Daytripper #1

By Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon

This is a good example of what comics as a medium can do. Bá and Moon have created a masterpiece of a single-issue story, as they introduce us to Brás de Oliva Domingos, a thirty-two year old obituary writer and aspiring author living in São Paulo Brazil.

Brás is the son of a famous author, and has a variety of unresolved feelings towards him, his mother, and, it seems, his girlfriend. In a short space, Bá and Moon establish these relationships, as well as Brás's daily routine. The characters feel fully realized and fleshed out, even though they are given little space to develop.

This is a very literary comic, with Shakespearean references and obituary assignments for painters and diplomats, but it is very much grounded in the quotidian aspects of Brás's existence.

The art is wonderful. Bá and Moon (I'm not sure who is doing what) keep a lid on the more fantastical elements of their work (this looks nothing like Casanova), and instead render a realistic environment. The book is coloured by Dave Stewart, who does some interesting work with warm, organic backgrounds.

While the end of this issue seems quite final, having read a little about the brothers' plan for this title, I can expect that this book will be a favourite of mine for 2010.