''Trese'' () is a Filipino
komik series written by
Budjette Tan and illustrated by
Kajo Baldisimo. It tells the story of Alexandra Trese, a detective who deals with crimes of supernatural origin.
Its first issue was published on October 22, 2005, starting off as a niche work which grew in popularity as readers were intrigued first by the first two volumes' focus on Manila's urban legends, and then by the later volumes' development of Alexandra Trese as a character.
The series went on to win several accolades.
An
animated adaptation for
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
premiered on June 11, 2021, and has both Tan and Baldisimo as its showrunners and
Jay Oliva
Jay Oliva (born 1976) is an American film director, producer, and storyboard artist working at Los Angeles–based animation studio Lex+Otis.
Career
Oliva first started in animation as a cleanup artist for the animated Fox TV series ''Spider ...
as executive director.
Publication history
''Trese'' was first published independently by Alamat Comics in
ashcan and online format. The ''komik'' series is currently available in a collected, graphic novel form, published by
Visprint, Inc (formerly Visual Print Enterprises). The retail company
National Book Store
National Book Store, Inc. (also spelled National Bookstore and abbreviated as NBS) is a retail company based in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. It operates a bookstore and office-supplies store chain of the same name. It is the largest ...
re-released ''Trese: Last Seen After Midnight'' and ''Trese: Midnight Tribunal'' with
dust jacket
The dust jacket (sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover) of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book ...
s, while the local comic bookstore Filbar's re-released the first three books with dust jackets.
A hardcover compilation titled ''Trese: Book of Murders'' has also been published and contains the first three graphic novels. These compilations include journal entries from the protagonist's grandfather, Alexander Trese, which serve as additional commentary, providing more history and lore for each case. ''Trese: Stories from the Diabolical Volume 1'' were tales originally published online as early as 2005 and compiled in 2008 in a
blog
A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...
before it collated and published as a book in 2013. Cases #1, #2, and #4 were re-published by Visprint with updated, colored art by Kajo Baldisimo and translated into
Filipino by
Bob Ong
Bob Ong is the pseudonym of a contemporary Filipino people, Filipino author known for using conversational writing technique to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippines, Philippine life. The author's actual name and identity are ...
. They also contained the translated journal entries from ''Trese: Book of Murders''.
Trese and the Kambal have also appeared in other publications such as ''Skyworld'' and ''Agents of Ambush''.
After the closing of Visprint Inc. in 2021, Avenida Books became the new publisher of the ''Trese'' series''.''
''Trese Lite Postcard Book Vol. 1'' was the first to be published under Avenida Books followed by the reprints of the first three main volumes which coincides with the release of the
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
anime adaptation.
The reprints featured new pages and remastered artwork that includes extended action scenes and original concept sketches by Kajo Baldisimo, similar to the US edition.
Other publications
With the goal of reaching a larger audience, the creators set up an
Indiegogo
Indiegogo is an American crowdfunding website founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California. The site is one of the first sites to offer crowd funding. Indiegogo allows peo ...
campaign for the production of an international 32-page edition of ''Case 1: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street'' that would contain updated text and art with bonus pages and would also include the same journal entries from ''Book of Murders''. Aside from a variant cover exclusive, supporters could also avail the Indiegogo sketch variant with uniquely drawn covers. The campaign was endorsed by
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...
. Supporters from the Philippines were given freebies, 2 of the 16 designs sketches that were drawn in 13 ways, and a reprint of the original Trese #1 ashcan.
At the release of ''Trese 7: Shadow Witness'', Visprint Inc. sold more than 300 copies during the 40th Manila International Book Fair. For the 14th anniversary of ''Trese'', a reprint of ''Trese #1 Global Edition: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street'' was released exclusively by Comic Odyssey and Filbar's and called the "Anniversary Edition" ''.''
It differed from the Global Edition in price and size, and included a "self-cover" where the paper used for its pages was also used for the cover page. In the same year, ''Trese Deviations: Iunctura'' was released in ashchan format. Another company, Ablaze Publishing, released the U.S. edition of ''Trese: Murder on Balete Drive'', which used the Trese #1 Global Edition comic, along with an exclusive variant cover for Comic Odyssey and Sanctum Sanctorum Comics.
Other languages
An
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
edition adapted after the U.S. edition was released beginning September 2021 by publisher
Star Comics
Star Comics was an imprint of Marvel Comics that began in 1984 and featured titles that were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of children's television series, animated series or toys. The last comic published under the imprint ...
. The first two volumes of Trese were translated into
French in March 2022, adapted after the U.S. edition, and released in one volume by publisher
Les Éditions Delcourt. A
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
edition of the first volume was also released in May 2024 by publisher Dantes Verlag.
Plot
The story of ''Trese'' fuses Philippine horror mythology with dark, graphic storytelling and follows Alexandra Trese, a mysterious detective who deals with crimes of supernatural origin mainly occurring in the capital region of the Philippines.
Because of her specialization in the supernatural, Alexandra is often called when the police cannot handle paranormal crimes, by Captain Guerrero, a man who prefers to lean on her knowledge and specialized skills. Alexandra is supported by two mysterious and magical creatures with uncertain powers known as the Kambal and together, they protect the streets of Manila from various creatures of Filipino folklore.
Volume 3 explores Trese's past, when, at 15-years old, she joins her father Anton on her first case. The origins of the Kambal are also revealed in later issues.
''Trese'' was originally planned for 13 chapters or ''cases''. Volumes 1 and 2 comprise self-contained chapters (Cases #1 - #8) and introduce the paranormal world of Manila. Most cases are standalone, with the exception of the third issue, ''Mass Murders,'' where Cases #9 - #13 are related and use different cues from previous books. Beginning with Volume 5, the ''komik'' series takes on a more serialized progression while continuing to incorporate aspects of episodic storytelling in each issue.
''Trese''
's plot, world-building, and characters have garnered comparisons with American comics such as ''
Hellblazer
''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary Horror fiction, horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo Comics, Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introd ...
'' and ''
Planetary,'' while writer Budjette Tan cited the former, as well as
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
,
X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to May 19, 2002, on Fox, spanning nine seasons, with 202 episodes. A tenth season of six e ...
,
CSI and
Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
* Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine g ...
as some of the main inspirations going into the creation of ''Trese''. Tan also named the anime film ''
Ghost in the Shell
''Ghost in the Shell'' is a Japanese cyberpunk media franchise based on the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized between 1989 and 1991, is set in mid-21st century Japan and tel ...
'' as a major source of inspiration for ''Trese''.
Characters
Main characters
* Alexandra Trese – A woman who works as a private detective and specializes in crimes perpetrated by supernatural beings of the Underworld, to which she has a deep connection. She is the proprietor of ''The Diabolical'', a night club that serves the "best ''
kapeng barako
''Kapeng barako'' (), also known as Barako coffee or Batangas coffee, is a coffee varietal grown in the Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite. It belongs to the species ''Coffea liberica.'' The term is also used to ...
''" in the street where it stands, which was originally run by Alexandra's grandfather. She is usually dressed in black garb and is often seen working in her trademark outfit a black button-down Chinese-inspired trenchcoat. For weapons, Alexandra uses guns and a magical
kris
The kris or is a Javanese culture, Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although ma ...
blade called ''Sinag'', which was created by Anton from the soul of Trese's twin sister who had died at birth. Trese appears to have a very complex relationship with her father, Anton. Her psionic potential was revealed at her young age and started aiding her father in investigating the mysteries as a young teenager. She finished her initiation rites within 3 years.
:Trese was initially conceived as a male character named Anton Trese. The initial design for the character by Kajo Baldisimo was a "tough guy" who wields a
stingray tail as a weapon. Budjette Tan suggested to make Trese as a woman after he felt that the character was "so typical" and remarked that it would be "very cliché to see another tough guy fighting monsters".
* Kambal (Crispin & Basilio) – Alexandra Trese's mysterious and imposing personal bodyguards that are often seen floating and wearing black suits. Each sports a unique diamond-shaped mask, a happy face and a sad face. To tell them apart when they don't have their masks on, Kajo gave the happy-faced Kambal a long haircut and the sad-faced Kambal, a short one. The short-haired Kambal wearing the sad-faced mask is the eldest of the Kambal and is referred to as "Kuya" throughout the first several books until he is finally given the name "Crispin" in Book 6. The younger Kambal with the happy-faced mask and long hair, Basilio, is the more playful of the two. The true nature of their existence is initially unknown until it is later revealed that the Kambal were born from a woman and a Bukidnon war god, making them demi-gods, although their father aims to consume them in order to achieve more power.
"Kambal" literally translates to "twins" in English and the names after the characters in
Noli Me Tangere
''Noli me tangere'' ('touch me not') is the Latin version of a phrase spoken, according to John 20:17, by Jesus to Mary Magdalene when she recognized him after His resurrection. The original Koine Greek phrase is (). The biblical scene has b ...
.
* Captain Guerrero – He served as a sergeant when Anton Trese, Alexandra's father, was aiding his former superior. Guerrero takes charge of the task force responsible for dealing with the supernatural and mysterious after his superior retires.
* Hank Sparrow – He is the trusted bartender of ''The Diabolical''. He loves to listen to stories of customers and if he likes their story he gives them a drink for free.
* Anton Trese – He is Alexandra Trese's father and the former guardian of Metro Manila. He was a psychic investigator and had six kids. He died protecting Alexandra during her initiation rite when he sacrificed himself to fortify the tree. He is first mentioned in Book 1, and appears in Book 3.
Recurring characters
* Tapia – Captain Guerrero's right-hand man in his investigations.
*
Nuno sa Punso
A nuno sa punso ("old man of the mound"), or simply nuno ("old man" or "grandparent" "ancestor"), is a dwarf-like nature spirit in Philippine mythology. It is believed to live in an anthill or termite mound, hence its name, literally 'Ancesto ...
– A small, dwarf-like creature of the Underworld. Their kind once lived in mounds of dirt or ant hills until humans started throwing garbage and littered their homes. This particular
nuno lives in a manhole, does not like the sea, and seems to know Alexandra's father. In the komiks, Trese asks for permission when she passes by a dirt mound, saying "Tabi, tabi po. Good evening po," due to a superstition involving powerful curses being inflicted on unsuspecting humans who disturb a ''nuno''
's home.
* Maliksi – A ''
tikbalang
The Tikbalang (/ˈtikbaˌlaŋ/) (also Tigbalang, Tigbalan, Tikbalan, Tigbolan, or Werehorse) is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and rainforests of the Philippines. It is a tall, bony humanoid (half-human and h ...
'' responsible for multiple illegal drag race accidents held on C-5. He is the son of the Great Stallion and a member of the Armanaz herd.
* Señor Armanaz – A ''
tikbalang
The Tikbalang (/ˈtikbaˌlaŋ/) (also Tigbalang, Tigbalan, Tikbalan, Tigbolan, or Werehorse) is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and rainforests of the Philippines. It is a tall, bony humanoid (half-human and h ...
'' and the head of the Armanaz herd.
*
Santelmo – A friend of Alexandra who assists her in some of her cases.
* Hannah and Ammie – Hannah and Ammie are Wind-people; beings that possess the magical powers of the wind. Hannah is from the
Habagat tribe and Ammie is from the
Amihan
In the Philippines, ''amihan'' refers to the season dominated by the trade winds, which are experienced in the country as a ''cool northeast wind''.
It is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall in the central and wester ...
tribe.
* Madame – A highly influential antagonist with deep connections to the powerful figures of the city,
noted to be visually reminiscent of the deposed first lady
Imelda Marcos
Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitación Trinidad Romuáldez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who was First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power after her husband Ferdinand ...
.
Awards
''Trese: Mass Murders'' won the
National Book Award Best Graphic Literature 2010.
''Trese: Last Seen After Midnight,'' was nominated for the Filipino Readers' Choice Award for Comics/Graphic Novels 2012,
''and Trese: Midnight Tribunal'' won the Filipino Readers' Choice Award for Comics/Graphic Novels 2013.
''Trese: Stories from the Diabolical'' was nominated for the Filipino Readers' Choice Award for Fictional Anthology 2014,
''and the anthology book Manila Noir'', which contained ''Trese: Thirteen Stations'', won the National Book Award for Best Anthology in English 2014.
''Trese: High Tide at Midnight'' was nominated for the National Book Award for Graphic Literature in English 2015.
Issue synopses
Each issue of ''Trese'' is split into chapters known as 'cases', some structured like an actual detective case where Alexandra Trese arrives at a crime scene and gathers clues until the case is solved, while others are written as chapters for the issue's main story arc. Starting with the fourth book, cases are no longer numbered, but are listed in the order they appeared.
Main series
''Trese 1: Murder at Balete Drive''
* ''"Case 1: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street"''
*''"Case 2: The Rules of the Race"''
*''"Case 3: Our Secret Constellation"''
*''"Case 4: The Tragic Case of Dr. Burgos"''
''Trese 2: Unreported Murders''
* ''"Case 5: A Little Known Murder in Studio 4"'': Starlet Heather Evangelista was found dead in the studio of her latest movie. Trese is called in after the remains of a dead ''duwende'' is found in the crime scene.
* ''"Case 6: The Outpost in Kalayaan Street"'': A late case at the cemetery turns grim for Captain Guerrero and his colleagues when the dead rose from their graves and started attacking the nearby outpost.
* ''"Case 7: Embrace of the Unwanted"'': A couple was found dead in a mall basement parking lot, ravaged by a very small creature. The case took several turns before finding its way back to a clinic in the mall.
* ''"Case 8: The Association Dues of Livewell Village"'': A pattern of deaths is found in Livewell Village with a person electrocuted once a year, left with a
sigil
A sigil () is a type of symbol used in magic. The term usually refers to a pictorial signature of a spirit (such as an angel, demon, or deity). In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, a sigil refers to a symbolic represen ...
on their body. Trese's investigation lead her to a shady deal between the residents and a lightning elemental.
''Trese 3: Mass Murders''
* ''"Case 9: A Private Retaliation"''
* ''"Case 10: Patient 414 in Mandaluyong"''
* ''"Case 11: The Fort Bonifacio Massacre"''
* ''"Case 12: The Baptism of Alexandra Trese"''
* ''"Case 13: An Act of War"''
''Trese 4: Last Seen After Midnight''
* ''"Cadena De Amor"'': A serial rapist is killed by a plant elemental at Luneta Park. The case opens up to reveal the whereabouts of a missing gardener.
* ''"A Private Collection"'': A ''manananggal'' falls out of the sky with its wings carefully sliced off. The incident nearly starts a gang war in the area and Trese has to find the real murderer before the situation escalates.
* ''"Wanted: Bedspacer"'': A strange illness of depression affects students living along Katipunan Avenue and Trese has to trace the source of the paranormal epidemic.
* ''"Fight of the Year"'': With an aspiring boxer nearly lured into a deal he'd be sure to regret, Trese shows him what his idol has to do to achieve his fame and success.
''Trese 5: Midnight Tribunal''
* ''"Maverick Rider"''
* ''"The Judge's Verdict"''
* ''"Return of the Madame"''
* ''"The Great Stampede"''
''Trese 6: High Tide at Midnight''
* ''"The Executioner's Return"''
* ''"Casa Lanan"''
* ''"The Plan of the Four Clans"''
* ''"The Executioner's Squad"''
* ''"Slaughter at Brgy. Pacifica"''
''Trese 7: Shadow Witness''
*''"Thirteen Stations"'' – Reprinted story from ''Manila Noir''
*''"The Exorcism of Linda Blasco"''
*''"Table for Three"'' – Originally printed as an ashcan
*''"The Madrid Gig"''
''Trese 8: Shadow Agents''
*''"The Astronomer"''
*''"Tiger Burning Bright"''
*''"The Assassin"''
*''"The Abduction of Ernesto Clemente"'' – Reworking of an unfinished Trese spin-off, ''Bantay and the Askaleros''
*''"The Shadowmancer"''
*''"The Ballad of San Revilla"'' – Primarily a reworking of ''Talis'', a komik also created by the two authors
*''"The Mermaid"''
*''"Sunday Ritual"''
''Stories from the Diabolical''
Budjette Tan created a blog, titled ''Stories from the Diabolical'' to share narratives that he could not put into the comic books. They would often involve "The Diabolical" and sometimes reference the main cases such as "Case 1: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street" and ''"''Case 2: The Rules of the Race". Some of the stories in the blog were made in collaboration with other artists such as Mark Torres, who drew for
Image Comics
Image Comics is an independent American American comic book, comic book publisher and is the third largest direct market comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry by market share. Its best-known publications include ''Spawn (comics) ...
, and Elbert Or, creator of
Bakemono High. Most of the blog posts were published in the first volume and were all illustrated by Kajo Baldisimo.
''Trese: Stories from the Diabolical'' Volume 1
*''"One Last Drink at the Diabolical"''
*''"The Usual Spot"''
*''"The Last Full Show"'', was the first draft that was developed into ''Thirteen Stations''
*''"The Choir"''
*''"Coffee Black"''
''Stories from the Diabolical'' Blog
*''"Welcome to The Diabolical"'', used panels from ''Our Secret Constellation''
*''"The Choir"''
*''"One Last Drink at the Diabolical" ,'' illustrated by Mark Torres
*''"The Usual Spot" ,'' illustrated by Elbert Or
*''"Coffee Black"''
*''"I Carry your Heart''
*''"On the first of January"''
*''"The Last Full Show"''
*''"Night of the Creeps"''
''Precinto 13''
Originally published as ashcans, they are currently available in the Trese blog. They were illustrated by artist
Atan Talas.
* ''"A Domestic Disturbance"'' Story by Budjette Tan. Scripted by David Hontiveros and Budjette Tan
* ''"Premeditation"''
* ''"Midnight Patrol"''
* ''"Calling the Parents of a Little Girl in a Blue Dress"''
''Trese'' Komiks
These are re-released issues that have been translated into Filipino by
Bob Ong
Bob Ong is the pseudonym of a contemporary Filipino people, Filipino author known for using conversational writing technique to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippines, Philippine life. The author's actual name and identity are ...
with an updated colored art. They all have bonus material attached at the end.
*''"Sa Kanto ng Balete Drive"'': ''case #1 At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street''
*''"Mga Tuntunin ng Karera"'': ''case #2 The Rules of the Race''
*''"Ang Trahedya ni Dr. Burgos"'': ''case #4 The Tragic Case of Dr. Burgos''
''Trese'' International Editions
* ''"Trese #1 Global Edition: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street"'' (Made available in October 2018, just before the
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
adaptation announcement, for the backers of the
Indiegogo
Indiegogo is an American crowdfunding website founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California. The site is one of the first sites to offer crowd funding. Indiegogo allows peo ...
campaign), retconned Alexandra's usage of a keypad mobile phone and fax machine
*"''Trese #1: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street (Anniversary Edition)"'' (In celebration of Trese's 14th Anniversary, "Trese #1 Global Edition: At the Intersection of Balete and 13th Street''"'' was reprinted as an ashcan on 2019, similar to the original ashcan issue, exclusively sold by Comic Odyssey and Filbar's)
*''"Trese: Murder on Balete Drive"'' (Published by Ablaze Comics, the book is an updated US edition of Book 1, featuring redrawn artwork, additional pages as well as pieces of annotated material taken from various books such as the Trese Global Edition and Trese: Book of Murders. It has a variant cover exclusive from Comic Odyssey and Sanctum Sanctorum Comics that was limited to 300 pieces.)
*''Trese 2: Unreported Murders'' (Published by Ablaze Comics, the book is an updated US edition of Book 2)
''Trese Lite''
*''"Trese Lite Postcard Book Vol. 1"'' (It was launched at the newly made komik store "Secret HQ" and had a panel and autograph signing with creators Budjette Tan, Kajo Baldisimo and Iunctura writer David Hontiveros and artist Marvin Del Mundo. It's the first book published under Avenida Books publishing.)
''Trese Bloodlines''
*"Trese: Bloodlines Volume 1", the first installment in an anthology of ''Trese'' comic stories from David Hontiveros, John Amor, Brian Balondo, Mark Gatela, Marvin del Mundo, Brandie Tan, Jb Tapia and a new story from Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. The book was released in December 2020. The stories are listed as follows:
**''"The Visions of Miranda Trese"''
**''"Takutan: A Verdugo Mission"''
**''"That Kind of Hunger: a Fr. Matthias Trese case"''
**''"Iunctura: a Fr. Trese and Dakila deviation story"''
**''"Personal Demons: an Alexandra Trese and Detective Andara deviation story"''
''Trese'' shorts
Numerous standalone comic shorts have been mostly written by Budjette Tan (with two notable exceptions) that are set in the ''Trese'' universe. They are usually illustrated by a host of different illustrators including Kajo Baldisimo. The Trese moniker is often placed at the start of the story's title to indicate its setting in the ''Trese'' universe. Sometimes, the connection is more subtle, such as when characters from the main ''Trese'' series appear in stories such as ''Songs of the Lewenri'' or when events from the main books are directly referenced in stories like ''The Clinic''.
*''"Trese: The Devil's Playground"'', art by Melvin Arciaga and story by Budjette Tan (Released online in 2009)
*''"Trese: Masquerade"'', illustrated by Mark Torres and written by Budjette Tan (Appeared in the October 2009 issue of ''Rogue Magazine'')
*''"The Clinic"'', illustrated by Kajo Baldisimo and written by Budjette Tan (Appeared in the 2009 graphic anthology Underpass). The story's connection to the Trese universe is revealed via the appearance of ABC-ZNN as well as when the main character references the events of the story Embrace of the Unwanted, referencing Robertson Mall by name.
*''"Songs of the Lewenri: Farewell to Pain"'' (Published in 2010 for ''
Free Comic Book Day
Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to attract new readers to independent comic book stores. It usually takes place on the first Saturday of May and has historically been cross ...
'')
*''"The Last Full Show"'' (Appeared in the 2011 anthology book "Alternative Alamat", in a July 2012 post in the "Stories from the Diabolical" blog, and in the "Trese: Stories from the Diabolical Volume 1" in 2013 with an updated art)
*''"Thirteen Stations"'' (Appeared in the 2013 publication of ''Manila Noir, Abangan: The Best of Philippine Komiks,'' and reprinted in ''Trese 7: Shadow Witness'' in 2019)
*''"Trese: Engkanto in the City"'' (Appeared in the May 4, 2013 edition of the ''
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded broad ...
'')
*''"Trese: Table for Three"'' (Published in October 2016 as an ashcan and then appeared in Trese 7: Shadow Witness).
*''"Kambal: The Elegant Skull"'', illustrated by Ian Sta. Maria and written by Budjette Tan (Appeared in the October 2017 issue of ''Kommunity'' magazine)
*''"Trese Deviations: Iunctura'', illustrated by Marvin Del Mundo and written by David Hontiveros. (Released in the 2019 November Komikon event)
*''"Trese Presents: Verdugo Takutan"'', written and illustrated by J.B. Tapia. This is the second Trese story not written by Budjette. It was released online weekly for free during the
imposed quarantine in the Philippines. It was later released as part of a book called ''Trese Presents: Verdugo''.
*''"The Siren's Executioner"'', written by Budjette Tan and Illustrated by Kajo Baldisimo.
Books and Stories in production
*''Trese 3: Mass Murders'' (Published by Ablaze Comics, the book is an updated US edition of Book 3)
*''Trese: Bloodlines Volume 2'', the second installment in the anthology series. This book will be released in 2021 and will be based upon stories solicited from readers.
*''Trese 8: Shadow Agents'', coming out on October 21, 2023 It includes the story ''Tiger Burning Bright'', which was released online. It will also include the story ''Bantay and the Askaleros'', the preview of which was released back in 2015.
* ''Trese 9''
* ''Trese 10''
* ''Trese 11''
* ''Trese 12''
* ''Trese 13''
* "Bantay and the Askaleros", a spinoff focusing on the character Bantay and his Askaleros. A preview was given out as a freebie during the Free Comic Book Day 2015.
The characters appeared a year later in a story from the ''Stories from the Diabolical'' blog. The story is set to appear in the upcoming ''Trese: Shadow Agents'' book.
*"Trese Occult Case #2", the Global Edition of ''Case 2: The Rules of the Race.'' It was dubbed as the Anniversary Ashcan issue # 2.
*Untitled Trese Deviations books
*Fr. Matt solo stories
*The Art of Trese
*''Halimaw'', written and illustrated by JB Tapia and edited by Budjette Tan
Graphic novels
* Book 1 – Trese: Murder on Balete Drive
* Book 2 – Trese: Unreported Murders
* Book 3 – Trese: Mass Murders
* Book 4 – Trese: Last Seen After Midnight
* Book 5 – Trese: Midnight Tribunal
* Book 6 – Trese: High Tide at Midnight
* Book 7 – Trese: Shadow Witness
* Book 8 – Trese: Shadow Agents
* Volume 1 – Trese: Stories From the Diabolical
* Volume 1 – Trese: Book of Murders (Compilation of books 1–3 with updated artwork plus additional annotated material and was only limited to 1,000 copies, making them rare)
* Volume 1 – Trese: Murder on Balete Drive (Published by Ablaze Comics)
* Volume 2 – Trese: Unreported Murders (Published by Ablaze Comics)
* Volume 3 – Trese: Mass Murders (Published by Ablaze Comics)
* Volume 4 – Trese: Last Seen After Midnight (Published by Ablaze Comics)
* Volume 5 – Trese: Midnight Tribunal (Published by Ablaze Comics)
* Volume 6 – Trese: High Tide at Midnight (Published by Ablaze Comics)
Crossovers
Skyworld
Written by Mervin Ignacio, and illustrated by Ian Sta. Maria, ''Skyworld'' was set in an alternate universe, where Alexandra Trese and the Kambal act as some of the main characters that aid the main protagonist, Andoy. The single issues 1-3 were released at local conventions. Volumes 1 and 2 serve as compilations of these issues together with issue 4. They were published by
National Bookstore Publishing.
Volume 1
* Skyworld: Apocrypha
* Skyworld: Testament
''Every legend hides a lie. A murdered Skygod re-emerges in modern-day Manila. A Tikbalang prince plots vengeance for the death of his father. And the Queen of the Asuang unleashes the mythical
Bakunawa
The Bakunawa, also called the Philippine moon-eating dragon, the Philippine moon dragon, moon dragon, or the moon-eating dragon, is a serpent, that looks like a Dragon in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthqu ...
upon the streets of the city. Caught in their age-old struggle is Andoy. a crippled orphan that discovers he is the fulfillment of a prophecy dating back to
Lapu-Lapu
Lapulapu (fl. 1521) or Lapu-Lapu, whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan, an island now part of the Philippines. Lapulapu is known for the 1521 Battle of Mactan, where he and his men defeated Spanish forc ...
himself.''
Volume 2
* Skyworld: Prodigal
* Skyworld: Requiem
''Every legend hides a lie. The Queen of the Asuang and her legion have taken over the country. Alexandra Trese leads the resistance alongside Makabo, a Tikbalang warrior, and Kaio, the Duwende trickster. Trapped in their epic battle is Andoy, a teenage boy tasked with uniting an army of Tikbalang, Enkanto, Kapre and Duwende against the Asuang. But before he can lead them, he must first recover a mystical sword that was once part of the fabled
Yamashita Treasure.''
Volume 3
This will be the last book in the series and is still under development, with the release slated for 2020.
= Prequel
=
* Skyworld: Dominion
Set after the events of Skyworld: Requiem, Andoy, currently called "Maharlika", now rules over a country in rebuild. A free version was released during the
Philippine Independence Day 2017. Originally it was titled Martial Law.
Ambush
Ambush is a continuing strip created by Andrew Villar and published daily in the
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded broad ...
. The story follows Amber Gonzales, also known as Ambush, who starts her job as an agent at a very young age. A variant cover with ''Trese'' paid homage to
Uncanny X-Men #173 .
Several crossovers have involved Trese, some of which have been titled ''Trese: Ambush''. A story published for the 2012 Free Comic Book Day Komiks anthology notably had Trese writer Budjette Tan write the script while Andrew Villar illustrated the comic. Other sample crossovers between the two include:
Inferno: An Agents of Ambush Adventure
Plot
''When a big fiery dog razes a village, the bravo company discovers the paranormal is involved. Trese, the Kambal, and a former agent help, but not without a huge sacrifice that would change their lives.''
A Night At The Museum
In honor of Batman Day 2016, Kajo and Budjette released online a non-canon story about Trese,
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
, and
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
teaming up to fight
The Hand and Aswangs. It was left without a conclusion. The last 2 missing pages were published in an ashcan titled, "''Mga Drawing Ni Kajo'' #6" (The Drawings of Kajo). As part of the celebration for BatCon 2019, physical copies for the completed comic with an exclusive cover were released for the first 100 ticket buyers and included as a raffle for attendees. On March 24, 2020 (during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
), the complete comic was released in the official ''Trese'' blog.
Trese Deviations: Iunctura
Written by David Hontiveros and illustrated by Marvin Del Mundo, the story is a crossover team-up between Fr. Mattias Trese and Dakila. It was a story canon to 'The Verse' universe by David Hontiveros. This was used as a way of featuring his character Dakila and the organization TierCell.
This is said to be the first story from the Trese Deviations title.
Other appearances
With the blessing of its creators, Alexandra Trese and the Kambals appeared in ''Kanto Inc'' (issue #3) and in a comic strip of ''Callous''. Parody versions also appeared in ''Beerkada'' comics.
Adaptations
The creators attempted to make a 10-minute long short film in 2010 but found it costly to produce. According to the afterword of ''Trese 4: Last Seen After Midnight'', the script was reused for the story "A Private Collection''".'' There have been talks to adapt the series by Filipino studios and networks.
Glaiza de Castro
Glaiza Castro Galura-Rainey (; born January 21, 1988), professionally known by her stage name Glaiza de Castro, is a Filipino actress and singer. She is known for playing various roles in television and mainstream, independent, and sociopolitica ...
was a fan favorite for the role and even showed interest. A thesis short film was made by students but was only screened privately due to the creators having signed a contract with a potential film producer.
On November 8, 2018, media-services provider
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
announced at their "See What's Next Asia" event
Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands is a integrated resort fronting Marina Bay, Singapore, Marina Bay in Singapore and a landmark of the city. At its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone casino property at Singapore dollar, S$8&nbs ...
in
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
that they would air an
anime-influenced web television series adaptation of ''Trese'' as part of their upcoming '
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
' lineup.
The animated series would be produced by BASE Entertainment with Jay Oliva as the executive producer. During the ''Trese Lite Vol. 1'' launch, Budjette said that Filipino voice actors were used for the television series. In October 27, Netflix released the first look for the series, and set its release date for 2021.
On March 7, 2021, Netflix announced that
Liza Soberano
Hope Elizabeth Soberano (born January 4, 1998) is an American and Filipino actress. Known for playing supporting characters in comedies and dramas as a teenager, she has since expanded her repertoire to leading roles in film and television. She ...
would voice for the Tagalog dub for the main character Alexandra Trese, with
Shay Mitchell
Shannon Ashley Garcia "Shay" Mitchell (born April 10, 1987) is a Canadian actress and entrepreneur. She rose to prominence for her role as Emily Fields in the mystery thriller drama series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017), which earned h ...
voice acting for the English dub. The series was released on June 11, 2021.
Merchandise
Due to its popularity, the creators sold limited amounts of shirts while several licensed shirts were produced by ''Art Initiative'', ''Evil Genius Clothing Co.'', and ''Team Manila''. Dolls of Trese, Crispin, and Basilio were made by ''Studio-Kaiba'' in 2012. During
Komikon
Komikon (with ''komik'' as the Tagalog language, Tagalized form for ''comic'', and ''convention'') is an annual comic book fan convention in the Philippines founded by Artist's Den to be the first convention solely dedicated for comic book enthu ...
2017, The ''Keybie Cafe'' sold keychains of the characters while ''Visprint'' sold refrigerator magnets. In honor of the 13th anniversary of ''Trese'', ''Hidden Fortress'' produced Trese and the Kambal 3.75" tall resin figures limited to 30 sets and was exclusively released for ''ToyCon PH'' 2018.
In 2016, ''Balangay Entertainment'' announced ''Trese Case Files: War and Chaos'', a cooperative board game for 1–5 players. Players would play as the characters from ''Trese'' as they protect Manila from villains from the comic and would need to work together to investigate cases, defeat monsters, gain favors, and thwart the mastermind's diabolical scheme. Development stopped the following year in favor of other projects.
In November 2021, two variants of Alexandra Trese's
Funko
Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures Brand licensing, licensed and limited popular culture, pop culture collectibles, known for its licensed Polyvinyl chloride, vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces li ...
Pops were made exclusively available at Filbar's, these are: a regular colored one and a limited edition black and white Chase figure that can only be purchased together in a bundle of six Trese Funko Pops.
See also
*
Philippine comics
Philippine Comics () have been popular throughout Philippines, the nation from the 1920s to the present. Comics studies, Comics scholar John A. Lent posited that the Philippine comics tradition has "the strongest audience appeal, best-known ca ...
*
Budjette Tan
*
Bob Ong
Bob Ong is the pseudonym of a contemporary Filipino people, Filipino author known for using conversational writing technique to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippines, Philippine life. The author's actual name and identity are ...
*
Elmer (comics)
*
Mythology Class
''The Mythology Class'' is a Philippine graphic novel written and illustrated by Arnold Arre. It was originally published by Arre in four issues in 1999, and was collected into a special edition by Adarna House in September 2005. The latest edition ...
*
Leinil Francis Yu
Leinil Francis Yu (born 1977) is a People of the Philippines, Filipino comic book artist, who began working for the United States, American market through Wildstorm Productions.
Career
Leinil Francis Yu was first recognized after winning the ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Trese Komiks OnlineBudjette Tan – Babbling PointKajo Baldisimo – KaBLAG!Visual Print EnterprisesStories from the DiabolicalManila Noir
2005 comics debuts
Horror comics
Occult detective fiction
Philippine comics titles
Philippine mythology in popular culture
Female superheroes
Fictional Filipino people
Comics characters who use magic
Fictional monster hunters
Fictional paranormal investigators
Filipino comics characters
Filipino superheroes
Visprint books