CADRE Classified: the beginning of a saga

Two years ago, I was excited to learn that our old TOP SECRET/S.I. games back in college are going to see the light of day via comic books. My cousin, Dr. Emil Flores, has been toying around with the idea for the longest time. In 2009, he and our friend Ron Escultura released CADRE: Amerikanong Hilaw.

It was exciting to see how he envisioned the immediate origins of NBI agent Arturo Ganigan. Reading through that left me wanting more, more of the tales that we communally weaved as we talked and imagined and rolled dice. There was no mention of CADRE, what or who it was and how CADRE fit into all this running and driving around Metro Manila. But the good thing is I saw the characters of Arturo Ganigan, Barbie Benigno, Noel Galzote and Tony Santillan on the printed page, remembering how they once populated the world I created. Of course, there are hints thrown here and there in the story that those of us who once played the game could point out and that is a thrilling thing. For those reading the book who has just been introduced into the world of CADRE, they will have to wait for further stories to know how they tie into this story.




Then came Shuriken Duet parts 1 and 2. Far more action-packed than Hilaw, they introduce two more characters from our imaginary world: Trina Santillan and Takeda Sakura. On the surface, it looks like just another crime-fighting day for Agent Ganigan and his team, but there are hints of a bigger scheme in the works. Towards the end of the story, we see a glimpse into Tony's real affiliation, and it's not what many think. I like Trina's character. She's loyal, quirky, but deadly. She's one gal one wouldn't want to mess with.


And the door to the world of CADRE opened even further.

Last April 16, 2011, at the 2011 Summer Komikon held at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig City, Polyhedron Comics released CADRE Classified, a collection of three short stories that show even more of the world of CADRE. The highlight of this volume is the introduction of Nicole Spencer, the stage actress-turned-CIA agent who will play a prominent role in future CADRE stories as well as in Arturo Ganigan's life. The other two stories show glimpses into the post-Shuriken Duet lives of the Trina-Sakura tandem and of Arturo Ganigan. This volume really excited me because we are now slowly stepping from the introductory adventures and into CADRE itself. I was especially ecstatic at seeing Nicole, remembering how she was played by my good friend Darlene back in the day. The appendices were an especially nice touch, showing part of the dossiers of Arturo, Nicole, and Trina, plus a little slumbook entry for Sakura.

Overall, I love the way the CADRE story is unfolding. As the Admin (the name of the game master in TOP SECRET/S.I. games) who created the world of CADRE, I am most gratified that our old pastime has become something we could be proud of.