The Mythology Class (Book Review): I Snagged a Pinoy Classic! (Or How the Gods or Kismet or Enkantos Led Me to a Gold Mine of Enchantments)

The Mythology Class was first released in 1999. I was just nine years old then, and the only form of komiks I knew was the kind that sidewalk vendors lend to customers for like P3.00 per read. The popular komiks in our side of town in those days were romance komiks -- and my mama devoured them, poring on one every day. I was seldom allowed to read them though. Instead, Mama would get me children's komiks. But I've been fascinated with Philippine horror since I was a kid, so (even though it scared the hell out of me) I occasionally stole quick reads of the horror komiks available in the vendor's stand. 

This fascination with the Philippine horror genre grew enormously when I discovered its integration to the world of modern Pinoy komiks about five years ago. And now, I devour every novel, anthology, graphic novel that has aswang, tikbalang, and diwata in it. Then, I stumbled upon The Mythology Class. As I read through the blurbs and introductions to the book, I learned that in a niche specializing in Philippine mythos and lower mythology, Mr. Arnold Arre's The Mythology Class is an institution. Mr. Arre created this enchanting world of wonder and terror years before Mr. Budjette Tan and Mr. Kajo Baldisimo created the ultra badass world of Trese. That's why I feel fortunate to get a copy of the book's third edition and privileged to be one of the readers to be able to recommend this incredible story to future generations of comic book readers.

I'm not confident in giving expert reviews on anything, so I'll just paste Mr. Manix Abrera's blurb for the book here. I hope he doesn't mind. :)

Noong nabasa ko ang The Mythology Class ni Arnold Arre, nakita ko talaga ang kapangyarihan ng komiks, at ang kapangyarihan ng napakagandang kwento na naikwento sa napakagandang paraan.

Isa ito sa mga librong pinakamamahal ko, nakapagbigay inspirasyon; isang libro na maiisip mong napakaswerte mo at nabasa mo ito.

Hindi lang siya kasi ang kwentong pagkatapos mo mabasa, okay ka na; ito yung tipong mapapaisip ka, na ang sarap maging Pilipino, ang sarap maging tao, ang sarap makadama, ang sarap malaman na marami pa tayong makakalap at maipapamahagi sa sangkalawakan.

The Mythology Class by Arnold Arre Had to cut my monthly food and household budget to get this. Definitely worth it. :p Hey, don't judge. I'm just a crazed fanatic with a questionable logic and a soft, soft spot for Philippine lower mythology. #PhilippineLowerMythology #TheMythologyClass #ArnoldArre #GraphicNovel #myth #Philippines

A photo posted by Jennie Elloran (@ellorish) on Mar 13, 2015 at 9:43am PDT