Daybreak

Daybreak #1-3

by Brian Ralph

"A storytelling tour de force by turns creepy and poignant . . . One of the best books of the year." —Jeff Jensen, Entertainment Weekly

You wake up in the rubble and see a ragged, desperate one-armed man greeting you. He takes you underground to a safe space, feeds you, offers you a place to sleep, and then announces that he'll take the first watch. It's not long before the peril of the jagged landscape has located you and your newfound protector and is scratching at the door.

What transpires is a moment-to-moment struggle for survival—The Road meets Dawn of the Dead. Daybreak is seen through the eyes of a silent observer as he follows his protector and runs from the shadows of the imminent zombie threat. Brian Ralph slowly builds the tension of the zombies on the periphery, letting the threat—rather than the actual carnage—be the driving force. The postapocalyptic backdrop features tangles of rocks, lumber, I-beams, and overturned cars that are characters in and of themselves. A New York Times Graphic Novel Bestseller and YALSA Great Graphic Novel For Teens, Daybreak is an art-house take on the classic zombie genre.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Zombies, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Young Adult

160 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2011

About the author

Brian Ralph (born 1973) is a U.S. alternative cartoonist. His illustrations have appeared in Wired and the New York Post. His debut graphic novel Cave-In was nominated for three Harvey Awards, one Eisner Award, and listed as one of the Comics Journal's "five best comics of 1999". His second graphic novel Climbing Out was awarded a Xeric Grant in 2001.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daybreak by Brian Ralph is a zombie graphic novel gem. An old school zombie tale with tension, darkness, barf, and bites!

The illustrations are a surprising blend of drab and creepy. Just two colors—brown and white—hit the page and bring this book alive. The color or lack of color makes the pages feel dusty and lonely almost. A scary, dangerous post-apocalyptic world filled with hiding, scavenging, and running. The panels with no words or action spoke to me the loudest though. Dark, quiet scenes that show the debris and nothingness. Yet you know--can feel that something is out there in the dark watching and waiting to attack. A dropped flashlight in the night. Dark figures in the distance. And the slow shuffling of feet coming towards you. Nice, simple, and spooky. Classic!

My favorite part was the narrator and guide through this world. A one armed young man looks and talks directly at the reader—pulling us in and showing us the lay of the land. It was an interesting point of view. Some confusion and bumps with transition here and there, but overall our one armed man’s humor and brutal “this-is-the-way-it-is-now” tone and voice propels readers from one scene to the next. One danger to the next. A voice that kept me reading and flipping the pages with hope until the end. Does our young hero survive to tell another tale? You’re going to have to dive in with a flashlight and machete at the ready to find out.

Yes, my favorite weapon of choice made an appearance. Haha….Machetes! They always make me grin and giggle.

Recommended for zombie fans.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια ιδιαίτερη και ίσως διαφορετική από τα συνηθισμένα μετά-αποκαλυπτική ιστορία με ζόμπι, που με κράτησε από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος, χάρη στην όλη ατμόσφαιρα και τον τρόπο παρουσίασης της ιστορίας, καθώς επίσης χάρη στο κάπως μαύρο και σε σημεία μακάβριο χιούμορ (τουλάχιστον έτσι το εξέλαβα). Το σχέδιο είναι κάπως καρτουνίστικο και σίγουρα όχι για όλα τα γούστα, όμως τολμώ να πω ότι μου άρεσε, αν μη τι άλλο ήταν κάτι το διαφορετικό στο συγκεκριμένο είδος. Όσον αφορά την σκληρόδετη έκδοση της Drawn and Quarterly, μόνο καλά λόγια έχω να πω, είναι ένα μικρό στολίδι για τη συλλογή μου. (7.5/10)

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zombies are okay. I'm not one of those people who goes crazy for them. Nor do I avoid them on principle. I really like the Key and Peele zombie sketch. Humor and zombies go well together. But also, of course, there is that terrifying thing that happens when a blank-eyed creature keeps coming for you, slow and steady (sort of like the turtle and the hare fable turned bloodbath. All the turtles come out of the woodwork and the hare is faster than they are, but has to stop now and again for a nap or a nibble. Even the humblest hares have to stop for a carrot now and then, and that's when the trouble really hits.)

This book has that point of view thing everyone is talking about. The main character is talking to the reader, showing us the ropes, bringing us along on the journey. A lot of reviewers liked that. I didn't so much. It was okay, but not so compelling to me and also pretty distracting.

What did I like? The protagonist's attitude. This idea that he's managed to adapt to circumstances, as one does, even if it's a zombie apocalypse. His matter-of-fact attitude, the humor, and of course the dog.

The protagonist is one I've seen many times before. The archetypal, no-nonsense, deal with things as they happen, kind of grumpy and doesn't shy away from violence, but still honest and dependable kind of guy. He loves the dog but won't say so and instead answers a question "Where's the dog? I don't know. He's like a bad penny." I'm pretty sure there are a lot of similar characters in literature and I just can't think of any right now. Which is too bad.

The book is interesting. It's mixing up a bunch of different registers. It's not doing anything terribly innovative aside from that, but it is fast-paced and a little bit of the adventure and charm of "True Grit" in there. I considered giving it a two, but I'll go for a three.

[Sabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The point of view is the USP of the novel. A one-arm YA servicing a zombie apocalypse all on his own is another amazing aspect.


But there are some cons-
- The story is not much. Could've improved a lot.
- The ending leaves something to be desired.
- The artwork is okay, but maybe I'm just one of those who like more detailed graphic novel artwork.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

The concept of presenting a graphic novel from the reader's perspective is interesting, but this book fails at doing it well. The reader's viewpoint is limited to what can be put into a 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch frame and the artist usually fills this small frame with close ups of junk, making it disorienting and difficult to tell what exactly is going on. That alone did not contribute to the one star rating. The artwork is terrible. I've seen better drawings done by four year olds hanging on peoples' refrigerators. There is no characterization whatsoever. The few characters the reader is allowed to interact with are just sort of there and serve no real purpose. And plot? If there is one, I couldn't find it. The reader just ambles from one encounter to another with no connecting thread. Which in itself would not necessarily be a bad thing, it's just would need someone with more talent than the author of this book. The ending of the book was also handled poorly. I had to flip back a few pages to figure out where "I" was after running through a horde of zombies. Why the author chose to show this scene at level of the zombies' knees I'm not sure. Daybreak is not worth the time it took to read it, or the paper it was printed on. Glad I got it from the library and didn't have to shell out the $21.95 the book sells for.

[Ric · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up because it apparently inspired the Netflix series of the same name, which was pretty enjoyable and was cancelled on a cliffhanger. So I decided to pick this one up and to say it inspired it would’ve been a shock to me, because it had literally nothing in common with the show. And this only took like half an hour to read, and I even tried to take my time with it. The second person perspective of the book was intriguing, and it was really cool that the characters were interacting with the reader themself. But also the format made it hard to get to know any of the characters. And the plot was really simple, it was just running from zombies with the occasional human enemy as well because it wouldn’t be a zombie story without that. All in all, pretty disappointing read that might’ve been rated a little higher if it wasn’t so short.

[Práxedes Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gripping tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic world is beautifully presented in sepia and white. One of the cooler things about this novel is its second person, with the reader being addressed and led by the book's characters throughout. I am not sure it works 100%, but Ralph should get credit for trying.

The pacing is relentless due to the circumstances: staying one step ahead of the undead is a non-stop activity. Our main character is engaging due to his tenacity, resourcefulness, and undying spirit. Most of the horrors of this life seem to slip off him easily, making him the perfect host/tour conductor.

I wish this story was a saga instead, so we could learn more about the characters, where they were from, how they ended up here, etc. But definitely a worthwhile read!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up because I’ve been enjoying the Netflix series it inspired. It’s quite different from the series, but I really enjoyed its originality and creativity. I’ve never read a graphic novel like this. It draws the reader in by talking directly to you the entire time. One character or another is carrying one side of a dialogue with the reader, and the artwork cleverly indicates what part you, the reader, have in the parts of the story where action is required. It’s a neat experience, and while the drawing didn’t wow me on an aesthetic level, it certainly pulled off a neat trick. Will look for more by this author/artist.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this. An eerie and disorientingly contained apocalypse story, told in a second person style.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from the point of view (POV) of you, the reader, the book opens with a one armed boy talking to you in a post-apocalyptic landscape surrounded with junk and dirt. You and the boy go on a journey that takes in the rest of this strange world until you realise that the reason why it all went to hell was because people started turning into zombies. That's right, this is an arty comic book version of the zombie apocalypse!

The drawing style is similar to James Kochalka's, which is no bad thing by the by, he's an excellent artist, but the story is really great, sweeping you up in the confusion into a fast paced plot and ultimately a personal tragedy. The point of view way of telling the story is different from how usual zombie stories are done and Brian Ralph does a fine job of telling the story via this approach.

The character of the one-armed boy is well written and his story arc is dealt with brilliantly, from a rapscallion you feel sorry for to ultimately a real person who bravely faces up to their fate.

I really enjoyed this book and felt that it deserves a wider audience, especially those who enjoy the zombie sub-genre of contemporary horror, but who also like really well done indie comics. Brian Ralph has written and drawn a wonderful comic that I loved reading, one that is definitely worth checking out for yourself.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd attempted about fifteen minutes of the Netflix teen postapocalyptic comedy, which...Jesus Mary and Joseph...is intended for an...um..."less discerning" audience. Which is the nicest way I can put it. I tried, but Lord, it was shallow and drably synthetic, trying too hard to be edgy in a knockoff Zombieland-by-committee sort of way. Couldn't watch it. Life is too short for mediocrity.

This is not that. The source material is stark and quiet and grim, not funny at all.

Meaning, it's worth your time. It feels real. The paneling, rigid but effective. The palette, rotted umber, thick simple lines, and despair. And sure, it's zombie schtick, which is a wearied trope, but it wasn't weary when Ralph created this. Not at all. It's harsh, and the narrative doth not endeavor to please the crowd.

I was surprised at how good it was. A solid four, and worth your time if you appreciate the graphic novel as a narrative form.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hooray alternative comics for teens!

Here, you are a character, or at least an active observer - it's a comic book told in second person. And yes, there are times when I notice the effort being made to avoid requiring anything of the reader (speech, for example), and yes, you're mostly following one (one-armed) guy around through a desolate society filled with zombies. And yes, the plot is a little thin.

But the illustrations are neat, and I think the kids will eat it up when it's pitched in the right way. The blocky, standard-sized panels are printed in brown ink. And personally, I vastly prefer the backgrounds and details to the figure drawing here.

I'm totally taking this to the middle schools.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the main success of this graphic novel is the point of view. I am not sure I've read a second person viewpoint graphic novel before, and it works perfectly. It's as if the "camera" for the "movie" is your own eyes, so you experience the characters and the terror as if you're seeing it yourself. It's kind of the equivalent of a found footage horror movie where the camera-man is actually a character. It's creepy and quiet, and has a great ending. Clever, and a must-read for anyone who loves zombie fiction.

[alternBRUNO°° · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are not many materials written from a 2nd person perspective. Thus, it is hard to decide if this is actually good in which this addressing of the reader makes it worthy or not. The art and the colour is nice because it gives you the impression of one being inside the apocalypse.

The story... kinda basic and unfinished. It never really takes off and the characters lack soul. One-arm passes for a buddy, but we never get to know him.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zombie book, told from a sort of second person perspective, as you are assumed to be a character in the book... not many zombies, not much blood, but the threat of killing (ala Hitchcock, vs slasher movies) is the key... I would say that this dude is no Joe Hill, and no Jeff Lemire, but he is good, interesting mainly for the pt of view approach here....

[Maxine Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming little zombie story. The viewpoint character is silent throughout and we only see what he/she sees, moving with a new friend through zombie territory. It kept my attention throughout.

[Ryan Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know zombie stuff has been around for a long time, but it feels like ever since The Walking Dead got really popular it’s been more of a mainstream thing than some weird sci-fi/fantasy sub-genre. With that means a ton of different variations, some more interesting (Pontypool, Shaun of the Dead) than others (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies).

That said, the variation for Daybreak is a nice one. We get no real site of the zombies. It’s in first person. There’s a dog!

It goes quickly, and the big gimmick at work here—an apocalypse zombie comic told in first person—functions in a surprisingly effective way. Making the reader be this disengaged person who is mostly mute works nicely with not only the helplessness of someone unprepared for (or simply unseasoned in) the apocalypse, but the helplessness of being a reader and unable to change how the story is going to go.

The art resembles a style I usually relate to indie, autobiographical stuff, but it works for the more playful side of the book. Gritty, realistic art would have come off maybe a bit gauche, or maybe more a mismatch like Kyle Starks trying to write a wholesome book. The art works, mostly, but any real action is a bit hard to follow.

A quick read, and worth checking out if you want a fairly successful spin on the zombie story we can’t seem to get enough of.

[Courtenay · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - got about halfway and when the driver of the bulldozer pushing bodies into a fire had to get out and decapitate a zombie with a shovel, I decided I couldn't -- didn't need to -- read anymore. The CONCEPT (told from the perspective of a silent observer survivor) was fascinating but I just am not into Zombie stories even though I have tried several; I like post-apocalyptic stories, though. So this one at least had a fighting chance. I had to give the author-illustrator 2 stars for massive creativity. But ew. So. Not. For. Me.

[Robyn Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric

[Matt Graupman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Daybreak" is a thrilling and novel, though slightly flawed, attempt at depicting a zombie apocalypse from a first-person perspective; outside of maybe a video game, comics are really the only medium in which this story could be told and it's an interesting experiment.

Working in this unusual POV, the book can be pretty disorienting. It takes a while to understand what's going on and, since the dialogue from the reader's perspective isn't included, there's a lot of filling-in-the-blanks in regards to the story. The pacing is hectic which can be both exhilarating and exhausting but, when you slow down, you can really appreciate Ralph's beautiful panels full of rubble and garbage; they're charmingly chaotic.

The first time I read "Daybreak," I dismissed it as a fun lark. Each time I've read it, however, it grows on me a little more. It's a layered, fun book that requires the reader to work a little harder. That level of alertness seems very appropriate when dealing with a story about the undead.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only way the blurb is accurate is that if by art-house they mean shit. Because by about a quarter of the way through the book i was already rooting for the zombies to do terrible things to our supposed hero. As a fan of gritty story telling, the idea of a silent perspective, a one armed guide, and a zombie landscape seems like a good idea. Yet this book failed in almost every respect.

The art is decent, but really just looks like amateur wood cuts. Nothing to really write home about.

The story is absolutely horrendous. Seriously, if we are supposed to be guided through this landscape we would hope for someone with a bit of sensibility, not a child who lets 20 zombies within an arms reach because he's busy playing martha stuart, trying to be a friendly host.

The characters are weak, the dialogue is weak, and i don't think there is a single redeeming feature to this book. If you're a fan of serious story telling, don't waste your time or money on this one.

[Sonic · Rating 2 out of 5]

"An art house take on classic zombie genre" This quote on the back cover practically had me drooling for "brains" like a zombie myself. So exciting. So full of promise.
And that's about it.
No "Brains" here.

Yeah it was o.k. the POV was very clever,
but handled in way that was trite.
In fact the whole book felt and looked like a Jeffrey Brown book, and I am sorry to say that is not a good thing.

"The Walking Dead" taught us that there could be more to a good zombie story than just fear,
and the excitement of characters trying to stay alive,
but this book did not even have those basic ingredients.

I felt cheated because I felt this could have been so much more!

I don't like zombie stories that are "cute."

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a zombie hobbyist: zombie movies scare hell out of me. I'm not into this whole zombie-mania that's afflicting everyone. But if the promise of a new perspective is going to make me remove my blinders and earphones, it had better be good.
Like 28 Days Later<\i> and Return of the Living Dead<\i>, this book is one of those worthy entries that transcends. It's done in that audience POV style like that Blair Witch<\i> thing or that Vietnam war flick ('twas horribly disappointing) 84 Charlie MoPic<\i>. Expertly harrowing with its deceptively simple style and 6-panel pages, this does in 1 book what takes any downward spiraling movie series to attempt in a hundred sequels.

[Hollowspine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel takes an interesting perspective. The reader, instead of being a voyeur to the story, is actually a part of the novel. The pages are the world from the reader's POV. The various characters look directly at the reader, the zombies reaching from the page towards you.

I'm not sure if this perspective is what made me more invested in these characters, but I found myself attached to the one-armed man who through the story becomes the reader's only trusted friend and ally and I was saddened by the end.

[Charles Isom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be an interesting graphic novel. I liked the approach of making the reader the main character and showing everything from your point of view, however, I agree with many that the action was jumpy and often unclear. Also, the writing was pretty stilted, and the dialogue had the feel of a cheap find-your-own adventure computer game.

Would like to see this redone, but it was worth the time to read.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This intriguing take on a zombie tale draws you in instantly by making you one of the characters from the first frame. As the situation rapidly goes from bad to worse, you find yourself having to decide your own fate as the book ends. Clever, stark, and chilling.

[Jamie Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd already read and loved these as individual issues. When I picked up the hardcover today, I'd been hoping it had another "chapter" to the story. But no matter, I loved it again -- reading it in the backyard with a beer on a gorgeous day. Think it may have had some extra stuff in it... Who knows. It was great all over again.

[Zach Deans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much , it was a awesome read. It's not just because of then post-zombie apocalypse scenario. It's also because of the illustrations and how the story progresses. I think it's also cool how the depict the zombies in this book. I think it's cool when they are newly turned that they have black around their eyes and have a creepy look to their eyes

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

bibliovermis.com Illustrated Review

rated 4.5 stars

Illustrated review of Daybreak, by Brian Ralph: