Overall and most importantly, the inaugural release celebrates the bad-a** nature of the strong female lead in Alexandra Trese through each mini-story. Admittedly, this does make the first volume feel slightly disjointed in its episodic approach, but this can be overcome with subsequent releases (Vol 2 is currently available). The narrative throughout volume one presents a few different stories around Alexandra Trese, acting to introduce her role as a guardian of humanity. Ultimately, the work is the perfect balance of accessibility and exploration into a world that, to most readers, will be entirely new. Combining both these approaches, the work is instantly accessible but grants access to the option to dive deeper into the folklore of the region. Additionally, between chapters the reader is presented with “Trese's notes” – case files that break down the ‘monsters' in each chapter. Essentially, the narrative holds familiar elements of mystery, action and horror heightened by the backdrop of a world teeming with all manner of creatures. In its exploration of Lore, “Trese” is an exemplary balance of introducing readers to new concepts while also not holding their hand through the process. While the buzz could be chocked down to its exploration of Filipino folklore, the graphic novel proves its foundations are strong.

Published by Ablaze Comics, the graphic novel has earned it own accolades, selling out and entering second printing to coincide with the adaptation. However, not everyone may know the work's origins lie in a comic series written by Budjette Tan & illustrated by Kajo Baldisimo. “Trese” may already be a familiar name among anime fans, having already made its mark with the early success in the Netflix exclusive series – The first of its kind (series based out of Phillipines) brought to the platform.

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