...

Ps. End of the book has sample art by my faves Oliver Pulumbarit, Carlo Vergara, Ian. Sta Maria, Reirand Santos and Reno Maniquis. So go and get your copy now...

Trese Book 2: Unreported Murders - Philippine Graphic Fiction

Equally as good as the 1st one, the second TRESE book continues the supernatural adventures of paranormal consultant & investigator, Alexandra Trese & her magical gun-wielding & flying righthand men, The Twins.

Focusing more & utilizing the appearance of elemental forces than the plethora of philippine mythological beings, the collection has Aswangs, Tiyanaks & zombies to keep you busy while keeping the suspense & mystery surrounding Trese with lotsa hints about who her father is & was in the supernatural underground community.

Book 2 also has a lot of crafty re-naming & association to real life urban legends like the Robinsons mall creature that abducts ladies in their dressing room or the evil conglomerate of a power company that require sacrifice for usage.

All in all this 2nd is another great read but like me I suggest you start from the first & work your way to the more recent book. Coz thats how good ideas are, like seeds of a tree in book 1 they are introduced & planted. It grows beautifully into Book 2 & now as I write this has blossomed to fruition in Book 3 & has grown into an orchard in Book 4.

So watcha waiting for, go get hooked on Trese. Coz if I had my way, I wanna be dressed as one of the Twins this Halloween 2011. As a bonus and on your right is a sample of a recent cosplay of Alexandra Trese by Bianca King. :)

Ok off to start Book 3 now, with Book 4, the current & recently released on stand by in my room...

Ps. End of the book has sample art by my faves Oliver Pulumbarit, Carlo Vergara, Ian. Sta Maria, Reirand Santos and Reno Maniquis. So go and get your copy now...

Trese- Book 1 - Filipino Urban Fantasy Graphic Novel

Kept seeing this at National Bookstore then and admittedly when another author spoke extensively about this did I try picking it up and loved it!

Combining urban fantasy and Philippine folklore, this graphic novel is a series of stories about Alexandra Trese, our Philippine equivalent, to Kolchak and Fox Mulder. But the cool thing about her is that she's got two magical twins as her right hand men and doesn't bat an eyelash at the different magical creatures and circumstances that she gets herself involved in whenever the police call in on her for help on things, paranormal.

So far Book 4 has been released and it's no surprise why I already have Book 2 on stanby for my weekend reading.

Celebrate our being Filipino. Remember our own folklore and mythology and read this. :)

Trese- Book 1 - Filipino Urban Fantasy Graphic Novel

Kept seeing this at National Bookstore then and admittedly when another author spoke extensively about this did I try picking it up and loved it!

Combining urban fantasy and Philippine folklore, this graphic novel is a series of stories about Alexandra Trese, our Philippine equivalent, to Kolchak and Fox Mulder. But the cool thing about her is that she's got two magical twins as her right hand men and doesn't bat an eyelash at the different magical creatures and circumstances that she gets herself involved in whenever the police call in on her for help on things, paranormal.

So far Book 4 has been released and it's no surprise why I already have Book 2 on stanby for my weekend reading.

Celebrate our being Filipino. Remember our own folklore and mythology and read this. :)

My 25th Phantom Experience

I first got introduced to Phantom of the Opera and in passing at that, when I first saw the video of “All I Ask Of You” with Sarah Brightman and Cliff Richard on local TV. I felt the song stood out and thought that it was nice for a musical sounding song to have a video and be on heavy rotation on local MTV-like programs. The voice-over mentioned that it was currently a song being performed in a musical called Phantom of the Opera but as it was the 80’s, only the song registered and not the scope of the work. It didn’t make me want to find more about the show and all I knew of the Phantom was the famous Lon Chaney horror movie. I was a big fan of horror movies back then and still am to this day. I remembered swiping a hardbound book from our school library about famous movie monsters and horror movies that figured prominently in the early days of Universal and other movie studios up to the late 70s and early 80’s. Of course I brought this book wherever I was and still to this day hoped to have at least remembered the title of the book before guilt took me over and I returned it to the library after.

Then I happened to listen to the cast recording (on tape then) complete with a Xerox copy of the libretto through my cousin who recently then moved to Canada. It was a package that I was slated to pass onto her best friend here but thought that I might as well listen to it. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into I swear. And that changed my life. Well, perhaps that’s a little too dramatically put. But rather, that changed the way I looked at cast recordings and opened my ears and eyes to the world of musical theatre. Growing up listening to movie soundtracks and the film versions of Camelot, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Carousel and others, I naturally equated musicals to film and not strictly as a stage show that wows audiences every night both on London’s West End and on Broadway I New York. I fell in love with the score and the show and imagined how it could’ve looked on stage. I mean, to see the boat and the lake to Phantom’s lair, the opulent Paris opera house and of course the crashing Chandelier.

My cousin did me a big thing that time when she sent that package over and allowed me to listen to it first. She then started sending me clips of Phantom articles whenever she could and shared me her stories of watching the show in Canada as performed by Jeff Hyslop. (Gosh, can’t believe I still remember the name as I write this and so I need to look for the souvenir program she gave me) Like the elusive Phantom who was so much into Christine, I was obsessed with the show. Everything and anything I can get and have in association with it, I accepted gladly. I hoarded and collected. From pamphlets to finally reading the Gaston Leroux book and writing a review of it for my English class in college, everything back then for me had something to do with the Phantom. And seeing that I would never get the chance to see the show as no one in my family was into it as much as I was, I thought I would relegate myself with footages and books that I can get my hands on.

In the process of discovering musical theatre, I soon I found myself discovering other works of Andrew Lloyd Webber, like Evita, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and others. I also found myself loving the angelic voice of Sarah Brightman and thought how lucky of Andrew to be married to someone like that. Of course, the show won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical as well as the Tony and has been seen by millions around the world. I finally got to see the show in 1998 when I visited and met my dearest and special friend, Richard Alpert, and was moved by it immensely and only hoped that it could be staged here locally. Watching Phantom then was a memorable experience. I felt at the time that I was the only one in the world who has not seen it for it has already been running then both on London and on Broadway for 12 years.

Fast forward to another and little over 12 years after and another musical milestone for me happened and made my weekend just last week as I watched the 25^th anniversary concert of the show in the cinema. It was a treat to see the film as it featured the current stars of the musical’s sequel, Love Never Dies, in the two lead roles; namely Ramin Karimloo (portrayed Phantom in London) and Sierra Boggess, who also played Christine in New York and originated the role Ariel in Disney’s Little Mermaid on Broadway. What made the concert a true celebration was in fact that not only was it not a sung-through celebration unlike the past two Les Miserables concert performances but was actually a performance celebration complete with moving set pieces and big screen projections serving as complete backdrops! What a treat for others who have yet in their lifetime to see the show live on stage!

The staging in itself was already a wonder to see but to see it on the big screen and all other elements of live production come together like the lights, the sets, live orchestra and the audience cheering and being moved and swooned by the performances, it was literally the best show in town ever! Ramin played the Phantom with such intensity and passion that I found myself in tears at certain parts of the musical. And to think this was just in Act 1! Michael Crawford played Phantom like he was an enigma to himself and demanded love and attention because he was a genius but Ramin’s was more human, I felt. His Music of the Night sequence came off as a man who has been given by providence the chance to behold and have this sense of beauty upfront and yet afraid to grab it. His pain and betrayal at the end of the first act after having been “duped” was so palpable that although it is a given that audiences root for the Phantom because he is the star, I found myself rooting for him because we know how it is to want to have someone love us, only to find out that they can’t do the same.

Sierra’s singing was pure brilliance and was a talent to behold and truly embodied the gem that is Christine. Had she been the one cast in the movie version, I felt it would have done the movie more justice. The character of Christine for me, should already have the “Voice” within her to do justice as Carlotta’s replacement and to star in the musical within the show, “Don Juan Triumphant”. Sierra, apart from Sarah who originated the role, was the perfect Christine and the perfect choice to essay the role in this memorable celebration. And with the chemistry that Ramin and Sierra had in Love Never Dies, I guess it was apt and fitting to establish that connection and chemistry because the concert itself will be available on home video soon as well as Love Never Dies itself! Can you believe that?

Now apart from Ramin and Sierra the cast was just wonderfully picked. Hadley Fraser, the actor playing Christine’s beau Raoul Vicomte de Chagny was also strong and I felt that vocally and in his  portrayal there was ruthlessness there that wasn’t in the original Steve Barton role. Now that was what I was picking up then when I first listened to the cast recording. How Steve Barton sounded and vocally portrayed the dashing, protective and not to mention rich French Vicomte is what I envisioned being portrayed onstage.

 At this point I suddenly remembered a line from the Prince Charming character in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, “I was raised to be charming not sincere.” Could there be actually some truth to this? Could all or if not most “royalties” or important people have this sort of take on themselves? Because if it were so, then that explains the 180 degree turn in character for Raoul in the Phantom sequel that got most of us in a tizzy and scratching our heads looking for the warm, dashing and loving Raoul in it. That he was never that protective and truthfully loving of Christine for she was just a prize for him to earn and aptly befitting a prominent member of the Parisian society. How bourgeois. But that’s what I picked up from Hadley’s portrayal and why I knew I had to listen to Love Never Dies again upon getting home.

-spoiler-

And as if it weren’t enough to have the perfect cast assembled and the audience rising to their feet at the end of the show, they had to bring out members of the original London team and cast, including Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman who delighted the audience by signing the title song as an encore. As age would have it, her voice is not as bell-like as before and was off to a slow and shaky start at the beginning as if the notes were too low for her to reach. 

But when the scales began, Sarah was able to redeem herself and she sounded just like the original recording. Michael Crawford, unfortunately, was not asked to sing. I quickly wondered why until Nixon, my highschool batchmate and fellow Lloyd Webber fan, remembered reading that Crawford was recuperating from some illness or had just come out of surgery. So I guess to address that, and to have an encore for the encore they brought out 4 more actors who played the iconic role in the past; namely Colm Wilkinson (yes, Jean Valjean in Les Miserables), Anthony Warlow (the Australian Phantom), and two more whom I didn’t know.

All in all it was indeed a celebration that celebrated the greatness of the show and for me topped and surpassed the Les Miz 25^th which was merely a sung through and even had the misguided notion of attracting a younger market to the show by casting (badly and poorly at that), a Jonas brother to portray the role of Marius. Michael Ball originated the role and only an actor of that vocal calibre and intensity and sensitivity can and should do the role.

Now with the local run of the anniversary concert over, the time is nigh to wait for the dvd of the show of which I will get a copy. But watching it at home will never compete with the delight and the moving experience of watching that celebration in the cinema and complete with a 20 minute intermission in between acts like a real musical! Andrew Lloyd Webber truly has revived and has given new life to the British musical theatre. And Phantom for me has certainly given my love and appreciation for musicals the much needed boost and maintenance doses it needs to thrive and influence me both as a singer and as a composer.

My "25th" Phantom Experience

I first got introduced to Phantom of the Opera and in passing at that, when I first saw the video of “All I Ask Of You” with Sarah Brightman and Cliff Richard on local TV. I felt the song stood out and thought that it was nice for a musical sounding song to have a video and be on heavy rotation on local MTV-like programs. The voice-over mentioned that it was currently a song being performed in a musical called Phantom of the Opera but as it was the 80’s, only the song registered and not the scope of the work. It didn’t make me want to find more about the show and all I knew of the Phantom was the famous Lon Chaney horror movie. I was a big fan of horror movies back then and still am to this day. I remembered swiping a hardbound book from our school library about famous movie monsters and horror movies that figured prominently in the early days of Universal and other movie studios up to the late 70s and early 80’s. Of course I brought this book wherever I was and still to this day hoped to have at least remembered the title of the book before guilt took me over and I returned it to the library after.

Then I happened to listen to the cast recording (on tape then) complete with a Xerox copy of the libretto through my cousin who recently then moved to Canada. It was a package that I was slated to pass onto her best friend here but thought that I might as well listen to it. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into I swear. And that changed my life. Well, perhaps that’s a little too dramatically put. But rather, that changed the way I looked at cast recordings and opened my ears and eyes to the world of musical theatre. Growing up listening to movie soundtracks and the film versions of Camelot, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Carousel and others, I naturally equated musicals to film and not strictly as a stage show that wows audiences every night both on London’s West End and on Broadway I New York. I fell in love with the score and the show and imagined how it could’ve looked on stage. I mean, to see the boat and the lake to Phantom’s lair, the opulent Paris opera house and of course the crashing Chandelier.

My cousin did me a big thing that time when she sent that package over and allowed me to listen to it first. She then started sending me clips of Phantom articles whenever she could and shared me her stories of watching the show in Canada as performed by Jeff Hyslop. (Gosh, can’t believe I still remember the name as I write this and so I need to look for the souvenir program she gave me) Like the elusive Phantom who was so much into Christine, I was obsessed with the show. Everything and anything I can get and have in association with it, I accepted gladly. I hoarded and collected. From pamphlets to finally reading the Gaston Leroux book and writing a review of it for my English class in college, everything back then for me had something to do with the Phantom. And seeing that I would never get the chance to see the show as no one in my family was into it as much as I was, I thought I would relegate myself with footages and books that I can get my hands on.

In the process of discovering musical theatre, I soon I found myself discovering other works of Andrew Lloyd Webber, like Evita, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and others. I also found myself loving the angelic voice of Sarah Brightman and thought how lucky of Andrew to be married to someone like that. Of course, the show won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical as well as the Tony and has been seen by millions around the world. I finally got to see the show in 1998 when I visited and met my dearest and special friend, Richard Alpert, and was moved by it immensely and only hoped that it could be staged here locally. Watching Phantom then was a memorable experience. I felt at the time that I was the only one in the world who has not seen it for it has already been running then both on London and on Broadway for 12 years.

Fast forward to another and little over 12 years after and another musical milestone for me happened and made my weekend just last week as I watched the 25^th anniversary concert of the show in the cinema. It was a treat to see the film as it featured the current stars of the musical’s sequel, Love Never Dies, in the two lead roles; namely Ramin Karimloo (portrayed Phantom in London) and Sierra Boggess, who also played Christine in New York and originated the role Ariel in Disney’s Little Mermaid on Broadway. What made the concert a true celebration was in fact that not only was it not a sung-through celebration unlike the past two Les Miserables concert performances but was actually a performance celebration complete with moving set pieces and big screen projections serving as complete backdrops! What a treat for others who have yet in their lifetime to see the show live on stage!

The staging in itself was already a wonder to see but to see it on the big screen and all other elements of live production come together like the lights, the sets, live orchestra and the audience cheering and being moved and swooned by the performances, it was literally the best show in town ever! Ramin played the Phantom with such intensity and passion that I found myself in tears at certain parts of the musical. And to think this was just in Act One! Michael Crawford played Phantom like he was an enigma to himself and demanded love and attention because he was a genius but Ramin’s was more human, I felt. His Music of the Night sequence came off as a man who has been given by providence the chance to behold and have this sense of beauty upfront and yet afraid to grab it. His pain and betrayal at the end of the first act after having been “duped” was so palpable that although it is a given that audiences root for the Phantom because he is the star, I found myself rooting for him because we know how it is to want to have someone love us, only to find out that they can’t do the same.

Sierra’s singing was pure brilliance and was a talent to behold and truly embodied the gem that is Christine. Had she been the one cast in the movie version, I felt it would have done the movie more justice. The character of Christine for me, should already have the “Voice” within her to do justice as Carlotta’s replacement and to star in the musical within the show, “Don Juan Triumphant”. Sierra, apart from Sarah who originated the role, was the perfect Christine and the perfect choice to essay the role in this memorable celebration. And with the chemistry that Ramin and Sierra had in Love Never Dies, I guess it was apt and fitting to establish that connection and chemistry because the concert itself will be available on home video soon as well as Love Never Dies itself! Can you believe that?

Now apart from Ramin and Sierra the cast was just wonderfully picked. Hadley Fraser, the actor playing Christine’s beau Raoul Vicomte de Chagny was also strong and I felt that vocally and in his  portrayal there was ruthlessness there that wasn’t in the original Steve Barton role. Now that was what I was picking up then when I first listened to the cast recording. How Steve Barton sounded and vocally portrayed the dashing, protective and not to mention rich French Vicomte is what I imagined to be portrayed onstage. 

At this point I suddenly remembered a line from the Prince Charming character in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, “I was raised to be charming not sincere.” Could there be actually some truth to this? Could all or if not most “royalties” or important people have this sort of take on themselves? Because if it were so, then that explains the 180 degree turn in character for Raoul in the Phantom sequel that got most of us in a tizzy and scratching our heads looking for the warm, dashing and loving Raoul in it. That he was never that protective and truthfully loving of Christine for she was just a prize for him to earn and aptly befitting a prominent member of the Parisian society. How bourgeois. But that’s what I picked up from Hadley’s portrayal and why I knew I had to listen to Love Never Dies again upon getting home.

-spoiler-

And as if it weren’t enough to have the perfect cast assembled and the audience rising to their feet at the end of the show, they had to bring out members of the original London team and cast, including Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman who delighted the audience by signing the title song as an encore. As age would have it, her voice is not as bell-like as before and was off to a slow and shaky start at the beginning as if the notes were too low for her to reach. But when the scales began, Sarah was able to redeem herself and she sounded just like the original recording. Michael Crawford, unfortunately, was not asked to sing. I quickly wondered why until Nixon, my highschool batchmate and fellow Lloyd Webber fan, remembered reading that Crawford was recuperating from some illness or had just come out of surgery. So I guess to address that, and to have an encore for the encore they brought out 4 more actors who played the iconic role in the past; namely Colm Wilkinson (yes, Jean Valjean in Les Miserables), Anthony Warlow (the Australian Phantom), and two more whom I didn’t know.

All in all it was indeed a celebration that celebrated the greatness of the show and for me topped and surpassed the Les Miz 25^th which was merely a sung through and even had the misguided notion of attracting a younger market to the show by casting (badly and poorly at that), a Jonas brother to portray the role of Marius. Michael Ball originated the role and only an actor of that vocal calibre and intensity and sensitivity can and should do the role.

Now with the local run of the anniversary concert over, the time is nigh to wait for the dvd of the show of which I will get a copy. But watching it at home will never compete with the delight and the moving experience of watching that celebration in the cinema and complete with a 20 minute intermission in between acts like a real musical! Andrew Lloyd Webber truly has revived and has given new life to the British musical theatre. And Phantom for me has certainly given my love and appreciation for musicals the much needed boost and maintenance doses it needs to thrive and influence me both as a singer and as a composer.