Muros: Within Magical Walls: The Case of the Cemetery Girl

by Paolo Chikiamco, Borg Sinaban (Illustrator)

An intrepid detective tracks a girl lost amidst Manila's many temptations. Can he crack the case and find the girl before the city erupts into violence?

Muros is an urban fantasy set in an alternate Manila which has been sealed off from the rest of the world for decades. In this fast-paced graphic novel the walled city of Manila, recently freed from a dictator's iron-fisted rule, is a magical metropolis where monsters flit and feed along neon-lit streets. The city, now governed by mysterious Societies, faces rising tensions between the human and nonhuman inhabitants that are nearing a breaking point.

The story's hero, Carlos "Caloy" Loyzaga, a "Taga-Sagot" (literally translated to Person Who Answers ), is tasked with finding the runaway daughter of a small town Mayor. Caloy knows that there's more to the story -- but in a world where magic and modernity make for uneasy bedfellows, there are some secrets you simply can't prepare for. Especially secrets that involve a cast of nonhuman characters, such as one-eyed Yomaws (hybrid human-canines), Asu-Gamis (half Aswang, half Inugami) and slinky Silat immortals--the hated weapons of the tyrant God.

Readers looking for a different take on magic, or those interested in seeing an alternative history set in the Philippines, will find plenty to sink their teeth into here. Fans of Tan & Baldisimo's Trese or Jim Butcher's Dresden Files will also find a heady mix of the familiar and the strange.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

112 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2023

About the author

A lawyer by training and a writer by inclination, in 2009 Paolo resigned from one of the top law firms in the country to establish Eight Ray Sun Publishing Inc., driven to take advantage of the burgeoning ebook market to allow Filipino Speculative Fiction authors a chance, not only to reach an international audience, but to eventually make a living from writing.

Paolo’s articles have appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Online Chronicles, and Code RED Magazine. His stories have appeared in the Digest of Philippine Genre Stories, A Time for Dragons, and the Farthest Shore. He won third place in the 2009 Carlos Palanca Awards in the Short Story for Children (English) category. His greatest escapade was sneaking in to watch Total Recall when he was 12 years old. It was totally not worth it.

Reviews

[Gerard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea but was a little rushed, liked the world, the characters and the story. Everything seemed to happen too fast, i didn’t really have any context for why the world was the way it was.

Anytime something says “noir” i usually expect a litte bit of a slow burn

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the illustrations and character designs, but I didn't always fully understand what was going on here--and I see by other reviews that I was not the only at-times confused reader.

[Nick Klagge]

I was going to write, "It's like Trese but not quite as good," but actually...I think that probably oversells Trese. The best Trese ("Mass Murders") is extremely good, but there's a lot of Trese that's just OK. This was pretty interesting and has at least one edge on Trese, which is that the setting is a little more creative than "what if Filipino mythical creatures in modern Manila." We have Manila as an apparently singular global crossing location between the magical and mundane worlds, and all of the political and sociological implications of that, plus there is a strong intermixing of Japanese elements. The huge geodesic forcefield around Manila is a cool idea and works well in the art. I had a little bit of trouble following some of the backstory (reminded me a little of "Monstress" in this regard, as well as in having a lot of dog-people), and I didn't quite develop the fondness for the main character that I have for Alexandra Trese (although did I feel that way after "Murder on Balete Drive" alone?)--the reporter friend character was cool though.

[Jella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... I loved the art. The layouts and color work are genuinely beautiful, and the pages are the kind you want to linger on. Sadly, the story didn’t match that care: the plotting felt rushed and the worldbuilding is thin, so I spent most of the book confused rather than engaged. Dialogue rarely gives the information the reader needs, which makes key moments feel under-explained. At one point, I even had to Google to see if I’d missed an earlier volume (I did not).

The premise has interesting political undertones, and I can see how the themes might land powerfully, but the book failed to reach its potential. This would have benefited from more pages to breathe to clarify the setting and its characters.

Pick this up if you read graphic novels mainly for striking art and atmosphere, or if you just want to dip your toes in local (Filipino) graphic novels. But if you're looking for tight storytelling and clearer worldbuilding, you will find yourself disappointed.

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the art for this one. I also like the concept of a reimagined magical version of Manila where humans coexist with fantastical creatures like the Yomaw and Silat. The premise was also interesting and it was nice to see the parallels between real-life events and problems and the book’s lore (ex. the “Tyranny,” racial discrimination, censorship, etc.). I think this has the potential to become a good detective series if the author plans to continue it.

The only reason I wouldn’t give it a higher rating is because I wasn’t as invested in the story and there were times when it seemed predictable and similar to other fantasy novels. Some have commented that the story is confusing, though I personally found it easy to follow. However, I do agree that the pacing was too fast after chapter 2 and following the Yomaw girl didn’t really make sense in solving the case. I felt like that aspect was just plotted for convenience rather than something a detective would actually do in real life.

Still, the pacing is naturally faster in comic books, which is why I still gave this 3 stars in the end. It was still a fun read and perfect for passing the time and admiring beautiful artwork.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid beginning to a new Filipino comic filled with their mythology. It's not as good as Trese but along the same lines. It has promise, there just needs to be a lot more worldbuilding to flesh out what has happened in this version of Manilla filled with all kinds of supernatural creatures. We're just missing the why's to everything.

[Jeremy Sy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A promising start with interesting, complex characters and a novel take on Philippine culture/history and — in particular — the mysteries of Manila. Wish the art could keep up with the writing in terms of world-building. Will be back for the next instalment.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

terrific read and art, monsters aren't my usual genre, but as the hero points out, monsters are often human.
much of the great art in american comics in the 70s and 80s came out of the filipines, now we finally get a comic that takes place in the filipines w/native arts and writer.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[D.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the artwork, the humor, and the worldbuilding though it got confusing. I would read another story set in this universe.

3.5

[lou garciadolnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

sooooo good!!! a perfect follow-up for fans of Trese. Yomaw are my new fav (made up) anito <3

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun supernatural noir. I want more of these!

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have liked this graphic novel more if I knew if it was a series or not and when the next book(s) will be out. It's just too much for me to commit to an alternate world otherwise. It is an interesting premise, perfect for fans of Trese.

[Annalise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good mystery, but add in mythical creatures too and I’m HOOKED! Definitely want more volumes in this series because the world building is so interesting and I’m obsessed with these characters already!

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 🌟 The lore, creatures, and world/character backstory are reaaally interesting but it's a lot to take in and the case breezes by. Still, this would be perfect to read as a full volume. Cool concept and great potential.

[Jenny (ofproseandspells) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and enjoyable read. I wish to know more about the worldbuilding. RTC.

Thanks to Tuttle Publishing for the review copy.