By: Leiron Martija, The Comic Book Group fuhrer
Let me get it out of the way, I’m a big fan of Trese. Ever since I chanced upon the first issue in Powerbooks Alabang and sat around a coffee shop, reading it once, twice, thrice in one sitting, I knew I had stumbled upon something brilliant. Not just brilliant, mind you. Something bloody brilliant. As the introduction of the book goes, you can’t help kicking yourself in the head for not thinking of this idea – of a paranormal detective in the Philippines immersed in Philippine folklore and myth. So this won’t be an objective review. I don’t think objective reviews with comics (or anything for that matter) are possible. Instead, reviews are ways in which biases are stretched to the limit, and they either make it or don’t. Trese 5 – Midnight Tribunal is an enriching read, a step forward in character development, and testament to the potential of komiks in the Philippines. So yes. Anyway. I’m a big fan of Trese.
What I love the most about this comic is that it’s answered my prayers and finally engaged readers in a long-format style of telling its story. Since Trese 4 (which is still, I believe, a monumental step forward for the comic) Budjette Tan has been building something entertaining, immersive, and clever. Complimented with Kajo Baldisimo’s masterful artwork on black-and-white, Trese’s environment possesses a depth and darkness I haven’t seen done so well since Sin City. Or Batman: Black and White.