“Daytripper” is the first graphic novel I have read, so it acted as an introduction to the medium for me.  My first impression was that the addition of images to the more traditional novel gave the authors a powerful literary tool to work with, and I enjoyed the ways that Ba and Moon made use of it.  It particular, I thought that they did a fantastic job of describing the setting and background for each chapter using almost only pictures.

In the beginning of the second chapter, for example, it is important that Ba and Moon are able to clearly define the new setting and mood of the coming pages, since they are each vastly different from the first chapter.  Bras and Jorge are now at a completely different point in their lives, traveling through South America with no responsibilities left behind.  The title page for the chapter is able to express this in a single image by showing their age through their appearance, mood through their body language, and location through beautiful landscape.

In the third chapter they change the setting all over again, jumping almost a decade into the future and shifting to a darker mood that is expressed by the general theme of black and blue in the opening image below.

Their opening pictures in the fourth chapter so aptly describe the situation that no words are necessary until several panels in.  The iconic scene of a nervous husband stumbling through a well-rehearsed trip, reinforced by his wife’s bulging stomach in a following panel, allows us to immediately recognize the approaching birth.

Lastly, in the seventh chapter, Bras’ newfound career success is clear before it is ever stated.  His name on the book cover and his confident look of one accustomed to this kind of attention give it all away.

Throughout the graphic novel the utility of images allows Ba and Moon to avoid almost all explicit exposition and speech.  It allows them to focus on the quiet moments.

Graphic novels are a unique form of literary expression that has emerged as a popular way to narrate stories. In class we have discussed the novel “Daytripper” by Ba and Moon. The story revolves around the live of Bras de Oliva Domingos, who works as an editor for obituaries at a newspaper office in Brazil. Each chapter in the novel tells a story of its own about a different time in Bras’s live, and many of them are not chronologically ordered. The images in the novel utilize different tones of color to semi-consciously convey the story’s gravity, emotions, and meanings to the reader. The following are some representative graphical annotations that illustrate this fact.

The most spectacular aspect of the graphic novel is that the chapters would always end up in Bras’s death, with the subsequent chapter narrating what would have happened if he did not die in the previous chapter. Ostensibly, the book suggests that we ought to be careful in our lives as best as we can since accidental happenings and possible death could always be around the corner at any time. This is quite apparent, since Bras dies from car accidents, drowning, murder, electrical shock etc. in the novel. On a deeper and more analytical facet, however, the novel encourages the reader to reflect on his/her own life. Though one might not notice it immediately, the novel attempts to subconsciously immerse the reader into understanding its deeper meanings. What would change if I died today? How will the lives of other people be influenced by my death? Will I live my life to its full potential before I die? Will I be satisfied by what I have done before I die? Will there be any regrets?

The most intriguing example in the book about the impact, both emotionally and physically, about a friend’s death can be seen by Bras’s reaction when he realizes that Jorge might have been killed in a plane explosion. In fact, Bras becomes so emotional about thinking of Jorge that even the obituaries he constructed for other people were actually written about his friend.

Emotional Bras immersed in pain and depression of the possibility of having lost his best friend Jorge.

In a nutshell, Daytripper not only stunned me with its outstanding pictorial art, but also provoked my thoughts about the meaning of life and death and the impact a sudden change in life can bring to myself and the people that care about me.

My first introduction to the format of Daytripper – the graphic novel format – was a series of comic books called Tintin. Tintin is a famous comic book series that feature Tintin the reporter and his dog Snowy on their adventures around the world. The stories are among my favorite in their scope and suspense, and I believe much of the impact they had one me was a result of the format. The imagery and words together provides a foothold for the imagination, and when pulled off well, can provide a more compelling experience to the user than just words alone.

Daytripper follows the story of Brás throughout his life. Each chapter, except the last, sees him die at a different part of the story. My interpretation is that the story is a giant “what-if?” While from Brás’ viewpoint, the story reads like a “what if I died here?” To me, it reads like a “what if I lived?” The books are organized non-chronologically. It starts with Brás as a middle aged man though. The choice to me seemed more appropriate than having the chapters go in order. By starting off with an older character, the author is able to establish the circumstances and issues in Brás’ life. The character is developed and plot points constructed in the first chapter itself.

The series revolves around the concept of death. It seems to give the idea more weight and meaning than many other stories I’ve read. One of the most powerful moments for me was when Jorge calls from Rio to confirm that he is not dead. Brás spent the month assuming that his best friend had died on a plane crash and was depressed as a result. What really struck me though was Jorge’s reasoning to not come home. He said that he “can’t go back to that life,” because “life is too short” (Vol. 6 p. 20). It really made me take a step back and think about myself and what I would regret if I died today. There aren’t that many moments in stories I read where I really stop and think introspectively.