Mythology Class
Where Philippine Legends Become Reality (A Graphic Novel)
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- $24.99
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- $24.99
Publisher Description
"I wanted to read a comic about Philippine mythology, but since I couldn't find one that was in depth and contemporary enough that was closer to what I envisioned, I ended up making my own…It was also my intention to showcase our myths and legends and introduce them to the next generation." —Arnold Arre for Publishers Weekly
Immerse yourself in a high-stakes fantasy adventure set in the Philippines!
This Philippine National Book Award winner fuses traditional myth and magic with contemporary action. Borrowing elements from The Lord of the Rings and The Phantom Tollbooth, author and creator Arnold Arre reinvents age-old Filipino fables, constructing a rich world of fantasy and adventure for a new generation.
The Mythology Class follows Nicole Lacson, an anthropology student at the University of the Philippines. When she is summoned to a secret meeting by the mysterious Madame Enkanta, Nicole finds herself face-to-face with living creatures from mythology and folklore that she never imagined existed in real life! Tikblangs, kapres and a range of engkantos—fantasy figures from her grandfather's bedtime stories—challenge her previously-held notions of reality.
Nicole embarks on a quest through the streets of metropolitan Manila with a ragtag crew of college students. With guest appearances from legendary Filipino heroes like Sulayman, Kubin and Lamang, Nicole's class must face down and repel an ancient evil.
The Mythology Class features world-building of the highest order, balancing the scope and magnitude of an adventure epic with the humor, warmth and insight of a classic coming-of-age tale.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
University students in Quezon City receive an invitation to a mythology class, accompanied by dreams of a "ghost lady," in this genre-defining classic of Filipino comics from Arre (Halina Filipina), released in 1999 to become the first graphic novel to win the Philippine National Book Award, and now in its first U.S. edition. The mysterious Mrs. Enkanta has recruited the students to send enkantos (supernatural beings) that have escaped into the human world back to their own magical realm. Nicole, recovering from a catastrophic grade on her thesis (taught mythology by her grandfather, she didn't cite academic sources), is the central figure in the crew of students. Each bring unique strengths to their quest, such as an unreliable psychic abilities and ingenuous engineering talent. Guided by Nicole's knowledge of and belief in Philippine folklore, together they capture giant, hairy kapres; a smelly fishman called a shokoy; and batlike women called manananggals. But their greatest challenge lurks in Manila's underbelly—aswangs (monsters) bent on awakening the evil snake god Sitan. Arre's black and white cartooning infuses individuality in both humans and supernatural creatures. Funny banter and visual gags abound (though outdated jokes about a female character's body and prison rape miss the comedic mark in 2022). Still, this exciting and satisfying adventure, firmly rooted in Filipino culture, is a must-read for its influence.
