KOMIKS REVIEW: Abangan

Abangan is an annual anthology, collecting the must-see and must-grab of Philippine komiks. Co-edited by Rob Cham, Adam David, Carljoe Javier and Elbert Or, Abangan compiles work from not only creators we’re already familiar with but also from those who’re about to take the stage, giving us a picture of what’s next for the Philippine komiks scene. Adam David recently talked  about ABANGAN with Flipgeeks

[Check out our interview – ABANGAN! Adam David about Komiks atbp]

The word abangan could mean 1) n: A waiting stop for vehicles or 2) v: To watch out for something that’ll be coming. Whichever’s the case, the word fits just right for the book that offers 200 pages of excerpts and full stories, acting either as a pitstop or a starting point for readers and fans of komiks.

17 Komiks – 1 Anthology. When was the last time something like this happened in Komiks?  If you want to see what the best the Komiks has to offer, this is the book to start with.

Excerpt from Diwata by ManixAbrera
“Uso pa ba, ang harana?”  and so on the song goes.

Manix Abrera hits the right feels in just a few panels in this excerpt from Diwata. Who had any idea that a wordless Kikomachine strip could feel so heavy with its story and kilig factor? If Diwata would be filled by stories like this one, damn that makes it a must-buy not only for Kikomachine fans but for those who’d love some quick read and grab-to-go giggles.

Crime-Fighting Call Center Agents by Noel Pascual and AJ Bernardo
Small things could have big implications as two Alpha Males fight for supremacy. In an earth shattering ultimate Hand Shake battle that is so big in Crime Fighting Call Center Agents it has caused events that changed the earth. Or did it? Find out in these pages!

Kung Bakit Lab nating Mga Pilipino Ang Pagbibidyoke? by Dark Chapel
As a Filipino, I am sure that the last time you had a videoke session is in recent memory. It might be for an office team building, a family celebration or even just someone’s birthday. But really how did Filipinos grow so fond of following the lyrics on the television as the music plays. Where or when did it start? How is it now? or How could you get a perfect score? Is your favorite song a Certified Videoke Hit?

Why Filipinos love Videoke may not be that obvious after all.

Filipino Heroes League by Paolo Fabregas 
The history books have it wrong. The 1986 revolution was not as peaceful as we want to remember it. Thousands of lives were lost. A lot more would have died if Supremo and the rest of the Filipino Heroes League have not arrived to face Touch’s team of super-villains. This Excerpt ends with a bang that would leave you wanting to find out what happens next.

Comics by Rob Cham and Auti Nones
A quick Google search for “Comics for  millenials + newspapers” yields titles such as Snarfield, Artie Comics, Gilbert, Kelvin and Snobbes, DGWD, Fancy, Much Peanutz, Familey Cyrus, and The Sad Side.  Sound familiar? But of course, they seem to be parodies of real comics! But it’s not just about parodies and all, these comics on their own pack quite a punch with their quips regarding millenials. See how classics are adjusted to accommodate the current generation’s humor. Yeah, Snoopy ‘s met his match when Doge arrived.

Puso Negro by JP Palabon
JP delivers punchline one after another as he tells a story of the daily ironies Filipinos face.

This excerpt from Puso Negro will definitely capture your smiling and happy Filipino heart.

Excerpt from Darwin’s Association of Delicious Evilness by Carlorozy
If you’re into dark and serious humor, Carlorozy’s Darwin’s Assosciation of Delicious Evilness might be to your liking. Here we meet Darwin, a kid who happens to be an evil mastermind in the making. He’s got his plans on how to be a tyrannical dictator, the only problem is he’s still in grade school and he has to go through that part of youth while commencing his “campaign”. Oh and be ready for tidbits of nostalgia especially in the pages where we get to see the elementary school setting and the mechanics of street games.

Spooky Tales of the Here and Now by Rob Cham and Petra Magno 
How would you react if you find that your picture has been used for an internet meme?

Rob and Petra raises this question and other “Horror” stories of this internet generation in a very interesting way that every internet fanatic would appreciate but might spook them enough to cause them to lose it.

Para Fierra: Final Resting Place by Fidelis Tan and Kiko Dans 
Para Fierra: Final Resting Place talks about where all the dreams go after they’re discarded, whether they’re dreams of a child, aspirations of an office worker or the wishes of a lover. It’s an interesting concept, that there’s this world where all those hopes and despair go after one gives up on their dreams. The story might’ve started off as what seems to be a heavy story but later on it turns out to be a heartwarming one and surely there’s a lot more to this resting place.

Trese: Thirteen Stations by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo
Did you ever notice how many stations the MRT has? Trese or Thirteen.

Alexasandra Trese is once again called upon to check on several paranormal appearances through the thirteen Stations of the metro rail transit. Is this the reason why the MRT has been so crowded lately? Budjette’s horror-mystery story-telling prowess and Kajo ’s extraordinary art style brings Alexandra Trese in another supernatural exploration that should not be missed.

Selected Strips from Borderline by Bong Radila
Bond Redila shows his audience that you could make 1 greater than 4. Bong’s art illustrates that  1 picture could say more things than the 4 lines that confine it. That the story of an artwork is beyond its borderlines.

Dead Balagtas by Emiliana Kampilan 
Who said Jose Rizal was a serious person? Or did you consider him as a possible X-Men fan? What does a  happy meal mean to Melchora Aquino?
Emiliana Kampilan bring us a parody of historical Filipino icons that will surely have your oldest and meanest history professor pulling at their hair and screaming on top of their voice.

History and contemporary in a “balagtasan” battle of its own.

Excerpt from Wingnaut by K.A Montinola and MarthaMaramara
To look different can either make you special or feared. K.A Montinola and Martha Maramara gives a young cherub a chance to experience what it is to be different and this could mean for her. Just what will a young cherub do in an environment where it is the only one with a set of wings?

Excerpt from Windmills V by transcribed by Josel Nicolas from chat logs with Mimi Johnson 

Is this a real story? Or is it perhaps a comic that’s inspired by real life events? Or is it just a plain comic that I’m reading too much into? Whichever’s the case, I found my heart aching after reading this one. Whether it’s the dialogue or the feeling of familiarity to the characters’ situation, I don’t know. But this comic’s really good at hitting those notes.

A Balut Ate my Louis Vuitton by Apol Sta. Maria 
Just how would a balut eat a Luois Vuitton? If I tell you, you miss the point of the story.

You have to read for yourself and find that epic pin-up poster/splash page also. This is a story you must read to appreciate.

Excerpt from Sixty-Six by Russell Molina and Ian Sta. Maria
Probably the heaviest story in Abangan. Sixty-Six tackles memories of romance, family and aging. If you want a story that would cause your heart to break, read one that’s about an elderly who reminisces the good times. It’s a formula that’s been proven time and time again with those “Karen po” commercial ads and animated movies with elderly couples. And what makes the feeling a lot heavier is the artwork that hits close to reality, with healthy servings of grey that births the gritty and antique tone of Sixty-Six.

Blue Dusk by Mica Agregado
Mica Agregado will leave you with something to think about as you finish with Abangan making it a very appropriate last komik for the anthology. If you were left alone to tend a garden during dusk, what will our thought be. Just how far can you look outside the box.

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A combination of different genre, stories, art style and even socio-political commentaries, that’s what you get when you pile together komiks from the best hands and minds out there. In this book readers who’re into the action and dark works like that of Trese could get a peek at the humors of what’s next in Manix’ arsenal. Or those who’re into gritty humor like what Carlorozy has shown here could start picking up dramas and emotionally heavy stories like that of Sixty-Six. How these works would pique others interest is a matter of chance and circumstances but hey, everything’s laid down for all to see in Abangan.

If you want to laugh out loud or hold your breath in suspense, get in action or soak in drama, Abangan will allow you to experience a mix of emotions from each story. People might have bought this or some are yet to pick it up to follow a certain writer or artist they favor but readers will discover that there are more komiks out there to enjoy. Abangan is not only a book that collects the best materials of the Philippine komiks scene. It’s a showcasing of individual talent, diversity of styles and ideas that push our komiks forward greater than before.

The release draws nearer! And there’s a discounted price for the shirt and book to boot! Check out their page, abangan ang release ng Abangan.

Allow Abangan’s pick of 17 komiks help you further discover the Flipgeek in you. Ano pa inaAbangan mo?

 This review was written by Alvin Minion and Antonio Lukban