The local legend of Tungkung Langit and Laon Sina whose love for each other birthed the oceans and the continents are told in colorful panels alongside three romantic stories from different times in our history.įind Dead Balagtas at your local bookstore or buy it online via the Adarna House website. Tabi Po by Mervin Malonzo is a comics series steeped in Filipino folklore and set during the Spanish colonial period. It is about a babaylan who narrates the story of how the universe came to be. At the back of my mind, I knew it would be amazing and it did not disappoint. The award-winning and critically-acclaimed graphic novel Dead Balagtas is created by Emiliana Kampilan, who is also known for attending comic conventions anonymously with a bayong on her head.ĭead Balagtas is both a visual treat and a poetic read. Tabi Po written and illustrated by Mervin Malonzo had been on my radar since last year’s partnership with Haliya Publishing for Philippines’ Independence Day celebration but reading the series was pushed back for so many reasons.

You can buy these comics at a local bookstore or online via the Haliya Publishing website or the Mervstore website.ĭead Balagtas Photo: Dead Balagtas on Facebook You can watch the first episode for free here. If we want to talk about the best that Philippine comics. With her psychic powers, Ella must protect the inhabitants of Barangay Masikap who are not only victims of the monstrous creatures from our folklore, but also by the very real problems in our society.Īrtist Mervin Malonzo is also adapting Ella Arcangel into an animated series. Disclosure: The company I work for is the eBook publisher of the English translation of Tabi Po. Tabi Po tells the story of the mysterious Elias who wakes up in the middle of a tree in a forest with no recollection of who he is or what hes supposed to. From Julius Villanueva comes this comic book series that follows a young, modern-day mambabarang.īarangay Masikap is a slum area in Manila that is a hotspot for supernatural occurrences, and the only person preventing the otherworldly forces from enveloping its residents is the mambabarang Ella Arcangel.

Tabi po 1 mervin malonzo