The Arrival, by Shaun Tan, is a masterpiece. I absolutely loved the breathtaking art, and its tale about struggling immigrants struck a chord in me. After all, I spent most of my life moving to several countries, and have experienced similar challenges as the protagonist. Putting that aside, I would like to talk about why The Arrival is a successful example of dialogue-less comic. Just like animated films without dialogue, there are some shared principles that many comics use too.
Firstly, there is clarity in action and emotion. It is easy to understand what the characters are doing or thinking, because of their gestures and facial expressions. We know that the protagonist is confused, as his back is bent forward, and there is a look of confusion in his face. In addition, the characters' silhouettes are clear. There are no distracting backgrounds, and Shaun Tan's mastery in creating visual contrast using value ensures that we see what is intended.
Secondly, there are enough (or plenty) of panels that clearly show how the story unfold. In animated terms, I would say that there are enough "in-betweens." Moment-to-moment and action-to-action transitions make for the majority of the comic. For example, the very next moment when the protagonist landed on the new land, as many as six panels are dedicated to show him looking around and closing the door of the flying vehicle. It feels as though we are watching a movie, and it is in fact quite difficult to be clueless about what is happening.
Lastly, the story is relate able to many, and those with prior experience to migrating can grasp the situation quickly. Granted, readers who have zero knowledge in general history, and the struggles of the characters, might have a harder time understanding each actions and consequences. That is the reason why storytellers have to take advantage of the audiences' knowledge and expectations when trying to get their ideas across.
Overall, it mostly boils down to clarity, whether in depicting the characters' actions and emotions, or depicting additional information though the use of background. Let the actions tell, instead of words. Interestingly, there is still a hint of mystery in the story, such as the presence of the strange creatures. I am unsure of what exactly they are supposed to represent, or what they are. However, they do certainly add to the unfamiliarity faced by the protagonist in the new land.
