Trese

From WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia

Trese is a horror/crime komiks created by writer Budjette Tan and artist Kajo Baldisimo. It tells the story of Alexandra Trese, a detective that deals with crimes of supernatural origin.

1 Publication History
2 Plot
3 Characters
- 3.1 Main Characters
- 3.2 Supporting Characters
4 Issue Synopses
5 Graphic Novels
6 Notes
7 External Links
8 Citation

[edit] Publication History

Trese was first published independently by Alamat Comics in ashcan (photocopied) and online format. It is currently available in a collected, graphic novel form, published by Visual Print Enterprises.

[edit] Plot

When the sun sets in the city of Manila, don’t you dare make a wrong turn and end up in that dimly-lit side of the metro, where aswang run the most-wanted kidnapping rings, where kapre are the kingpins of crime, and engkantos slip through the cracks and steal your most precious possessions.

When crime takes a turn for the weird, the police call Alexandra Trese. - Budjette Tan, Trese #1 Press Release^[1]

[edit] Characters

[edit] Main Characters

Alexandra Trese - First appeared in Trese #1. A strong, independent, modern woman with an old soul deeply attached to the Underworld. Alexandra Trese, or simply Trese, is a private detective who specializes in crimes perpetrated by supernatural beings of the Underworld. She is the proprietor of The Diabolical, a night club that serves the best^[2] kapeng barako in the street where it stands, just like the time when it was once a simple cafe run by Trese's grandfather. She is usually dressed in black garb and is often seen working in her trademark outfit^[3] a black button-down Chinese-inspired trenchcoat. For weapons, Trese uses guns and a magical kris, a short sword having wavy edges, used by the old Muslim tribes such as the Maranaw. Trese seems to have a very complex relationship with her father, Anton.

"My name is Alexandra Trese. I am nothing like my father." - Trese #1

Kambal - First appeared in Trese #1. "Kambal" literally translates to "twins" in English and they are Alexandra Trese's mysterious and imposing personal bodyguards. It is not known as to what matter of creature the Kambal are, whether they are human or some Underworld species. These handsome, half-bred^[4] men are often seen floating, wearing black suits and strikingly unique diamond-shaped masks, one bearing a happy face and the other a sad face. To tell them apart when they don't have their masks, Kajo gave the happy-faced Kambal a short haircut and the sad-faced Kambal, a long hairstyle.

Captain Guerrero - First appeared Trese #1.

Tapia - First appeared in Trese #1.

Hank Sparrow - First appeared in Trese #3.

Anton Trese - First mentioned in Trese #1.

[edit] Supporting Characters

Gina Santos - First appeared in Trese #1. Gina Santos is a white lady, a ghost whose corpse (or a physical manifestation of her ghost) was found in the intersection of Balete Drive and 13th street. She died back in 1963, when she was run over by a drunk driver while waiting for her lover. Her ghost has haunted that intersection until the day her body was found in present day Manila inside a circle drawn with ground-up mermaid bones.

Nuno sa Manhole - First appeared in Trese #1. 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. There is a superstition that if you disturb a nuno's home, it would inflict powerful curses on the poor, unsuspecting human. In the komiks, Trese asked for permission when she passed by a dirt mound, saying "Tabi, tabi po. Good evening po."

Aling Terrie - A vendor in Quiapo, Manila and one of Alexandra Trese's usual informants.

Aswang - First appeared in Trese #1.

Ms. De la Rosa - First appeared in Trese #1.

Albert Morales - First appeared in Trese #2. A victim of a car crash, Albert Moralez is the third victim in a series of drag racing related accidents in C-5 National Highway. He was last seen racing against a notoriously fast black car. In the crime scene, there were marks resembling hooves of horses seen on Albert's car and in the vicinity. His girlfriend, Katya Sanchez, was reported to be kidnapped after the crash.

Tikbalang - First appeared in Trese #2.

Maliksi - First appeared in Trese #2. A tikbalang and a member of the Armanaz herd.

Senor Armanaz - First appeared in Trese #2. A tikbalang and the head of the Armanaz herd.

Mr. Armanaz III - First appeared in Trese #3. A member of the Armanaz herd.

Hannah and Ammie - First appeared in Trese #2. Hannah and Ammie are Wind-people; they are beings that possess the magical powers of the wind. Hannah is from the Habagat tribe and Ammie is from the Amihan tribe.

[edit] Issue Synopses

Each of the individual issues of Trese is structured like a detective case, with Alexandra Trese arriving at a crime scene and going about gathering clues until the case is solved. The following are the individual synopses for each cases as well as various information unique to each issue.

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
Case 5: A Little Known Murder in Studio 4
Case 6: The Outpost in Kalayaan Street
Case 7: Embrace of the Unwanted
Case 8: The Association Dues of Livewell Village
Stories from the Diabolical: The Choir
Stories from the Diabolical: One Last Drink at the Diabolical
Stories from the Diabolical: The Usual Spot
Stories from the Diabolical: Coffee Black

[edit] Graphic Novels

Book 1 - Trese: Murder on Balete Drive
Book 2 - Trese: Unreported Murders
Book 3 - Trese: Mass Murders

[edit] Notes

↑ Trese Komiks Press Release.Trese Komiks Online, December 9, 2005. Accessed on April 29, 2008.
↑ Budjette Tan, Kajo Baldisimo. Trese #3: The Secret Constellation. Alamat Comics (December 2005): page 5, panel 5.
↑ Budjette Tan, Kajo Baldisimo. Trese: Murder on Balete Drive. Visual Print Enterprises (April 2008): page 95.
↑ Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo.Trese #2: Rules of the Race. Alamat Comics (December 2005): page 13, panel 3.