It’s hard to imagine a thirteen-year-old girl trying to solve cases straight from a real crime story. Filipina Lomar, however, has no problems with this, as she has always been drawn to the mysterious. The heroine grew up without a father, only with a deaf mother, with whom she managed to develop a very close relationship and maintain good contact, despite her teenage years. The babysitter’s disability also meant that the girl had to learn sign language and lip-reading, which of course comes in handy when solving cases. Filipina likes to observe her surroundings and establish the relationships needed for work. So it’s not surprising that she even got along with the head of the underground underworld. The adventure that begins our acquaintance with this clever teenager concerns little Swong, who is being blackmailed by a very aggressive duo of brothers. Lomar undertakes to unravel the situation by developing evidence that can be handed over to the police. However, the girl does not expect that the events in which she is involved will even threaten her safety.
French noir for teenagers
The Adventures of Philippines Lomar is a series created by the French duo: Dominique Zaya and Greg Blondin. From what I was able to find on the Internet, this title was appreciated at several events, which I can understand, because also in my perception it is a less standard publication for young people. The basic element that distinguishes the Philippines is the way of narration. The story is accompanied by separate speech bubbles with the main character’s comments inside. This is a trick used in noir films – the detective tells about himself, his life, but also about what he thinks about the case he has undertaken and about the people he meets on the way to solving it. Another interesting move here is to start the comic with a scene from the middle of the events, to stop it after a while and start telling the story of how it happened that the heroine was there. I also associate this procedure primarily from movies. It definitely stimulates the imagination and curiosity in relation to this comic. The plot, as for an adventure for young people, is quite dark, which is exactly what I would expect from a noir, and which surprises me in a comic aimed at young people. I’m not used to albums with such a vibe dedicated to younger audiences, but I don’t deny this idea.
French detective on the trail
Adventures of the Philippines are definitely something new among other comics on our market. I am constantly pleased that Egmont reaches for new titles and provides such diverse content to Polish readers. For my part, it’s hard for me to clearly determine whether Filipina is a good comic book in my subjective opinion. It is certainly a fresh and non-standard title – and that, in itself, is a rather good recommendation.
