A QUICK 'VERSE OVERVIEW

If you've always wanted a quick snapshot of the 'Verse titles, or ever wondered what the differences are between them, then this just went up.

Thanx to Ica, for helping get the word out.

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

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PORTAL TO THE 'VERSE OPENS AT FILBAR'S!
DAKILA AND URIEL TAKE FLIGHT!!

The August 10 Indieket is less than three weeks away, but before then, I’d like all you fine folk to know that there is now a portal to The ‘Verse at the Filbar’s Megamall branch.

Yes, all 5 current ‘Verse titles are now available at Filbar’s Megamall.

Yes, 5.

Filbar’s officially debuts the first issues of DAKILA: Kapalaran and URIEL: Hekhalot.

DAKILA: Kapalaran (1 of 3)

By David Hontiveros and Bibo Reyes

Your name is Brandon Ramirez and you’ve been a lifelong geek: comics, movies, RPGs, cosplay.

And now, at 17, you’re officially the world’s first superhero, as evidenced by the cape, the mask, the totally ripped physique, and those crazy-awesome powers.

Higher agencies seem to have conspired to steer you right into that skintight outfit.

We have only one question:

How’s that working out for you?

For those of you out there who’ve read Parman and liked what you saw in there, you might want to check DAKILA: Kapalaran out…

Just saying…

URIEL: Hekhalot (1 of 4)

By David Hontiveros and Michael Urbano

Angels were not always warriors.

In the beginning, the arelim were messengers, their role, to bring Word and News from the lips of the glorious Hari ta mga Magbabaya, to the ears of all who would hear them.

But when Men were Created, it soon became clear that the vile Mangilala was deeply interested in their misery.

Thus, Magbabaya decreed that all Men must have a nathra, a watchman, a guardian, to defend them against Mangilala’s dark and cruel whims.

Uriel is one such nathra, and 7-year-old Maleck de los Santos, his mortal charge.

So, there you go.

DAKILA: Kapalaran and URIEL: Hekhalot are now available, alongside AGYU: Surfacing, KADASIG: The Skeleton at the Feast, and TATSULOK: A Vision of Dust.

Swing by Filbar’s Megamall for those.

Plus, I believe they’ll also be made available at the opening of the “first all-new, all-different” Filbar’s at the Festival Mall this coming Saturday, July 27.
(Thanx goes out to Paolo Chikiamco, for help in the portal construction.)

In the meantime, prep is being done on another new issue, set to debut at the Indieket.

More news on that soon…

you can't drink just six,

Dave

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SUMMER KOMIKON 2013 TITLES

For all you mighty fine folk who plan to be at the Bayanihan Center this Saturday, April 13, these are the new titles that are launching:

AGYU: Surfacing

Issue 1 (of 3)

By David Hontiveros and Vinnie Pacleb

Elias Sandoval has always felt different.

Being half-enkanto will do that.

But not even the strange difficulties of his childhood could have prepared him for what he is today: a decorated proeliator of good standing in the Royal Enkanto Guard; world-renowned mixed martial arts heavyweight champion; and now, the buwaya’s chosen to bear the mantle of the legendary hero, AGYU.

And that’s only the beginning…

Join Elias months after the events chronicled in Kadasig: The Skeleton at the Feast 1, as he dons the garb of Agyu for the first time, and quickly starts to make some enemies…

Δ: A Vision of Dust

Issue 2 (of 4)

By David Hontiveros and Xerx Javier

In the many rooms of the House that is the World, there are arelim and shedim. Most men know them as angels and demons.

On occasion, both these races have been known to spill their seed onto humankind, producing hybrids forever caught between species, having characteristics of both, but belonging to neither.

Miguel Samson is one such hybrid.

He is the second point of our triangle.

Miguel has caught up with Lora… and Lucio, who just happened to be with Lora at the time. But now that he has, what’s he going to do with them?

And what’s his connection to Lucio?

SEROKS Iteration 1:

Mirror Man

(Available at the Visprint table)

SEROKS FOR SALE!

MANY MODELS, MANY USES!

FOR SECURITY, MANUAL LABOR, OR SEX!

CHOOSE FROM A WIDE VARIETY WHILE STOCKS ARE AVAILABLE.

CALL ARNEL AT 09108-SEROKS.

I first explored this dystopic future world just over ten years ago in the short story, “Kaming Mga Seroks,” which went on to be honored with a Palanca Award.

Now, alongside artist Alan Navarra, I’ve returned to that world in Seroks Iteration 1: Mirror Man, the first in a series of short fiction collections set in a world where everything is a commodity, and everything can be pirated, even people.

A world where the truth is ugly and a fake can be a hero.

The following comic book titles will also be available at the Alamat table:

KADASIG

Volume 1: The Skeleton at the Feast

Issue 1 (of 5)

By David Hontiveros and Ian Sta. Maria

Kadasig has served the Lady Ibu for centuries.

He was human, once. But today, he is a living, breathing kutummu, his skin now merely the scabbard for the seemingly infinite array of weapons he draws from inside himself, weapons he shapes from his own flesh and bone, to best serve the Lady in the only way he truly knows how.

He is the Lady’s kallaapu; her knight, her enforcer.

He is her beet tilli; her arsenal.

He is her kak daami; her bloodstained weapon.

And she is about to use him to finally lay her enemies low…

Picking up where the Underpass story, “Katumbas” left off, “A Life Less Ordinary” is the first of five chapters of The Skeleton at the Feast, chronicling the further adventures of the tsinelas-wearing badass, Kadasig.

This “second printing” is for all those who didn’t get to grab a copy at last year’s October Kon, and contains a number of Kadasig fan art pieces personally selected by Ian to run in the comic’s pages.

And, the non-‘Verse title:

BATHALA: Apokalypsis

Issues 1 to 5A/5B (of 7)

By David Hontiveros and Ace Enriquez

What if there was only one superhuman in the whole world?

What if the world was about to end as predicted in the Book of Revelation?

What can one superman do to hold back the hand of the Almighty?

Plus, if you’ve happened to have joined either of the two Seroks-related contests, you can also submit your entries to me, at the Alamat table.

See all you mighty fine people at the Kon!

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

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WELCOME TO THE 'VERSE

I love world-building.

I love the feeling that not only are character arcs and subplots and the main narrative progressing as each chapter is told, but that also, brick by brick, the reader is being exposed to the world in which the narrative is unfolding.

I had this discussion with Carl Vergara after this year’s Summer Komikon; that my fascination with world-building is undoubtedly rooted in the decades of role-playing I managed to notch up with my brothers and friends (Carl among them), particularly those campaigns that I ran.

As a player in an RPG campaign, all you have to do is step into a single role, Method act that role to the hilt, and hope that the Polyhedral Dice Gods look down on you favorably.

As a Dungeon Master/Judge/Referee/Storyteller though, not only do you need to keep the campaign’s narrative--present and past--straight in your head, you need to also inhabit several roles (playing all the NPCs--non-player characters--that interact with your players’ characters), creatively deal with whatever curveballs players sometimes have the tendency to lob your way and which will directly impact on the narrative’s future, as well as know, somewhere at the back of your head, what’s taking place in other parts of the setting that the players may be very far away from.

It’s a lot to keep track of, but it all becomes worth it when you’re told by appreciative and grateful players that they had a blast during the campaign.

I told Carl that I had belatedly realized that everything I learned from RPGs, I had somehow managed to apply to my writing, that that RPG ethos stuck, and has subsequently served me well.

Which is where The ‘Verse comes in.

I’ve already talked elsewhere about the 5 comic titles I’m working on--alphabetically, AGYU, DAKILA, KADASIG, TATSULOK (aka Δ), and URIEL--all being set in the same universe, the world I first introduced in my novella, PARMAN.

Upon Budjette’s suggestion, an umbrella imprint was conceptualized, something that could immediately indicate that, Yes, these comics are all set in the same universe. These 5 titles may be telling their own stories, but those stories are all taking place in the same world.

Thus, we give you The ‘Verse, the third name I suggested, and which I came to in a rather casual and accidental manner. But it was a name Ian, Budjette and I liked the sound of, so here we are.

With a great logo by the mighty fine Mr. Sta. Maria.

So.

Welcome to The ‘Verse, a world that will be built across several comic titles, not just by me, but also with the indispensable help of the mighty fine artists I have the privilege of collaborating with.

You’ve seen Ian and Xerx’s stuff; hopefully, you’ll be seeing my other collaborators’ work soon as well.

From all of us, to all of you, we hope you make The ‘Verse a regular reading destination.

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

XS: To all the mighty fine folk who stopped by the Alamat table at the October Kon, and everyone who’s spreading all the love about our work across the wild world of the Internetz, thanx so much for all your enthusiasm and support.