In the 1920s, a young Filipino American, Vincent Manago Hambright, becomes famous enough as a skilled boxer to secure himself a well earned nickname: The Filipino Assassin. Behind the pugilism, who was Vincent Manago Hambright, and why has he been forgotten?

I found the narrative approach of Filipino Assassin initially jarring; Hambright’s early life is told alongside the boxing achievements he would later go on to accomplish. I found that this made the narrative a little difficult to follow at first, but by the time I’d got a little way into his story, I soon settled into jumping back and forth. I did find that, by the end of the story, which has been painstakingly pieced together by public historian, James Tecco, then adapted by writer Jay B. Kalagayan and artist Dylan Speech, it felt necessary to be told this way.

Unfortunately, Hambright’s story has an abrupt ending, and the downbeat events of his later years are sullied with the racism of the time period, some of it seen very overtly in the war propaganda; examples of which are recreated here. It’s shocking stuff to the modern eye, but a sadly necessary element to give proper context, and to impart the understanding of why a seemingly successful and popular figure as Hambright was essentially erased from history.

It’s a fascinating, powerfully told story of triumph and tragedy, with a realistic and grounded art style; unfortunately, the racial themes and social commentary feel depressingly relevant, even a hundred years or so after many of the events in the comic.

You can buy Filipino Assassin from MeSseD Comics. Many thanks to MeSseD Comics for providing me with a copy of Filipino Assassin for review purposes.

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