By Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba, Vertigo Comics
I have this idea that the "truly" literary artistic comics of the world are about reducing life down to its mundanity and depressing reality to reveal something transcendental. When done well it's impactful and transformative and really… a bit of a downer. Daytripper tackles the subject matter of mortality, the relationship between life and death, in a quiet-moments-of-life way that manages to be poignant, artistically powerful, and hugely uplifting. It's a highbrow comic about death that makes me feel better about life. The comic is about Bras de Oliva Domingos, an obituary writer, and the story fills in the details of his life and his many deaths. Structurally each chapter tells a story about an important moment in Bras’ life, when he meets the love of his life or his son is born or when he visited his grandparents’ ranch as a child, and ends in his death. Thematically this seems to say savor these important moments because each one could be your last. Or maybe it's a bit more metaphorical than that and it's saying these moments change you so that the person you were dies and a new you is born. Regardless, the book states that death is an important part of life because it adds finality to our stories and fosters change. It's a beautiful book both in its message but also, with art by Fabio Moon, in its execution. If you want a poignant and artistic book that improves your life outlook check out Daytripper.
Word count: 249
Previously:
No comments:
Post a Comment