“Lola: A Ghost Story” will surprise its readers in unexpected ways


NO MATTER HOW DESCRIPTIVE YOU might find the graphic novel’s title, “Lola: A Ghost Story,” written by J. Torres and illustrated by Elbert Or (Oni Press, Portland, 2009, 112 pages), is just full of spooky surprises.

Torres, the Filipino-Canadian comic book veteran behind the indie hit “The Copybook Tales” as well as the more mainstream “Teen Titans Go!,” celebrates his Filipino roots like never before with this project, injecting a great amount of intensity and thoughtfulness into the novel.

Paired with the rising talent Or, he completes the long-delayed “Lola” with a definite flourish.

The teenaged Jesse returns to the Philippines from Canada with his parents to attend the funeral of his grandmother, the titular Lola. Jesse apparently shares the gift of supernatural sight with his Lola, and his arrival is greeted by the cheerful visitations of a ghost—but not quite the kind Jesse expected.


Strange sightings

Even as strange sightings besiege Jesse, he is afraid to tell anyone about this. He finds out more and more about his Lola’s unusual life, plunging him into acquaintance with stories of kapres, tiyanaks and manananggals. There are lost things to be found and answers to be sought, and Jesse must come to understand his place in a suddenly weird world.

“I see scarier and scarier things,” Jesse says to himself. “I’m afraid of what I see sometimes, and I’m afraid to tell anyone because they’ll just think I’m crazy.”

In his mainstream American comics debut, Or, whose distinctively cute cartoon lines have illustrated everything from the best-selling “The More The Manyer” to his creator-owned “Bakemono High,” displays an entirely new edge to his sepia-toned art here.

While Jesse and company are appropriately rounded and fun, his supernatural visions are surprisingly frightening in contrast, all the way to the spine-tingling end “Lola” showcases. Or in an impressive act of artistic evolution, the best outing yet of his rising career, getting an assist here from Jonas Diego and Robo Monkey Pixel Fighters Studio.

Just one minor ghostly reminder: Torres and Or sometimes work too effectively when it comes to the tempered horror elements of “Lola,” making it potentially nightmare-inducing for very young children but perfect for ten-year-olds and above.


Bait-and-switch

At its heart, “Lola” is much more of a ghost story than it initially appears. That is because of the smart game of bait-and-switch that Torres pulls off, even down to the silent single-panel pages he and Or uses to end each act.

Just when you thought you knew how the story was going to end, Torres throws in a seriously unexpected ending that speaks towards a spookier sequel. With a parallel discussion of the narrow line between superstition and the supernatural, Torres ties together familiar folklore into an extended Filipino family’s dynamic.

Complete with its accessible dialogue and the necessary translations, the graphic novel’s total embrace of its Filipino elements is a winning decision. Together with those facets, J. Torres and Elbert Or have given rise to a story that is both charming and chilling, insightful and frightful in just the right amounts.

“Lola: A Ghost Story” will be a most welcome presence haunting your bookshelves.

Available in hardcover from Sputnik Comics, Druid’s Keep, Comic Odyssey, Planet X and Fully Booked.