TRESE VOL 1 - MURDER ON BALETE DRIVE

Tan and Baldisimo’s series of supernatural noir explores a sinisterunderworld in the Philippines, now published for the first time in the U.S.Alexandra Trese pursues a criminal gang of aswang-monsters who can take humanform. A trail of gruesome deaths in Manila (a woman burned alive in anunscorched room, a man drained of life in a nightclub bathroom)lead the Manilapolice to realize otherworldly forces are at play, and they call in Alexandra.Her grandfather befriended aswang and her father hunted them, and theunflappable Alexandra navigates arcane alliances and rivalries along with hercomplicated heritage. With the aid of a menagerie of Filipino folklore creaturesand her two masked enforcers, Alexandra finds and eliminates the creatures. Thehaunting, fine-lined black-and-white art evokes the style of Filipino artistslike Nestor Redondo and Alex Nuño. Real-world political parallels couldbe read between the blurred lines of Alexandra’s world and the current wave ofgovernment-sanctioned extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Whether that’sintentional, there’s complexity layered in: the “bad guys” may be monsters, buttheir killing at the hands of a vigilante and her deadly enforcers plumbstroubled waters. The unconventional monster art and moody, action-packednarratives make this horror-crime series a must-follow for any aficionado of themacabre. (Oct.)–Publishers Weekly

“The story structure is perfect, mixing in occasional whimsy and the hintof previous adventures that may or may not be told. Baldisimo’s black and whiteart has the creepiness of a Warren magazine story (by Alfredo Alcala or NestorRedondo, of course). Yet it also blends in a manga influence. It’s no wonderthat Netflix has picked this book up for their anime programmingï¿9; it’s already cinematic and Trese is a terrific character.”–fanboyplanet.com

“The four stories are accompanied by in-depth fact sheets about theamazing creatures we meet, and to close Tan gives us the backstory of Trese andhow it eventually ended up as a show. It rounds off a winner in every way,exotic, glamorous and beguiling.”—theslingsandarrows.com

“supernatural elements lend the story a strong horrorvibe, which is accentuated by the grisly, black-and-white art.” - TheVerge

“Trese adds new life to the supernatural genre, elevating traditionalstories passed down through countless generations across the Philippines. Tan’simaginings are the key to unlocking the gates to these little-known tales andmaking them universal, while Baldisimo’s mind-blowing art is something to beholdï¿9; a superstar artist, waiting to be discovered.” SYFYWIRE

“Budjette and Kajo’s Trese is a gem. It excitesthe little child in me which used to believe in the wonders of Filipinofolklore, and my adult self who enjoys intelligently written and drawntales.” - LEINIL YU

Budjette Tan is a Filipino writer renowned for co-creating the acclaimed comic book series Trese with artist Kajo Baldisimo. He is also a co-founder and the editor-in-chief of Alamat Comics.

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