With the Light vol 1 - Raising an Autistic Child

Comics, to me, are an undervalued art-form that bridge the chasm between novels and film / tv. They are able to show characters thoughts; freeze time and expressions and allow reader interaction in a way that neither TV (which is completely passive) nor books (which is overly reliant on your own interpretation) can touch.

This is used to its fullest potential in With The Light. I'm not sure this story would have worked as either a novel or a film. With a novel there would have to be an over-reliance on the narrative describing the minutiae of life for parents of autistic children, and this would mean the books would be huge! And if a picture is worth a thousand words then these comics are an exercise in economy - everything that is placed in the panels is there for a reason. With films it would be difficult to really convey the depth of emotion and the attention to detail that, again, the comics can carry off so easily.

Once you get over the format of the manga graphic novel - all Japanese comics are read from back to front. Starting from the top right of the page to bottom left- it becomes very easy to read. The style of Japanese comics, in relation to its American or European counterparts, is far more expressive dealing as much with the characters inner world as it is the world around them. There is always a fascination with characters eyes - especially Hikaru's, which are so detailed and beautifully drawn. If eyes are the doorways to the soul -which is what I believe the Japanese think, and I subscribe to- then Hikaru's are expressive of a beautiful person.

The first volume of With The Light introduces Sachiko Azuma; her husband and their son Hikaru who is eventually diagnosed with Autism (after several mis-diagnoses), and deals with the huge amount of upheaval that Sachiko undergoes. Firstly she has no support from her husband, her family or the state - this is really heartbreaking because even she doesn't understand the world of Autism and goes through hell. Eventually she is able to gain the help of the social workers and her husband is able to see beyond the disability. It's a testament to the characters that they are able to rise above their prejudices and become better for knowing and understanding Hikaru. In many ways, this could be the reason for the extremely expressive eyes - Hikaru acts as a mirror to the depths of the characters souls, it reflects back their truth. The characters will see what is within them and shines back their light. Living with Hikaru brings out the best and worst in the characters and if the characters can see beyond their own ego's then they grow and become better for it. In some ways this is a perfect metaphor for life.

With The Light is an rollercoaster and is so poignant, the reader is taken on the full gamut of emotions, and this book really conveys what it must be like for parents who live with autistic children. It also acts as a fantastic textbook on ways to cope and communicate with autistic children. I can not recommend these books enough.