REVIEW: Abangan: The Best Philippine Komiks 2014

Disclaimers: I'm friends with the editors of Abangan, and Mythspace (my comic, which will be
published by Visprint, publisher of Abangan) was one of the komiks solicited by them for the
anthology that didn't make the cut. This review was made possible by a PSF copy provided by the
editors.
"Greetings young reader/ target demographic!" says the host of "Spooky Tales of the Here and
Now", a mock television show in comics form, one of the selections included in "Abangan: The
Best Philippine Komiks 2014." The self-awareness is part of the humor of the piece, but the line
also brings to mind a question that lingered as I read through the anthology: who is the audience
for Abangan?

That kind of question may seem more suitable for a marketing pitch than a review of a creative
work, but an anthology is a special sort of beast, particularly one that claims no inherent thematic
unity -- quite the opposite in fact. In the introduction to the book, the editors state that "[o]ur
main goal was to exhibit the range of creative work being done in the field of komiks in terms of
genre, style, and medium we attempted to feature as many genres and as many different styles
as we could" and to a large part they have succeeded in that goal, with the admitted caveat that
most of the komiks the Editors were exposed to were those available either online or in Metro
Manila. An anthology which has both an excerpt from "The Filipino Heroes League" (Paolo
Fabregas) and "Blue Dusk" (Mica Agregado) covers a wide spectrum indeed.
Given the stated goal of the editors above, it's hard to argue with the selections made for the
comic. There are two selections illustrated by Rob Cham, but the total page count of those two
combined is less than the average of the other selections. Bong Redila's captioned illustrations
may not be considered comics under some definitions of the term, but they do qualify as comics
under others, and most readers won't care about the technicalities, not when the standard of
craftsmanship is so high. It's a standard that is upheld consistently throughout the book, and while
there are certain styles and creators represented that I don't "get", I've heard enough good things
about them to know that there are other readers who hold them in high esteem. Abangan reflects
not only the wide variety of komiks in the industry, but, through these, the wide variety of readers
as well.
I do wish that there had been introductions to the pieces, something to contextualize their
inclusion. This is particularly true with regard to the excerpts, as some invariably fail to accurately
represent their source material: the main cast of FHL is absent from its excerpt, for instance, and
the "Sixty-Six" excerpt leaves out the super-power element entirely. Additional commentary
would also help explain apparent oddities, such as the "Dead Balagtas" strips being in English
rather than Filipino. (It turns out they were translated in preparation for a possible international
edition of Abangan, but I learned this because I asked one of the editors directly, which is not
going to be an option for most.)
In a way, the selections constitute a sort of mini-Komikon: it's easy to imagine yourself weaving
through the throng at the Bayanihan Center, and passing these stories as you move from one table
to another. As long as you enjoy stories, the Komikon is worth the trip -- comics newbies with an
open mind are sure to find something that will draw them in, and chances are that even ardent
fans will find something new and splendid ("Para Fierra" was that for me, and the web-only "Dead
Balagtas" may be that for many). The same smorgasbord virtues are present in the Abangan
anthology, particularly because the anthology also includes some previously unpublished work.
Of course, also like a visit to Komikon, the entry fee covers both work you'll enjoy, and work you
won't. It's the rare reader for whom all the selections in the anthology will have the same appeal.
Just as Komikon is worth visiting, I can tell you that Abangan is worth reading. But whether
Abangan's merits make it worth purchasing the book, will depend entirely on what sort of reader
you are -- hence, why a discussion of Abangan's audience is relevant.
If you're new to komiks, and interested in the medium, then I wholeheartedly recommend buying
a copy of Abangan. The sheer variety of komiks available, as well as the relative rarity of most
komiks, can make it a difficult field to navigate. In Abangan, you have a curated, high quality,
ready-made, starters kit.
If you're a komiks reader who only buys a particular genre of komiks, or those of a particular
creator, but would like to expand your horizons, I once again recommend that you buy a copy of
Abangan. The reasons are much the same as those for new readers, since beyond your comics
comfort zone, you are a new reader.
If you're the avid komiks reader, the type who already has copies of most of these stories in their
original forms, then it simply becomes a matter of two things: disposable income, and production
quality. The first is pretty self-explanatory. As for the second... In the introduction, the editors say
that one of the reasons to buy the book is that "it looks great on display on your shelves," and
while that may seem to be a bit of a throw-away line, it's in fact one of the reasons this project is
important.
Self-publishing is still the norm in the industry, and that means that efforts are made to keep
printing costs as low as possible. The result is that most comics are photocopied, slim, ashcan
issues that do not lend themselves to shelving or display or permanent ownership. Yet the
ephemeral quality of the physical komiks is often at odds with the quality of their contents, and it's
important for the professionalization of the industry that more komiks are published in forms that
do these stories justice.
Good komiks deserve respect, and a place on our shelves. Abangan understands that, and
endeavours to make its readers understand as well.