Reviews with content warning for Grief - Daytripper

This graphic novel was highly recommended to me by a friend and I am so grateful to her.

The artwork in these comics was something else - just utterly spectacular. The saturated color took it to the next level and I really enjoyed the use of watercolors.

I loved the premise of the series and how it was narrated in a very human, slice of life type way while still maintaining some fantasy elements. I also appreciated the emotional and thoughtful musings about mortality, living in the present, relationships (romantic, familial, and friendship), and grief.

The one criticism I have is that the main character felt a little flat at times. I found it difficult to fully connect with him.

Content Warnings

clarabooksit's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

The art is fraught with loneliness, uncertainty and desire. It’s dark and often ugly with pockets of beautiful scenery and prose. I liked the exploration of death and what it means to live, how each chapter built on the last, and the way the main character’s relationship with his father shapes much of his character as well as the story.

Having said that, there was this blatantly masculine romanticism on display that was very off-putting. There are very few female characters and they’re all foils for the hero, never actualized as characters themselves. Even his eventual wife is only depicted as the vessel for his happiness and the mother of his son. All of the deep and meaningful relationships the hero has are with other men. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, but for a story lacking in female characters, it would’ve been nice to see one of them as an actual person.

Additionally, while I initially loved the friendship between the hero and his best friend, the way it ended was awful and strange. I’m not sure how to process it.

Overall, I liked the non-linear storytelling and the way it built the story. I didn’t like what I can only describe as overtly male romanticism. But I think I’d still recommend it.

Content Warnings

boy_topics's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I didn't really know what to make of this book. It felt very much to me like it was trying to make a commentary on the meaning of life in a really obvious way and that just didn't quite land with me.

Content Warnings

jenniferthinks's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The storytelling in this graphic novel is lovely, but I gotta say, the thing that stood out to me the absolute most was the use of color. I have never been drawn to the color choices in graphic novel ever before, as much as I have in this one. It's truly art on every page. Pay attention to the sky. Notice how it changes with the mood. It's really, really well done.

And it's the only story of its kind that I've read before. I smiled, I cried. The story really worked.

The only thing I didn't much appreciate about the story is...

how underdeveloped the non-men characters are. I understand the choice, because it's from the main character's point of view, but I feel like there could have been more done there to make it feel like the women were really people, who have depth, and aren't just mysterious or surface level characters.

Content Warnings

More...