Kalayaan #7 Comics Review
“To boldly go where no one has gone before.”
You may recall that as the opening line for the Star Trek TV series many years ago. For me, that also seems to be the norm for Gio Paredes, creator of Kalayaan comics.
In the past, he startled us with a shocking revelation and a haunting last page, guest-starred ancient Pinoy hero Lapu-Lapu and even gave allusions of a superhero’s darker tendencies.
For Kalayaan #7, his latest release, Gio Paredes follows the formula and cleverly plays with the concept of putting a disturbed villain in real-life, everyday annoyances most of us experiences.
Call it an attempt at social commentary, if you will. In here, we read about Alipin (Kalayaan’s dark side) placed in common circumstances yet possibly unexplored before in Pinoy superhero stories such as endless traffics on the street, abusive cab drivers demanding overly-expensive payments, annoying chain smokers puffing their stuff even in public places and pollution-inducing factory chimneys. Alipin does something about each one and man! Believe me when I say he gives it to them real hard.
With the direction Gio Paredes is taking for Kalayaan, I just can’t help but be at the edge of my seat. The guy just keeps on improving and his story-telling skill is nothing short of amazing. I’m extremely excited not only for issue #8 but for future issues as well. I’m looking forward for Gio to lead us to more previously-uncharted territories.
Of course, this review would be incomplete without mentioning about guest artist Erwin Ropa whose artstyle brilliantly incorporates a darker feel that the story calls for. His promising perspectives and non-conventional paneling, enhanced with confident hatchngs and convincing speed lines make it unbelievable that this is his first time to draw for a comic book. I’m really all praises for this guy’s work. I’m an instant fan and I’m eagerly anticipating to see more from him in the near future.
In a nutshell, following Kalayaan’s adventures is starting to feel like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle – one piece at a time. It really gets better and better as you add more pieces to it. For me, fans of Pinoy comic books who still haven’t given Kalayaan comics a try are definitely missing out a lot – a whole lot.
The thing about Gio is he recognizes all the great ideas and use them effectively. He is a bright example of what a creator should be, never hesitates and never cares for what some people might think but instead, stayed his course and patiently waited for readers to care about his work and Kalayaan.
Panalo itong issue na to! Bukod sa brilliant contribution ni Erwin Ropa, super relatable pa yung story na prinesent ni Boss Gio - at least to me. Yup, I dream of having superpowers and punish the wicked! Fortunately, I don’t have superpowers… cause note the “punish the wicked”. I’d turn out to be like ALIPIN. I’d probably use maximum force to once and for all stop evildoers.
hello sir!
maraming maraming salamat at nagustuhan nyo gawa ko sa K7.
malaki rin ang pasalamat ko kay sirGio kasi nagtiwala sya sa kin.it was a real honor to be part of something meaningful.
lalong nakaka-inspire na pagbutihin ko pa..panay pa rin ang praktis…thanx uli,sir!!!
@ monsanto, couldn’t agree more. I admire his dedication and love for what he does.
@jtmtzrwj, I never thought of it that way. If I had superpowers, maybe the first thing I’d want to do is simply fly elsewhere. Haha!
@ EuROPA777, no probs, Ser Erwin! Abangan pa namin mga future works nyo
@ Markus… many thanks for this review. Na notice mo pala yung mga little pieces of clue na nilalagay ko. I will be putting more of those on this coming issue. More drama and action on the coming issue.
@ Monsanto… thank you very much po Sarge. Those words coming from a guy like you means a lot to me. Nakakataba po ng puso.
@ jtmtzrwj … Buti at naka relate ka. Yun talaga ang gusto ko na maging reaction ng mga readers sa comics ko.
@ EuROPA777 … Erwin, meron akong plano. I will email you the details.
@ Gio, we’re all excited for the next issues. Sana October na! Hehehe…
hey there. i truly like your banner ..you remind me of a blogger named sendo-taong ninja, search him if you have time. btw, im so new on comics bec my drawing teacher asked us to collect some for reference, didnt know theres such a thing as kalayaan kommiks, im so ignorant so thanks for this post
http://ldsfilipina.blogspot.com
@ ldspinay, thanks for dropping by. Do get a copy of Kalayaan if you can. Its my favorite Pinoy indie comics series