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Book review: Tikbalangs in space: ‘Mythspace’ reimagines mythology as science fiction


There is a show on the History Channel called “Ancient Aliens,” which theorizes that encounters with beings from outer space informed and inspired some ancient world mythologies. Sometimes the analysis feels like the writers are reaching, but there are also examples that will make you seriously consider it.

Well, the “ancient astronaut” theorists on that show would have had a field day if they were in the world of Paolo Chikiamco’s comic book series “Mythspace,” a science fiction/space opera that reimagines the creatures from Philippine folklore and mythology as aliens from different planets. Sightings of these aliens in the “quarantined backwater” that is Earth became the basis for the myths as we know them.

Read the first issue of "Mythspace" below.



After reading about how “aliens have taken the place of monsters from folklore in modern-day narratives,” Chikiamco, who founded a publishing imprint appropriately called Rocket Kapre, said he found the idea of “tikbalangs in space” even more appealing as he thought about how the mythical creatures can “reverse colonize” science fiction and displace the aliens.

Chikiamco works with six artists to simultaneously create different stories set in the Mythspace universe. Since being unveiled at Komikon in 2012, five stories and one art book have already been published in print and digital formats.

'Mythspace' book covers courtesy of Salimbal Comics
The concept of “Mythspace” is introduced in “Lift Off”, which is illustrated by Koi Carreon. In this story, Ambrosio “Bros” Magkalas, a rebellious skater boy who dreams of becoming an astronaut, comes face-to-face with the monsters from his grandmother’s stories. Apparently, kapres, manananggals, nunos, and tikbalangs are real, but they are actually aliens, and unfortunately for him, he is abducted by a group of them to be offered as a tribute to another powerful being.

Chikiamco has said that “Mythspace” is his attempt to give the Philippines its “Star Wars,” and that is evident in the way the series is conceptualized, in the worldbuilding, and in that it involves space opera tropes. “Lift Off” is this series’ “A New Hope”, and Bros is like Luke Skywalker, who is suddenly thrust into a space adventure after learning that the myths he’s heard of all his life are real.

Carreon’s art and character designs have a slightly anime feel to them, which suits Bros and his coming-of-age story. His style is simpler compared to some of the other artists working on the series, but it is no less rich in detail. He pays particular attention to backgrounds, which compels the reader to look closely at everything that he has captured on the page.

After “Lift Off,” readers can continue on to any of the other stories in no particular order. The stories can stand alone even as they all contribute to building the Mythspace universe.

And what a universe it is turning out to be. Chikiamco effectively uses traditional descriptions of the mythical creatures as focal points for their characteristics as aliens. One of the more clever re-imaginings is the Nuno, who pilot personal mechas called Bungis, which inspired the myths of one-eyed giants.

Despite Chikiamco being the sole writer for the series, each story has a distinct style and feel, which extends beyond the artwork; the writing style itself changes. “Lift Off”, for example, reads like a young adult, coming-of-age tale, and is vastly different from the other stories. This shows how versatile Chikiamco can be, and how meticulously conceptualized the combinations of story, artist, and art style are.

“Unfurling of Wings”, the latest story to be released digitally, is illustrated by Borg Sinaban, and is reminiscent of the style and set-up of “The Legend of Korra.” It delves deeper into the world and the workings of the Tan’gal (the manananggal).

“Humanity” reads like one of Chikiamco’s speculative fiction short stories, and is well complemented by Cristina Rose Chua’s particular style. While the other stories focused more on plot and world building, this is simple and more character-driven, and is one of the best stories in the series.

Jules Gregorio’s breathtaking art is a fitting backdrop for the epic war stories of “Devourers of Light”. Since “Star Wars” was already mentioned, this comes across like the series’ “The Phantom Menace,” but less funny creatures/infatuated Jedi and more strategic maneuverings/battle action.

Paul Quiroga’s dynamic style highlights the mecha versus monsters action in “Black Mark”. This delves more into the fascinating culture of the Nuno.

Chikiamco seems to have made reimagining Philippine mythology one of his life missions, as evidenced by his previous efforts like “Alternative Alamat”, but “Mythspace” ups the ante in terms of scale and appeal to a wider audience. I look forward to more space adventures to come. — BM, GMA News

Meann Ortiz is an engineer, freelance writer, and blogger. You can find more of her reviews on The Girl Who Read and Other Stories. The views expressed in this review are solely her own. This review was based on copies provided by the publisher.
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