Sometimes, it’s really unsettling to be in the dark. Imagine being locked in a wide open space with nothing but darkness for miles in all directions. Imagine clouds so thick that they block out the stars that should have cut through the pitch-black. Doesn’t it feel… unsettling? Can you feel something crawling up your arms, burrowing itself, and eating you slowly from the inside out? The fear of not knowing what you’ll face, the fear of staring down uncertainty—how would that make you feel? Hopeless? Lost? Grasping for any sort of anchor to snap yourself back?
Now imagine being able to see what’s been making you feel that way. Evil, grotesque creatures of the night are screeching, convulsing, and limping towards you. All you can do is watch in horror as they reach out to you. Their sharp tendons slowly make a line on your face. What would you do?
Luckily, there are trained professionals for these creatures, so you never have to worry about them. Enter the Tanod from Ang Mga Alitaptap ng Pulang Buhangin, a graphic novel written and illustrated by RH Quilantang and published by Komiket Inc. that tells the story of these warriors who keep the world safe from these monsters.
RH Quilantang is among the many talented writers and artists that are housed by Komiket Inc., a company determined to nurture the local Komiks community in the Philippines.
The story of Stella and her father. Their world has already been ravished by the darkness, consuming every inch of the globe, leaving only the old Balete tree and the forest surrounding it standing. Now, her father must protect the tree and his family, fulfilling a promise made before the world went dark. Stella, on the other hand, must complete her training in order to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a tanod, helping her defend her home.
This story also tackles themes of love, betrayal, giant creatures of lore, duwendes, time travel, and magic through the power of friendship. It is extremely jam-packed and told wonderfully through Quilantang’s illustrations. He boasts a unique art style that really captures the overarching, unsettling aura that comes from both the monsters and the plot line itself. The monochromatic color scheme of black and white truly emphasizes the suffocation found in the storyline and the unfiltered horrors that surround our heroes.
The story itself was well-written as well, albeit a little too fast-paced. It would have been nice to get to know each of the characters more. Quilantang has done a wonderful job of ensuring that each character plays their own individual role and remains unique to their own person. No two characters are the same. However, as the reader, we only get to know each of them on a surface level. Slowing down the pace of the plot while simultaneously allowing more time for the readers to understand the characters on a deeper level. Other than the characters, the book also lacks exploration of the world. Learning more about each of the machines in the barangays or flying mini-cities would have truly added more depth to the story.
In terms of something the story could have done without, Ang Mga Alitaptap ng Pulang Buhangin is filled with so much already that the added layer of time travel felt a little bit unnecessary. It felt a little bit forced, and it seemed like a random wrench thrown into a machine that may have made it more unstable until it eventually crumbled.
A personal favorite aspect of mine was the integration of Philippine mythology and themes into the overarching story. The inclusion of creatures such as the tiyanaks, the tikbalangs, and the kapre added a nice, personal touch to the storyline. The story felt so familiar, seeing the characters from the stories that we grew up with.
Normally, open-ended conclusions do not personally resonate with me, as my preference is for stories with closure. However, the way this story ends, despite it being one of closure, leaves a lot to be desired. Its ending felt as if it invalidated the entirety of the story, and all the events that happened in between did not matter; everything could be resolved with time travel, another reason why the trope is not my favorite.
