Created and illustrated by Rob Cham, “Light” is a 2015 silent graphic novel published under Anino Comics, an imprint of Adarna House, Inc. With its innovative use of color schemes as the motivation for its visual narrative, no wonder the comics won the Best Book in Graphic Literature (Silent) at the 35th National Book Awards.
As Cham’s first graphic novel, the unusual 7×7 layout unfolds with a ‘nameless adventurer’ taking on a curious quest using a map passed down to him by his deceased grandfather. With no other information aside from the need to collect five various gems, the adventurer left his colorless world to wander into a place unknown to him, battling monstrous creatures and bumping into a future ally along the way.
A world devoid of words
With the plot having an obvious influence from Jeff Smith’s Bone, Cham’s version of the story still sets it apart from the original, having told the quest in a wordless manner.
Furthermore, with little to no context about the world the book was set upon, still, it’s easy to get into, catering children and adults alike to form their own interpretation of the illustrations.
However, the comics’ unique advantage can also turn against itself as there comes a point where one will wonder why you’re rooting for the “nameless adventurer” to begin with. “Light” does not necessarily lack in depth despite the absence of language, but it somehow demotivates the reader to continue onto the next page. There are moments where the adventurer failed and succeeded, but with nothing to propel a reader’s emotions to rise and fall together with the character, those parts might feel like a page filler just to thicken the book.
Nonetheless, illustrator Cham, who graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in 2011, managed to introduce his readers to the obscure world of silent comics worth exploring; inviting other illustrators to play with the medium. With its use of color as an essential part of the narrative, the 120-paged comics became a page-turner in no time.
Cham’s creative decision to use vibrant colors against a pitch-black background elevated a previously simple story. Thus, effectively providing the story the context it needed, basking the readers in a visually stimulating atmosphere.
Through Cham’s unique art style, it promises the subindustry a brave adventurer every once in a while; one who is willing to partake on a journey for the sake of exploring the possibilities of what other artists might be capable of saying through pictures.
Both Light and its 2016 sequel Lost, which won the National Children’s Book Award, are available in local bookstores.
