Kasama

by Allan Matudio

A dark force has been increasingly manifesting itself after centuries of deep rooting within the prosperous soils of the archipelago known as the Philippines.

Kia and Allison are unlikely allies who arrive at the bustling city of Orkidias unaware that they will soon face one of the most notorious creatures to have ever oppressed the islands.

Kasama draws upon the author’s experiences as a tourist in his homeland, as a community volunteer in the diaspora, and as a student relearning his heritage.

Genres: Graphic Novels

128 pages, Paperback

Published May 14, 2021

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Oozing with Filipinx culture and energy.

Love the way this directly and unapologetically criticizes the tourism industry, social media, globalization, and their effects on local communities (in this case, those in the Philippines).

Also LOVE that these folks are out there battling aswang.. It is really cool to see Filipinx myth being so vividly represented in an interesting story that captures some of the vibrancy and deep rootedness of Filipinx culture and traditions. This book had some really nostalgic moments for me.

We've even got Jollibee rep in the spinoff "Burgerbee"!

I hope there is more of this to come!

[jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

isang bagsak!!!✊🏽🇵🇭❣️

[kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

i want the sequel already!!!

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both my brother and I are already EAGERLY awaiting the sequel to this book!

The author achieved an amazing feat of wrapping together pertinent, real, present day issues in a book that feels more semi-fictional than pure fiction. It had the perfect balance of knowing how to communicate to the target audience but still challenging us with words and terms to research later. At the same time of diving into this richly layered, familiar but strange world, there's curiosity and intrigue and the "need for more" goes beyond plot. The art is truly magical. It represents the psyche of Filipino diaspora of today incredibly well.

10/10, and I HIGHLY recommend pre-ordering the sequel whenever it comes out!

[Rexy Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this! Allan Matudio is one of my favorite new Filipino storytellers. The art beautiful with a confident and concise way of laying out panels and using color to set the tone. The writing is effective in setting up character dynamics and laying out important social themes while being snappy and accessible—it sings and progresses with the pace and ease of a Disney feature, but with depth and nuance and a uniquely Filipino voice. Can't wait to see what's next, either within the world of Kasama or elsewhere in the author's imagination.

[Nash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this comic from a filipino store in quebec, it's nice to see published filipino authors. It's the first volume so I think plot wise it's still trying to find footing. I don't know what to feel about the choice of spelling "actually" as acchually, it feels like its making fun of the filipino accent. or since I'm assuming the characters for the most part are speaking in tagalog and we do mix english in regular convos, maybe the intention was to differentiate when they're saying the word in english??

[Nick Klagge]

Found in a Montreal comic shop! A nice graphic novel with themes of both immigrant belonging and anti-colonialism. Definitely looking forward to a second volume if and when it comes out.