I kept hearing great things about this series published by Vertigo. Since I missed the first few issues, I decided to wait for the paperback collection to appear. It is a different comic book experience that should not be missed.
What is "Daytripper" about? It is the story of one man's life. At various times it focuses on his relations with his father, his best friend, his wife, and his son. It definitely is a story about the impact of loss and death on a person. Somehow the creators take all of this and make it a celebration of life. Just like in real life, the main character's life accumulates and combines all of the losses and gains we experience to make a whole person. After reading this book, you will be made to think about the relationships you have in your life. Appreciate them while you have the opportunity. As this story shows, your chances to interact with others are limited. Life and death intervenes when we least expect it.
In some respects it is a magic realism story, in others it seems like a day in the life story about a writer, and at times I can see the influence of the themes of Philip K. Dick.
When I read the first issue (or chapter if you are reading the collection) it seemed like a biographical story. It was very well written with art that supported the story with excellent graphics. This story could take place in the real world.
Then the second issue puzzled me by showing a character who died in the first story. How did this happen? It was not even addressed. Chapter two told a different biographical story.
This pattern was continued until the later issues when some magic realism was introduced. The dream sequences were naturally into the over all story.
Somewhere around chapter 7 I started questioning what was real for the main character. Reality seems to change with each chapter but somehow they all tie together. This was the Philip K. Dick portion of the story.
It might sound like an unusual mixture but it works. Congratulations to the creators. I will definitely be looking for more of their work.
Highly recommended.
