Mythspace – Filipino Folklore Meets Space Adventure!

Mythspace – “Space Opera. Pinoy Style.”

Myths are a crucial part of people’s cultural identity. Mythspace takes those stories and turns them on their head. Perhaps taking a page from Ancient Aliens, Mythspace purports that the creatures of Filipino folklore weren’t monsters at all but extraterrestrials instead. At least, that is what Ambrosio’s Lola believes, much to his amusement or chagrin.

Mythspace is an anthology of short stories that reimagines classic Filipino legends as beings from space. Every story is written by Paolo Chikiamco and they are illustrated by a whole host of talented artists in black and white. Each story focuses on creative world-building to help set a foundation that cements the various space-faring species of Mythspace and the political landscape of the galaxy. Volume 1 is published by VISPRINT, INC. and Studio Salimbal.

Lift Off is Mythspace’s first story, illustrated by Koi Carreon. It encompasses three chapters, revolving around Ambrosio, or Bros for short. Ambrosio is an orphaned kid raised by his grandmother. His parents are missing, allegedly “abducted by aliens.” Bros’s fascination with Filipino folklore was influenced and emboldened by stories from his Lola. When his Lola died, he was forced to fend for himself against busybodies who ridiculed his family. Eventually leading to Bros caught in a crossfire between space bounty hunters and their would-be prey. A ranger-like Kapre, Jrakan Fel45038 tried to intervene on behalf of Ambrosio but failed. He then encountered Qu, a Nuno, and Va-Lis-Ya, a Manananggal. They were hunting down a Tikbalang named Winter-Ice-Thawing, and, as fate would have it, snagged themselves an Earth human as a bonus. These events gave Bros a rude awakening – monsters are real and they come from beyond the skies. The story continues with imprisonment, betrayal, escape, and catharsis as Bros comes to terms that his Lola was right all along.

As a kickoff story, Lift Off was solid. Bros acts as the blank slate that the readers could project themselves into. I find it interesting how he can be a parallel on today’s generation, shifting from wide-eyed optimism to gritty cynicism. His lack of faith in humanity forced him to become street smart, which proved quite useful in space. My personal gripe is that Ambrosio fits the typical broody teenager archetype that accompanies many modern coming-of-age stories. I would have preferred him to lighten up when he found out his childhood stories were real. His brashness was further accentuated when he came across an ancient artifact of unknown power from the Lewenri, an ancient alien race not unlike the Protheans of Mass Effect. His dour attitude was, thankfully, balanced out by the rest of his motley crew.

Jrakan and his fellow Kapre protected Earth and who knows how many more planets from extraterrestrial excursions. With cigar in mouth, he’s usually calm and collected, but prone to outbursts when things don’t go according to plan. Winter belongs to a species of shapeshifters, the Tyho, and his tribe, the Tblng, prefers the familiar form of a half-horse/half man. He prides himself on his strict code of honor but that makes him no calf in a fight. Va-Lis-Ya looks like a manananggal but is, in fact, a Tan’Gal, humanoid symbiotic organisms with the ability to separate body parts at will. Always sarcastic, the only thing that drives her more than money is revenge. Their personalities bounce off each other and result in interesting dialogue.

Koi Carreon’s art matches well with the story and the world. The facial expressions he drew on the characters capture and convey emotions perfectly. His backgrounds are detailed and his actions scenes are very kinetic, although it does become hard to follow at times. The line art is clean and the utilizes creative paneling.  However, the frequent use of speedlines and some of the heavy use of black ink and screentones can make some scenes seem a little dizzying and crowded.

The rest of the stories are series of one-shots, centering on different aspects of the Mythspace universe. Black Mark, illustrated by Paul Quiroga, delves into the inner workings of the Nuno civilization, the extra-terrestrial equivalent of the Nuno sa Punso. They are a subterranean race, building their civilizations between the scorching sun-baked surfaces and the molten cores of the planet. They are technological people that prize their creations. They are also very hierarchical, with poorer helm cities nearer the uninhabitable zones. This class system built in with their bureaucracy makes it hard for some people seek justice. That is when the Black come in – a clandestine organization that rights wrongs… for a price. The story follows Helmless Mang who struggles to do what he must to avenge his loss. Paul’s work here is stylistically similar Koi’s in the previous story. Paul’s action scenes are rougher but his line work is cleaner. The one exception is where it seems he purposely left some grey guidelines that distract from the overall scenes. His art captures the desperation of a person who is down and out with nothing left to lose.

Jules Gregorio’s Devourers of Light shifts to a story of galactic consequence. The Laho, a militaristic race of bipedal lizards, take center stage. For the most part, it is a political drama, pitting the Barkarilkarilmon, Supreme Apex of the Laho, against other interstellar leaders in a battle of influence. This is all the backdrop to a very brutal campaign against the Kapres. This story probably sets the major conflict that Bros and crew may have to face in the future. Jules utilizes digital art to help paint the scenes. His art matches the ferocity of war in space on an Endor-like planet while drawing aliens with the intensity of high-stakes diplomacy.

Jumping off from Devourers of Light, Mico Dimagiba’s Uncommon Ground pairs up an unlikely duo of characters. Laho commander Raganekrikrimon is forced to call upon Haskra Suun43035, Kapre Inquest, or space investigator. The detailed pencils of Mico lend a fantastic noir atmosphere to the story. It’s a whodunnit where the crime in question is the theft of a Thyo artifact. The story touches upon the place of the Laho and the Kapre in a post-war climate. It also elaborates on the tribalistic nature of the shapeshifting Thyo. It peppers in a lot small character moments while fleshing out other story aspects.

Humanity explores the plight of humans stolen from Earth. The current slave class of these technologically advanced civilizations is comprised of the descendants of humans abducted eons ago. Marta and Danny are two souls among many who are tasked to mine for alien overlords. Though they joke about their plight, they and other slaves reminisce about  the stories of the Dalakitnon, emancipated humans living free aboard a flying fortress, the Nalandangan. When political connivance threatens their crew, Marta and Danny cry out to these mysterious, liberated humans. What they get might make them question their own humanity. Cristina Chua’s art is a refreshing change of pace from the previous stories. Her rounded, softer style adds some much-needed levity. The expressiveness of her faces and the body language helps bring more character to Marta and company.

Unfurling of Wings explores probably one the most interesting change to traditional folklore. The young Tan’Gal Ri-En is the heroine of this story, which uncovers more about the unusual biology and society of the aliens that inspired the Mananaggal. She lives in an orphanage with her compatriots Book, a freed slave, and Zu, a very large Nuno. When Tan’Gal mentor falls ill, Ri-en and her crew risk running against vicious crime lords and a mysterious Tan’Gal immortal in order to save him. Borg Sinaban’s art utilizes negative white space more than the previous artists. This helps make action scenes and blocking very clear.

Mythspace closes out the book with a short but helpful glossary, connecting the Mythspace terminology with the real world counterparts. Whereas I appreciate the black and white format, I can’t help but imagine how awesome this series could be in color. There is still much room to grow for Ambrosio and his companions and it would be awesome to see them run into Inquest Haskra, Marta, or even Ri-En. I’m a sucker for intergalactic politics ala Star Trek so seeing the fallout of Laho militarization or the political alliances between the species would be fantastic. More depth into unexplored species like the slug-like Kataw or the mysterious Lewenri would be appreciated. Perhaps even a short story about how Ambrosio’s Lola first encountered the aliens like the Kapre. There is still so much lore to mine and so many questions left unanswered! With such a collection of interesting takes on tried-and-true story formats, I look forward to reading Mythspace Vol. 2.

Mythspace Vol. 1 is available at National Bookstore branches.

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