If I'm being honest, Daytripper is every week's read. I've said many times how much I adore the Brazilian "Wonder Twins," Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá. I'm eagerly awaiting their new GN, set to arrive on US shelves in October. In the meantime, Daytripper will be due for re-reading every month or so.
Daytripper is a meditative exercise. Although each chapter ends in death, this book is about life. It asks questions about how we should view life: Does life end at the death of a relationship? Should we cherish shorter lives more than longer ones? How will you live your life, once you accept that you will one day die? The main character, an obituary writer named Brás, starts, stops, and re-starts his life at different points in time, creating different outcomes. Each choice he makes sets off a new course of events, some directly leading to his demise, and others more indirectly. Each chapter wraps up with an obituary fitting the circumstance.
I bought this GN years ago, and have barely put it down since. I even bought a second copy, as a loaner to friends and family. Of course, not everyone was as affected by the story as I was; this is typical of comics. For instance, I don't feel the same about Frank Miller's comics as certain people I know, but that doesn't discount his talent, nor his resonance with his audience. But Daytripper stopped me in my tracks. It made me evaluate my views on how I should live my life, and then re-evaluate that evaluation. A good book will do that. Daytripper is highly recommended for mature readers, but do what you want. I've found that I understand it a little better now than I did 3 years ago, and I'm sure I'll have another take on it 3 years from now.
Go read.
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