Return to Grand Adventure


The Prince: Silent but deadly with the ladies.

It's been awhile since I've played a good, long, old-school RPG. Not only because I've been pretty busy at The Salt Mines in recent months... there just haven't been any games worth spending too much time on recently. Take the Suikoden series from Konami. I LOVE the series, to be sure. I really liked the first game and totally ADORED the second (which is still for me the all-time best of the series). The third game was the last chapter that I liked, though honestly I wasn't able to finish it (I want to, someday). The last two instalments in the Suikoden franchise, Suikoden Tactics and Suikoden IV just didn't call out to me. Tactics wasn't an RPG, while IV was... just didn't feel like a Suikoden. Set in the high seas with little character to the look and feel of the game (even the opening cinema was more 'Under the Sea' than Suikoden), I just let it slip like a... well, like a ship in the night.
But for some reason, Suikoden V called out to me. I read several reviews, noting the general consensus that indeed, Suikoden V was a return to form for the series. And so, I got a copy (actually several copies... so many were buggy) and resolved to see for myself if all the rumors were true.

Damn right they're true. I've been playing this game since the middle of the Holy Week, and it's still got it's claws into me. Darn, it's amazing.

Suikoden V puts you in the shoes of The Prince of Falena, the handsome and kind eldest son of the reigning Queen. Since Falena is a Queendom, male sons of the Queen don't have much political clout. In fact, the next in line for the throne is your younger sister. But just the same, when the machinations and ambitions of two powerful noble houses threaten the peace and freedom of the land, the duty of bringing together and leading the forces of good and truth falls on your narrow shoulders. So now, The Prince has to range the land, fighting battles and righting wrongs as he tries to unite the 108 Stars of Destiny to once again bring peace to the Queendom.


It takes a while to start up, but Suikoden V's long and detailed narrative does wonders in making you genuinely care for the fates of the many videogame characters you meet.

What makes Suikoden V so great are two things- Story and Characters. Suikoden V's narrative starts out pretty leisurely (some would even say 'slow') in the first several hours, but once the pace quickens it hardly quits and sustains the gripping quest to the end. All the groundwork and introductions at the start pay off with you having more of an emotional tie with the varying cast of warriors, knights, peasants, mercenaries, lords, wizards and scoundrels you meet in the course of the game. And what a cast it is- Konami worked hard to give many of the characters a great deal more personality and depth compared to before, and it pays off in spades. There's also lots of attempts to turn usual cliches on their heads, which make for more interesting sidestories and plots for you to chew on.


The lovely Lyon: A loyal bodyguard with a dark past.

Complementing the story as well is the excellent presentation. While most of the story is presented through dialogue in text boxes, at crucial points, the story is shown in fully-animated and seamless cut scenes that feature exceptionally good voice acting. These frequent cinematics give the extra flash and drive home the right emotion when the story demands for it, and I have to admit I found myself gasping at the revelations of more than one scene. It's really well done and adds greatly to the enjoyment of the game and highly dramatic story.
A special mention as well has to be given to how The Hero is presented as well in Suikoden V. Once again a voiceless, silent hero, you choose literally dozens of dialogue choices through the game which may affect the course of the story. As the Prince reacts to the events around him, you can easily see the emotion he feels in his facial expressions and body language, whether smiling to comfort an ally or openly embracing a defeated friend-turned-foe, the Prince has all the right moves and it's great to have such a cool avatar to represent you in the game. If only he didn't look or dress like he just jumped out of the pages of a Yaoi manga...

For the rest of the game, Suikoden V is generally fast and easy to play; there is tons of combat (as always) as well as lots of customization options from assigning battle skills to the formations your party takes during battles. The one-on-one duels and occasional large scale army combat battles give variety to gameplay and adds to the game's overall epic feel. In general, gamplay is close to Suikoden II and III, so the game really plays easily enough. And yes, collecting the many Stars for your party (crucial to getting the best of the game's many endings) is as addictive as ever.


Different formations add strategy to party battles. 'True Men' here lets everyone get in on the action in the frontlines.

Are there any flaws? Well, Suikoden V has lots of loading. TONS of it, in fact. There are loading screens every time you enter a new area, after every random encounter or before cinemas. They're very frequent but at least brief (2-5 seconds). Not enough to really make you tear your hair out, but it will get you impatient as you're waiting for the next jaw-dropping reveal or dramatic moment.

Suikoden V is a MUST for fans of the franchise and old school RPGs. The story and characters alone are worth the price of admission, as well as the little homages and attention to detail throughout the game. ,The lovely 3-D graphics and smooth gameplay should make for a good, long and satisfying old-school RPG exprience... perhaps the last great RPG for the PS2. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Don't wait to meet a ditzy teleport mage before heading off to the gamestores for this gem of an RPG. Get it. NOW.

By the By, for Suikofans out there... so what do I think is better, Suikoden II or Suikoden V? Suikoden II still rules as the best in terms of overall gameplay, story and characters and music. if Suikoden II had the anime cinematics (shown in the later Suikodgaiden games) attached to it and showing dramatic moments in the story, it would be just as immersive and involving as Suikoden V's presentation was. In any case, Suikoden V is a close second to II, which is no mean feat. I would be just as happy with a PS2 3-D remake of Suikoden II in any case... please Konami!!! Hehe.

Post Holiday Funk

Break's over and it's back to work. Well, kinda. The crew at The Salt Mines are having an out-of-office brainstorming, so it's kinda-sorta work but not too constrained to the usual setting, which I guess is a great way to ease into the daily grind. I'm still a bit woozy from my daily Suikoden V marathons (review to follow) and being virtually having Pepsi Max fed to me intravenously.
Funny enough, I managed to write not one but THREE versions of the Last Angel script/storyline, of which one I'm kinda-sorta-pretty much going for, but not 100 percent into. We'll see when I finally get down to drawing the actual pages, hopefully within the week or so.

Yesterday, I went with Cams and the old Quest Gang to attend Vin and Andrew's housewarming over in Ortigas. It was literally a housewarming since all of us were sweating like actors in the movie A Time To Kill. Definitely an air conditioner would be a welcome addition to their nest. Anyway, we had delicious pancit malabon and the usual KFC to sate our hunger along with the night's conversations and intriguing Q&A's. Cool stuff.

Sigh. I need a vacation again. Oh well.

Break

It's the last day of work for me- tomorrow, it's all about kicking back in The Sanctum and having some RnR. That consists mainly of playing Suikoden V, some rounds of Rumble Roses XX and getting to know Lara Croft all over again in Tomb Raider Legend for the PS2. It won't be all games- I plan to fine-tune the story of The Last Angel and start drawing up the pages already. Also gonna be catching up on the Zz's, staying up late into the wee hours of the morning, watching cable TV and the odd DVD, and just having fun.

Darn, I needed this. I've been needing this for a while. Enjoy the Holiday, everyone!

V for Victory


A nameless hero searches for his destiny in Suikoden V.

Of all the RPGs I've played, there's one series that just makes my ears perk up when I hear it. No, not Final Fantasy. It's Suikoden. I just love this series like no other. To be truthful though, my favorite will always be Suikoden II, which ranks as one of my favorite RPGs of all time. I regretfully wasn't able to finish Suikoden III, which is a big injustice... but I am collecting the manga version and so will finish it by reading that. As for the fourth game, which many refer to as 'Suck-koden' since it really was the low point in the series, I just passed it by like a ship in the night.

But now, Suikoden V is here, and it looks pretty good. In fact, reviews of the game have been remarking that the fifth installment of this fan favorite franchise is a return to form for the title. That means a long, involving story, tons of likeable and enthralling characters, big battles and personal duels, mystic runes of power and... funny minigames.

Suikoden V puts you in the sandals of a young prince of a powerful matriarchal empire. I don't have many details of the story but it seems you eventually have to lead some sort of rebellion against the ruling regime if past games are to be followed. This will most likely entail lots of plots and subplots, conspiracies and counter-conspiracies, tragedies and betrayals and the stuff that grand fantasy drama is made of. Of course, there will be the usual 108 Stars of Destiny to track down and enlist to join your army, and up to ten of this motley crew will be able to join you on journeys and adventures throughout the vast land.
Graphically, the game looks pretty slick, with 3D graphics and pretty detailed character models making for a very beautiful-looking PS2 game. According to reviews, a lot of emphasis was placed on story and characters, things that were badly neglected in the previous game. Suikoden V is also said to be the longest of the games, so I hope that I'll be able to finish this despite that.

I already got a copy over the weekend, but it turned out to be a lemon- I'll have to get a working copy asap, perhaps along with the newly-released Kingdom Hearts II as well. Lots of great stuff to play over the Holy Week break (if I can pry myself away from the babes of Rumble Roses XX if I am fortunate to get a copy).

PLDT really SUCKS.

I thought I'd take back my previous PLDT Sucks comments last week, when they called up our house and asked for info. They promised that they'd send their linemen to install my DSL within the week.

Well whaddaya know? It's Next Week already and NADA. No DSL yet!

PLDT REALLY SUCKS!!!

And they'll keep sucking in my opinion until I get my DSL and am happy with it. BAH.

Better Memory

Yesterday I went off to Greenhills with my bud Pot for our usual Sunday lakwatsa. My particular goal on this day was to fish for the value of my O2 XDA II Mini and perhaps trade it in and upgrade to an XDA IIi.

Okay, the techies out there may ask, why would I go back to the bigger IIi when I already upgraded from my previous XDA II to the smaller, more portable and pocketable Mini? Well, to be honest it will be a bit of a jar to go back to a bigger PDA Phone after spending almost a year with my Mini. However, I've been eyeing the increased memory capability, faster processor and bigger screen of the IIi for a while.
The thing is, I haven't been able to find a 2 GB SD Card that works with my Mini- the available Ridata 150x speed cards don't work, and the Sandisk cards I've been waiting for have never arrived. And so, I was set for upgrading.

Well, it turns out that my loveable Mini, complete with all accessories, box and manual, fetches a grand 12k in the Greenhills market. WOT DA FOK? Twelve is a cheap Nokia or Sony Ericsson. Twelve is NOT a full-powered PPC Phone. I resolved to NOT sell or trade in my phone anymore. Cheap bastards.

The good news is, as I wandered elsewhere a bit after that disappointment, I found a new 2GB 120x speed SD Card in Infomax at Theater Mall... and the guy behind the counter was nice enough to let me try if the card worked on my Mini (I'd have to buy it though). And what do you know? It worked!

Now my O2 Mini is a 2 gig-monster. I've got the whole 3rd Season of Justice League Unlimited plus episodes of the super cool Avatar: The Last Airbender loaded as well as a ton of other stuff. Coolness.

Looks like I'll be hanging onto my little powerhouse for the forseeable future. Which suits me just fine. WOOHOO!!!

April Cool

The night of April 1 was no Fool's Day for us. The gang got together to congratulate Dean on the launch of his first published novel, Salamanca. The event was held at Fully Booked at the Promenade Mall in Greenhills. While there were tons of people, there were only a smattering of the usual suspects- the crowd seemed to consist more of the serious reading crowd as opposed to comic and grafiction enthusiasts.
Afterwards, Me and El and the Two Cams (Camy and Cams) headed off to the spankin' new V-Mall to shop around. Later, the gang had an extended dinner at Dampa in Libis, and then coffee at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Timog.
To close the night, the gang just gathered around and updated everyone on comics, life developments and work. We all promised to continue working on comics and fun stuff through the year.

Keep cool, everyone. Later!

A Game I Cannot Refuse

I got myself a copy of The Godfather videogame for the PS2 during the week, and I'm actually a bit excited at trying it. There's a Create-a-Capo feature which starts off the game, and after you put together your customized Italian-American, you take your Made Man to take part in Mario Puzo's gangster epic-turned videogame.

According to write-ups, the game puts you in the role of a young man whose father is gunned down prior to the events in the first Godfather film. During the opening scene of the wedding of Don Corleone's daughter, your mama asks The Don for a favor- to make you a member of his family. Of course, Vito can't refuse a request made on his daughter's wedding so you're off on your merry way soon enough. The gameplay seems to be a mix of GTA free-roaming with shooting and driving elements. There are also extensive hand-to-hand combat moves... though it's more roughing up and beating some poor schmuck into being your milking cow rather than actual martial arts. Aside from taking part in the main and fixed Godfather storyline (which lets you participate in the aftermath of events such as the infamous Toll Booth massacre), you take over businesses and eventually try to spread your influence and become as powerful as the Don himself.

Sounds cool. The game has had some positive, if not altogether pretty good, reviews so far. I'll try to polish my tommy-gun skills over the weekend.

The Beginning of the End



Here's the first official image from The Last Angel, my next comic book project. There, I've said it. From here on in, if I'm working on a comic, it's this book.

Yes, this is the thing I've been calling "The Last Angel Ace Story". The change in title is to make this graphic novel a stand-alone book, so you don't really have to read the past Angel Ace comics to figure it out (but it would be a lot better). Yes, it does continue the story from the most recent releases of Angel Ace- The Again! series and Angel Ace Next, and stars the same characters. However, the book itself will go far beyond and before the events so far released to make this it's own story independent of any other release.

What's the story? Well, I don't want to spoil anything but a lot of it you can probably infer from the image above. Suffice to say, this is the end-all, be-alll of the Angel Ace series. There will be the same stuff readers of Angel Ace have come to know as familiar with the title- action and humor with liberal dashes of fan service. However, I intend to go a lot deeper into the characters this time around. There will be new stuff to go with the old though- including stuff I never thought I'd go to or go as far as. But I think it'll all be for the better of the story and the character.

I'm not sure how long development and production will take- I'm still hoping for a release within 2006. We'll see. I'll keep y'all posted as stuff happens.

PLDT Sucks

I've been applying for a DSL connection at home for the past three weeks, but still nothing. No wonder, I'm applying with the good ol' PLDT. These guys are probably the most inefficient bastards to run a phone company. Three weeks and still 'no cable' available. FUCK THAT!
If I could, I'd get another DSL connection elsewhere. Already trying. Anyway, I've already heard tons of horror stories about PLDT DSL- long hours of no connection and downtime. Maybe it's a blessing that it's taking forever. Maybe this is a sign I have to get my hi-speed internet somewhere else. FEH.

Tomb Raider Reloaded


Lara Croft returns in a big way this April.

I've been a Tomb Raider fan ever since the first game came out in the mid-nineties. It was a cool game, and the idea of having a female heroine in the driver's seat was pretty revolutionary at the time. Since then, I've played several of the games, seen both of the movies (both of which mostly sucked except for the casting of Angelina Jolie) and generally saw the rise and fall of a videogame icon. Yeah, Lara got her time in the limelight and is the object of admiration, affection and lust of countless gamers, but the games just got blander, the storylines more muddled and she just seemed to drift off into obscurity. The last TR game, Angel of Darkness, didn't do well and the failure of the second movie made plans for the third picture a bit unclear. Lara was on bad times.

But that all may change with the upcoming new game, Tomb Raider Legend. This time being produced by a new gaming developer, Crystal Dynamics, and backed by the original Lara Croft creator Toby Gard (who ironically was shut out of the previous TR games until now). TRL gives Lara a new coat of paint- she looks sexier and finer than ever, yet the designers still made it a point to give her a stylized look to emulate the original design instead of making her too realistic. The increased number of polygons also comes with a lessening of the bumpers- Lara's still hot, but the T&A isn't as blatant this time.
Aside from the cosmetic changes, Lara also comes with a whole new way of playing. Gone are the tank-like controls so Lara can now run, leap, climb, shimmy, swing and sneak with the greatest of ease. The gameplay is also now based on a new physics engine, and puzzles will supposedly be more puzzle solving than switch-finding. Also improved is the combat- Lara's fighting skills are improved with better targetting and even some Matrix-like moves to slow down time and target enemies even better. Slick stuff.

The new game also revitalizes/revamps the Tomb Raider story, starting from Lara's origins and taking the character on from there. The story will reportedly involve Lara's confronting an event in her past that has haunted her to the present day- the death of her mother. She will also cross swords with an old friend-turned enemy, and go across the world in a quest for a mysteirous artifact.
Stages will include actual tombs and ruins in Bolivia and Peru, as well as some urban settings. Aside from her usual Tombraiding get-up, Lara will slip into a sexy black cocktail dress to take on the Yakuza in Tokyo.

Tomb Raider Legend will be coming out early this April for the PS2, Xbox, PSP, Xbox360 and PC. I'll be sure to grab at least two of these versions (I'll try to grab a copy of the 360 game if I can) as soon as they become available. The game's already gotten a couple of top reviews in some game mags recently, so it looks to be a lot of cool gaming this April, and that's no joke. WOOHOO!!!!

Brokeback

WHY is there suddenly a proliferation of cowboy hats on the street these days? Is it all because of Brokeback Mountain? I saw a vendor hawking these black cowboy hats on the road a couple of days ago. This morning, a guy walked past me wearing one. So, is he being a cowboy or is he proclaiming he's gay? Has he even watched the movie and knows the significance of the new headgear? Hmmm.
But then again, it may be all just a coincidence and the appearance of cowboy hats is just a sign of the summer. Maybe. Right.

Victorious


Out of sight but never out of mind. You never see him, but Hugo Weaving is all V.

Last Sunday I got to watch V for Vendetta, the film adaptation of the comics and eventual graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. I haven't yet read the actual comics, but I may soon thanks to the film. Set in a near-future England ruled by a fascist, totalitarian government that rules by fear, misinformation and brutality, V for Vendetta centers on two individuals. The first is, obviously, the masked freedom fighter known only as V (Hugo Weaving), a black-garbed avenger who sports a creepily ever-smiling Guy Fawkes mask. The second is Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman), a young woman V saves one night from the secret police. From their first meeting, V and Evey start a relationship that will rock their country and the cruel government that rules it.

This movie, despite being produced by The Wachowski Brothers is not an action-heavy film. There are about two or three scenes of pretty cool swords/knives versus guns action, but for the most part it's a film driven by plot and character. Nevertheless, I was glued to my seat from beginning to satisfying end. Since I haven't seen the graphic novel in its entirety, I can't comment on changes or improvements/faults based on the source material.

Despite this, I found the film to be an excellent watch, from production values to performances all around. Of note of course are Natalie Portman who redeems herself from her horrid Star Wars showings and Hugo Weaving, who seems to be one of my favorite actors now seeing that he's pretty much in most of my fave films. You never see his face, but it IS supposed to be him in the costume, which is odd but pretty cool. Also of note is a Hitler-esque John Hurt as the High Chancellor Sutler, Stephen Rea as the driven Chief Inspector Finch and Stephen Fry as Dietrich, the TV host who sympathizes with V and Evey with tragic results.

But aside from the enjoyment I got watching the film, I have to say that it's also a VERY apt film to watch in this point of our nation's history. Let us hope that we don't have to reach that kind of regime or ever need someone like V.

V for Vendetta is now showing in theaters all around the Metro. Watch it if you can.

Home Theater

The past month had been a storm of construction at the house, but now that was all pretty much over. Our former terrace and outdoor dining area was now an enclosed room and extension of the main house, complete with tiled floor, airconditioning and, ah, big-ass TV with DVD library. Add to that several relaxing chairs, a bed and you've got a pretty slick home theater setup. Once the biggie speakers my brother left with his TV are installed, it'll be a BLAST to watch stuff there. Might be enough to make me actually watch movies there instead of in The Sanctum. Well, as long as the movies are for public viewing. Heh.

Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat


"Pu(*>#@%!!! Hindi ito Myth Class!!!"

When I was a kid, I remember watching these local shows on TV- movies and sometimes TV series- with some pretty wild shit. There were improbable, impossible stunts like the hero taking out two different targets with his last remaining bullet by placing a knife in front of his gun barrel. Or a guy becoming bulletproof thanks to a magical amulet. Or a gang of martial arts-fighting vigilantes dressed in matching red shirts and leather vests.
Weird funny shit, but also pretty cool in a way (though we'd never admit it). These were cult films, pulp action Filipino-style antics that could be seen as our own local version of Superheroes.

Superheroes and supervillains in denim jeans and jackets, bandannas, puruntong shorts, dusters, kamisetas and tsinelas without any capes, spandex or fancy-slick english code names in sight. Here, a hero can be named Berto and his nemesis could be that drunkard Roy down the block. Aling Nena the old fishball vendor could be a frickin' mangkukulam or sorceress for all you know. Jomar the taho vendor could be a half-demon in disguise. That's how it is here. In a word? Awesome.

But the World of Andong Agimat isn't a pretty, happy place. It's a bleaker, grimier, more seedy version of present-day Metro Manila (not even the flawed but hyper-realistic urban tableau he envisioned in Trip to Tagaytay). There is widespread poverty and garbage littering the streets, creeping about like a weird form of algae. To make matters worse, there's an alarmingly large amount of supernaturally-empowered individuals hovering about. Like gangs of goblin-like hooligans, unnaturally strong and quick gangsters and- most dangerous of all- a growing cult of almost diabolical, bloodthirsty and seemingly unstoppable cultists.



Into this world of super-powered crime and supernatural creatures steps in the titular Andong Agimat. A perpetually frowning protagonist whose eyes seem eternally hidden by his shadowy brows, Andong's quick hands with a gun and his invulnerability to bullets makes him the ideal occasional ally for the embattled police. But Andong is a drifter, a drinker and has his own ghosts to haunt him at night... crimes past and lost love. Obviously, Ando's not the ideal hero to lead a desperate battle to save a person of incalculable value from the stinking forces of evil, but hell, he's all the side of good has. So, he's gonna have to do. Bahala na si Batman.

Arnold Arre's latest graphic novel stands at over 200 pages- a pretty impressive work by any measure, and certainly one of the artist's more impressive showings. As always, Arnold's art is the first thing to notice- page upon page upon page of incredible panels full of bold, black and white lines, movement, action and characters jumping at you or from panel to panel. His art has improved once again (especially in action and fight scenes), though I gather that a lot of Andiong was actually made in the course of the past several years or so. As always, every panel is literally crawling with tons of detail and characters. It's such that you can pretty easily imagine the smell of the garbage and shit on the streets, or imagine the wonderful smell of characters like the pus-filled Big Bad slinking in the shadows. Once again, Arnold's mastery of ink and pen shows and then some.



To populate the metropolis is a cast of Arnold's most interesting character designs yet. Although Andong himself is admittedly just Arnold's own perpetual Hero-type Kubin (Myth Class) on a bad day, I find myself loving wilder, harsher designs like the skull-faced Hari ng Tondo, the malevolent and inaptly-named Jun Pogi and the fiery (literally) Tonyo Baga. Of course, it wouldn't be an Arnold Arre book without the BABES, and Agimat has them in spades, from lead heroine Silang and salamangkera Nara to uber bitch Satina and the incredibly cute speedster from Bicol, Mariang Tinik (Arnold's speedy characters are always damn cute). While Arnold's art is hardly manga, fan service is something I always look forward to and enjoy a lot in this one.



However, along with the welcome titillation is a heightened bit of violence and language, though while not blatantly presented is heavily implied... and this may raise an eyebrow or two among conservatives. I just hope that this doesn't restrict the book (though I dare say that little kids wouldn't get it anyway) or cause an uproar again like Tala's bare boobies in Myth Class.
Still on the topic of language, it cannot be ignored that Andong Agimat is written entirely in TAGALOG. In that, while I understand the story for the most part, some lines of dialogue, particularly the ones heavy with archaic Tagalese leave me bewildered and groping as to what the heck is being said. To be fair though, these lines are probably intentionally vague and you can usually understand through context.

That said, Agimat is not without flaws. While many sequences, particularly the opening scenes and pretty much all of the many action sequences, are brilliantly presented, the movement from one scene or stage to the next is sometimes a bit too leisurely given the urgent manner of the quest. Also, I question Arnold's decision to place the main hero away from all the action during not one but two crucial moments.

Given that there are so many things Arnold wants to show, say, express and explain, it's inevitable that there will be unwieldy moments and spots where the storytelling could have been more efficient, where clarity gets somewhat compromised. But these nitpicks are more than made up for the intricate and minute details poured into the panels, the almost cinematic way pages are presented and the action brought to still, yet moving, life. Yeah, it will take me a couple or may be more read-overs to get the whole thing but damn... this book looks so damn gorgeous that I don't mind.

Andong Agimat is undeniably again another spectacular epic rom Arnold up to the quality we've come to expect from such a passionate, prolific creator. The story is gripping and moves you to move page after page until the end, and even then you're left craving for more. As I've no doubt mentioned, the darn art is incredible and the detail is just crazy. This is also Arnold at his grittiest, which is something new to see, but not entirely off the rack.
It's still an Arnold Arre book, and that means there's still those Arnold Arre-ism that I've come to expect. Things like Good always winning over Evil in the end. Love conquering all. And the most darn awesome car-and-runner chases I've ever seen in comics.

Andong Agimat succeeds with the single act of bringing to life in language, theme, feel and design an incredible new world peopled by a pantheon of heroes and villains that are so visually striking, evocative and most importantly, undeniably Filipino. And it's a world that I definitely want to see more of.

In that, I'd readily say that it's my favorite of his works so far. Easily.

Andong Agimat is now available at comic book stores and good bookstores in Metro Manila (already confirmed to be in stock at Comic Quest Megamall), Tagalog language, Black-and-white art, 220 pages, Php400.00. If you love comics, run over to your comic store for your copy and enter the World of Andong Agimat. Now Na.

My Own Personal Agimat

Today I got my hot copy of Andong Agimat by Arnold Arre straight from the artist/creator himself! I feel very fortunate to be one of the select few to see the latest graphic novel from Arnold in advance, and I am dying to pull open the book and immerse myself in his new epic.
At more than 200 pages, Agimat dwarfs Arnold's Trip to Tagaytay in page count and is on par with After Eden, but short of the mammoth Myth Class volume. The book is also Arnold's first work in tagalog... I rarely hear Arnold TALK in tagalog, let alone write in it, so this will be something. As always though, Arn's distinctive art and character designs already mark this as a must-see for any fan of comics and graphic novels.

Expect a review as soon as I get to read my copy.

Andong Agimat by Arnold Arre will be out early this April at good bookstores and comic shops/stands in the Metro. Something to look out for.

Project Kris

Over the weekend I'll be starting a bit on Project Kris, which is a comics project which I will be writing for. It looks a bit daunting given that the stuff so far I have been given is a bit on the convoluted side- I'll have to do a bit of re-writing and setting down stuff to get everything into order and working as a cohesive and engaging comic book. I don't want to treat this as a job- the trick is to like it and do it like any of my personal titles, so I can get through it without letting details like having to deal with nitty gritties spoil the experience.

The trouble is, for starters, that it isn't a usual comic book that I do. Male hero, no special powers and probably no costume. But there's action aplenty and grittiness which is always interesting. And if all things go well, this job will fund my next book. Maybe I can treat it a bit like Powers. Or something like that. Anyway, more on this as I do it.

Shin Angyo Onshi



The title is surely a mouthful, but Shin Angyo Onshi is an anime movie that otaku would do well to check out. Just like the movie Wonderful Days (which I really haven't seen in its entirety), Shin Angyo Onshi is a Korean-made anime feature film. Based on the manhwa (Korean comics) of the same title, the movie is set in an alternate world in the aftermath of a great empire's collapse due to the death of the Emperor. As chaos and turmoil engulf the land, the only justice now left is in the hands of the Angyo Onshi, or 'Agents of the Empire' who dispense law by the power of their sacred/mystical seals.


Talk to the Badge.

Despite looking quite surly and cold, the wanderer Munsu is actually the titular Shin Angyo Onshi, or New Agent of the Fallen Empire. In fact, he seems to be extremely powerful given that he can use various magical abilities, not the least of which is the summoning of a phantom army to do his bidding.
The film actually has two parts, the first being the introduction of both Munsu and how he first meets his eventual follower/travelling companion/bodyguard Sando, a lovely and silent young woman who just happens to have almost divine skills in laying waste to any enemies stupid or brave enough to challenge her.


Sando AKA Death Incarnate in Bondage Lingerie.

The second part of the film deals with Munsu's and Sando's first adventure, which deals with a mysterious island where evil magic is afoot. The whole film then has the feel of being a pilot for an eventual anime series, not really closing anything but giving the impression of a whole lot of justice-bringing and butt-kicking to come.


These are actually the good guys, believe it or not.

Despite that, the film should satisfy with pretty slick animation, though slightly not the kind of quality you can expect from big budget Japanese anime. There's quite a bit of amazing fight scenes and accompanying fan service with Sando, whose outfit consists basically of skimpy bondage-type leather straps and strips of cloth wraps. Munsu on the other hand fills the bad-ass role as he uses guns (similar to Genjo Sanzo from Gensomaden Saiyuki). Both leads are pretty interesting characters- Munsu has a bit of an anti-hero bent as he can be quite cruel or even heartless with how he deals his justice... while Sando on the other hand despite being an unstoppable slice-and-dice killing machine still has a young girl's innocence and an irrational fear of crossing bridges. Hmm.

I can only hope that an actual anime series or more installments of the movie follow. Shin Angyo Onshi (or "Phantom Master") is not an easy-to-find title; I had to scour the land for weeks before I finally happened upon the source of my copy. Now it's on my phone for anytime viewing. HAHA! For everyone else, if you can, try to check it out if you happen upon it. It looks cool and is pretty good for an independent anime.

Zenzational!



Last Saturday I had the great fortune to be able to watch the second to the last staging of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah: The Musical at the CCP. Thanks to Carl Vergara, who happened to create, write and draw the awesome comic from which the play is based on, me, Budjette and Cams got to watch what I believe to be one of the best and most inspired comic-to-performance translations ever.
Interestingly enough, me and Cams actually almost came late to the affair thanks to heavy traffic on EDSA. Thankfully we were able to arrive shortly after the theater doors opened, and we were on our great second row seats (right behind actors Roderick Paulate, Cherrie-Pie Picache and screenwriter Ricky Lee as the show started.

The whole theater itself was surprisingly small- I don't know if there could have been more than five hundred people in the whole audience. The stage spilled out into an aisle between the audience and out into the exit area. The stage itself seemed sparse and I wondered how they would be able to visualize and bring to life a superhero comic. Did they succeed?

With effing Flying Colors.

I have to say that I have never, ever been to a play that had me laughing so much and so into the performances. Granted, this has special resonance for me being a beloved comic (I am such a big Zsa Zsa fan), but darn, I have to commend director Chris Millado, Musical composer Vincent de Jesus, comic adapter Chris Martinez and the rest of the play's production staff for such a vibrant, faithful and innovative translation of the original comic... I wholeheartedly believe that Zsa Zsa The Musical is just as viable a comic book-to-movie translation as any of the big budget superhero flicks. No, really. It's that darn good. How else can you describe a play that succceeds in visualizing montage panels, goes so much deeper into characters and actually improves on the already hilarious gags and dialogue from the comic? I found myself seeing comic panels brought to life right before my eyes again and again.

I have to applaude the entire cast, with special mention of Eula Valdez who not only looks SMASHING as Zsa Zsa, but impressed everyone with her POWERful singing voice and total performance. Then there's Agot Isidro as the villainess Femina Varoux who just gets the look down PERFECT, as well as keeping a straight face throughout all her entirely english dialogue... Tuqx Rutaquio as Ada (Zsa Zsa's alter ego) and Ricci Tan for being THE personification of the comic's Didi. Kudos and wholehearted applause to the rest of the cast and the members of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company who brought this perfect play to life. Superheroes, brilliantly campy humor, Matrix martial arts, Giant Frogs, zombies, big hair, skimpy outfits... What's not to love? Abzolutely Amazing!

The only negative is the relative few people who have seen this gem. I know every single staging has been SOLD OUT, yet many many more people have not seen this show. I truly hope ZZTM gets a re-staging, and perhaps in a bigger venue. This play simply has GOT to be seen by more people. If you read comics you absolutely MUST see this play. Carl, congratulations for being the first contemporary comic creator to see your baby realized in perhaps the best way ever. WOOHOO!!!


Cams, Zsa Zsa (Eula Valdez) and one Happy MADman.


Carl and his superheroine with Budjette.

C means Cannon Fodder

It's tough to be a superhero these days. Particularly if you're a 'B' or 'C' Lister. This means you're not one of the big boys (and few girls) who bring in the big bucks for the comic book companies. Recent and upcoming events in the major comic book universes have so far had the alarming penchant for killing off their supporting or not-so-main heroes seemingly for shock value purposes.
I have the bad luck of liking books that feature such kinds of heroes. Take DC's Batgirl, which got cancelled, perhaps not in small part to the events of the current "Infinite Crisis" event. Yeah, Cassandra Cain's still alive but her future is as yet uncertain. In Marvel, it's even worse. In the latest issue of New Avengers, the Canadian super team Alpha Flight is apparently killed OFF PANEL. They don't even get the decency of a real cool final battle or death scene. What an ignoble end to a team that has been around almost as long as I have been into comics.
The New Warriors also seem to be headed for cannon fodder status, as they are apparently the ones who will be involved in the event that will directly cause the upcoming Civil War mini-series in Marvel. I particularly find the way the Warriors have been treated recently as distasteful to the extreme- they've been around as a group since the 90s, and haven't been given decent writing or art which could have made them a more viable team. I hope that they don't go the way of Alpha Flight though- if anything, the preview of Civil War makes me curious, so at least that aspect of the gimmick works. Sucks though if Namorita dies... Grrr.

Bah. Lousy DC and Marvel. At least I myself would NEVER kill off a character just for a cheap gimmick or to sell comics...



Okay, maybe not really NEVER but not often...