Material, Vol. 1

Material (Single Issues) #1-6

by Aleš Kot, Tom Muller, Will Tempest (Illustrations)

The first book of the sweeping literary graphic novel series crosses from Boston to Los Angeles and from Oklahoma to Guantanamo, through the hidden, unfamiliar and forbidden spaces of the American psyche. Compared to the works of Don DeLillo, Daniel Clowes and Joan Didion, Material is the beginning of a journey into the heart of the newly born century.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Politics

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2015

About the author

Aleš Kot is a post-Chernobyl, pre-revolution, Czech-born, California-based writer/producer who started in graphic novels and now makes films, television, and an occasional novella.

A. believe in art and community.
A. doesn't believe in borders nor cops.
A. believes in love, which they know is a very Libra answer. And what about it?

Reviews

[Kaa]

This is a fascinating read, and one I'm having trouble rating or reviewing. There were parts of it that went over my head, and other parts I'm still pondering. It's a book that speaks to a very specific moment in American history - a post-9/11, BLM, Obama moment that in some ways continues to today but in others has been dramatically redirected by the Trump presidency.

For me, the uniting theme of the different stories was non-linear relationships between people - relationships that branch and converge and turn in unexpected directions, relationships of mutuality and fear, relationships that are directed but not controlled by the circumstances surrounding them. I think the most successful element of the book was how well the author has managed to portray these relationships in two-page snippets.

[Althea J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-stars

This graphic novel is so fresh and relevant that the ink might still be wet on the page. Through the stories of several different characters, the reader is pulled into a conversation about the material we draw from in constructing our reality, our fiction, and our emotional selves.

Kot shines a light on the humans behind the most current of events and does so without a soapbox to be seen. The characters that deal with police corruption and the aftermath of being a Guantanamo detainee feel like journalism documenting human experience as opposed to the exploitative headline click-bait through which I usually encounter these stories. Refreshing! And a fantastic use of the graphic novel medium.

As The Guardian reporter Spencer Ackerman says in his Foreward to this first volume of Material:

There are no superheroes jumping off rooftops to stop Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann from shooting 12-year old Tamir Rice dead. No telekinetic is tearing open incommunicado police detention warehouses with her mind. As the real-life vigilantes kill black teenagers armed with Skittles and iced tea, the make-believe vigilantes -- mostly white, mostly written by white writers, for an audience assumed to be default white -- move along with nothing to say.

The exception is Ales Kot and Will Tempest's Material.

The storyline featuring the professor, and the one depicting the actress and her director, are less urgent, but bring in some meaty ideas that situate the other stories in a context of reflection.

What elevates this already full-bodied reading experience even more --- almost each page is footnoted with a jumping off point that engages the reader beyond the material of the book. There are song selections, links to the definition of terms used, suggestions of topics for further investigation, recommendations of relevant books and essays. There are several quick essays in the back that add yet another layer of material and critique.

Kot clearly sees this work as the start of a conversation, and not some sort of declarative piece of art. This work lives and breathes, and as a comic book reader, THAT IS EXCITING!

[Pixelina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea this one.
Not a fan of the artwork at all, it feels flat and boring.
The story was rather weak and not a lot happened. I didn't care much for any of the 4 stories in this and some I did't even 'get'

[Alex Sarll]

The introduction by a Guardian journalist, who lives up to the paper's rep by combining crusading investigative work with atrocious subbing, makes much of Material's use of footnotes. Which really isn't as novel in comics as he seems to think; even if we leave aside the old '*See issue #58 of Desperately Needs Sales-Boost Man for the full story, True Believers!' sort of thing, From Hell long since cemented a trend for backmatter which offers pointers to a comic's reference points. Sure, perhaps this book has done something slightly different by running them as footnotes rather than endnotes - but for the most part, that serves only to rob them of space and therefore context, leaving a blunt list. Better, I suppose, that it at least be moved out of the panels, given the way Kot has sometimes felt obliged to show his working in the past - remember Secret Avengers' poet-terrorist Artaud Derrida? But as bald as this is, it still feels like it's trying a little too hard. And the collection as a whole, while it hits plenty of interesting themes and clever treatments, never quite makes them come alive, never altogether sublimates the material (hah) into art. You know those plays that are terribly well-reviewed and topical and have wonderful actors, yet come across more as a chattering classes checklist than actual theatrical art? Often, Material feels like the creators have managed to transfer that experience to the comics page. Really, guys, you shouldn't have. 

And yet.

Among the various plot strands which, while not without interest, still feel a bit like they're ticking boxes (the sad boner professor who might be talking to an AI or just a cyberprankster; the Hollywood stuff; the man whose extralegal detention has had curious effects on his libido), there's one which is every bit as ripped-from-the-headlines but does catch light: the one engaging with Black Lives Matter and the outrages which made it necessary. This is also, not coincidentally, the one time the footnote device really clicks - and it's just a rollcall of victims across the bottom of each page. Our prefatory friend, again, seems to be generalising rather ridiculously in suggesting that this is a particularly unusual engagement for modern comics (it's all over even the mainstream superhero books, albeit sometimes under the thinnest of veils, because that's one way superhero books operate). But it would certainly be fair to say that it's seldom quite this harrowing and claustrophobic.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

An attempt to turn the stuff of current political and everyday life - police violence, celebrity and misogyny, the human collateral of the War on Terror, and the role of the intellectual - into comics storytelling, MATERIAL is hardly flawless, but projects this ambitious are important. Talked up in interviews as a life work that could run as long as Cerebus, Material currently exists as this four issue truncated run, interweaving four unconnected stories and a lot of side-matter: quotes, Wikipedia references, and a list of black victims of police run like a news ticker alongside Will Tempest's plain, human-scale storytelling.

Some of the stories burst into sudden action, others peter out, at least two turn out not to be about who we thought they were. Some of the material is smoothed into story, some feels less digested, but in all cases Kot and Tempest keep things as plain spoken as they can - resisting metaphor, addressing the world as they see and understand it, showing the bones of how that understanding is built. Material feels immediate and provisional in a way few print comics are - in another few months, the same working methods would have uncovered entirely other stories. I hope the project continues in some form, and we get to see them.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly an interesting book. It's the story of four stories, about: a teacher and writer; an innocent rolled up into Guantanamo Bay; an actress; and a victim of the Chicago PD. The stories are deeply personal, revealing important moments of change for these characters. They're all interesting, though at least the story of the Chicago PD victim seems a little easy. The best part may be that they're told in little two-page bites, which requires superb discipline (which Kot definitely shows).

I'm ultimately not sure how these stories are meant to come together — how they're supposed to reflect each other in meaningful ways — but I'm eager to read again, to find that out. And that's usually the sign of a good story.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn't much of a storyline or plot. In all honesty not a book to really enjoy, more a think piece than anything. Shows a lot of today's problems in a comic book format which is cool. But this wasn't for me really. And I'm okay with that.

I recieved an advanced copy of this from Netgalley.com and the publisher

[Jake Nap · Rating 3 out of 5]

With no volume 2 in sight, I’d hate to say this would’ve benefitted with more material (no pun intended). I liked the experimentation of alternating stories but I’m upset they never intertwined. I liked the foot notes and the art was ok, it just doesn’t feel like a complete idea.

[James Lawner · Rating 1 out of 5]

*1.5*

Whilst not as intensely graphic or insane as one would expect from an Image comic, I did appreciate when a story tries to be topical and philosophical, but this was a whole lot of nothing that added up to nothing. It's interesting how some of the storylines felt relevant today, given that this initially came out in 2015 (the story with the Black kid and how it ended felt eerily relevant the most). The characters felt very dull and flat to me, and it doesn't help that the artwork by Will Tempest added to the dullness and flatness. In fact, as I'm writing this review, I think I've already forgotten most of the story, because this was so meaningless. Even in its vignette nature, it just wasn't that interesting, even if it tried to say something. If anything, it at least wasn't aggressively obnoxious with preachy-ness. One thing that kinda flew over my head were the little references and footnotes added at the end of every page. Somethings I understood, but most I didn't, because it was all just think-pieces and essays being referenced, and even some French arthouse movies I've never heard of, and I can't help but think if Ales Kot was referencing/citing these works in the comic, or perhaps He was trying to guide us to these works to somehow "enhance" our reading experience, and you know not everyone is down with "DLC Culture".

Overall, I think the short length may have hindered this comic, because if there was more issues and more time to develop the story and characters, then maybe it could've been good. Otherwise, this felt more like a first draft than a finished project.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a good idea for a series for Showtime, Starz, or HBO. This series is based on the real world and has a very good representation of people from various walks of life and backgrounds. The Muslim couple is my favorite because it shows the trouble in their marriage and other issues after being imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for being a suspected Terrorist which he wasn't a part and dealing with the emotional, mental, and physical scars from that experience.

Another story had dealt with a Police Officer forcing a young African American male to spy on his uncle illegally. This isn't fiction, but what really happens in the real world. To those who prefer only fiction, this isn't the book for you. I love superheroes, its also good to be exposed to material that challenges you and make you think. For those who will be confused about the names of the people in the book, they are people who have been victims of Police Brutality and challenges the reader to read Between the World and Me by Ta-Neshi Coates which is an excellent book and a must read.
I definitely recommend Material, its a book that is needed in the world and nation we live in right now.

[Rocco Ricca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Material is about a lot of things. From BLM to the war on terror to masagany to celebrity stardom. It tells the stories of 4 different individuals living in today's America. Reading this book in 2020, it feels like this book could have been written last month. So many things that rang true 5 years ago have not changed in the slightest today. I feel while this book may not be perfect, what it's saying is so important that it's worth checking out.

Also on a quick sidenote, the art by Will Tempest was very interesting and while I didn't always connect with how he drew certain things I thought his colors were flawless the entire book.

[Ben Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would be so easy for a book like this to be so, so bad but Kot succeeds in distilling his political and philosophical concerns into an immensely readable - and as far as I'm concerned, innovative - comic. More books like this in the mainstream please.

[Mark Sutherland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four stories of post-modern American life told in parallel with no obvious connecting theme. There's plenty to chew on but I'm left feeling alienated and detached rather than drawn into these character's worlds.

[Isaac Lewsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5 Stars] Dense, but good dense. Incredibly current. I think I quite like Aleš Kot actually. I feel my logging it on here perhaps speaks to something of the same dissociation felt by its protagonists — an attempt to make sense of a world where everything has just become material…

[Michael Giuliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first exposure to Ales Kot. He doesn't mince words, and directly addresses issues that plague the country; have to respect him for that.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible

[Larakaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound.

[BMK · Rating 5 out of 5]

An impressive comic. Entertaining and informative plus you have to marvel at how difficult it would be to create.

[Graham Cifelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing art, amazing stories, loved the footnotes, dialogue just felt a little corny at times

[Avis F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting story lines. a modern graphic novel for modern times
the music referenced throughout wasn't for me

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I just read. There's a lot to unpack here and most went over my head. I like how it challenges me though.

[Becky O'Rourke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretentious prattling

[Rosie Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ales Kot so much.

[Siina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Material was something totally different to what I expected. It's hard to portray the plot, since it's more like a journey to the core of being human, the intersections of human lives and an interesting pathway to rich philosophical weirdness that you somehow understand. We have people who all have problems in their lives and no way out. The problems don't really have a form, but you recognize them surely. The people have to try out different solutions and they all need guides in the form of basically anything. This was something I really enjoyed, since in a cliched manner no man is an island. All the stories cut each other and don't really have anything to do with one another and at the same time they are all linked on some astral level creating this wonderful entity that's deep and profound. You have to read to understand.

The story is amazing and the colors work well creating this melancholic feeling. The art in itself kind of bugged me though, as it felt out of proportion from time to time and smudgy. A thinner line work would've made this better and lighter. The view angles are great and the pace is perfect in its tranquility. Also, the writings at the end felt a little detached, since the ending didn't really need anything extra. Additions in this case feel superimposed as opposed to the introduction that fit this wonderfully. A magnificent master piece that would've needed better suited art to convey its message.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Material, Vol. 1' by Ales Kot is a comic that attempts to address some of the current wrongs in the world in a comic book form, which is admirable. I just found it a bit incoherent and preachy.

Four separate stories work their way through the book. A man comes home from Guantanamo Bay after surviving torture. He is trying to readjust to life with his wife. An actress takes a role in a movie, after barely working at all the previous year. A young black man is in a riot and ends up getting booked into a detention center. An older intellectual is facing aging and meets an interesting artificial intelligence. None of the stories, as far as I can tell, intertwined as of yet, but maybe that's for future issues.

There are footnotes on most pages, or the names of black victims of police violence, or songs or books to read. Overall, I get the message, but I think it could have been told differently or better. I felt talked down to. I do believe comics can be a medium for change, and I was interested in this one, but I felt a bit let down.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[MsPink · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first out-of-body moment while reading Material happened when one character suddenly launched into an out-of-left-field but astrologically accurate description of the Uranus-Pluto square and its correlation to the current social and political climate. (Don't worry, it's not a theme and it's never mentioned again, but as anyone with a foot--or even a toe--in that world knows, it's highly unusual to find a reference to astrology that isn't couched in obligatory disclaimers and attempts at loosely-scientific corrective scolding.) After that, my feelings of affinity grew with every footnote (many of which list the names of US citizens murdered by police in recent years). I'm so looking forward to reading more of Material and anything else that Ales Kot writes in the future. As soon as I finished the book, I went on a mission to find out more about its obviously intelligent, socially aware and sensitive creator.

[Matt Trowbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Material, like almost all of Ales Kot's titles, is unlike any comic being published. He is speaking to a general audience with a specific voice. His convictions are strong and his passion is evident in this book's content. At one point, a character states, in response to criticism of his work, "Your expectations mean nothing to me. Accept the mystery." I imagine this is Kot speaking through his character, as much of this volume, and many of his other titles, are exploratory/non-traditional and often left to interpretation. Material offers something that isn't available anywhere else, but has to be what the reader is looking for. 3.5 stars. (P.S., Will Tempest is the perfect artist for this--minimal, but effective.)

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down one of the best works of graphic fiction I've ever read. Less comic book than a blend of continental philosophy and calls for activism, Material asks a lot of big questions and gestures vaguely in the direction of solutions without ever proposing to know the answer. Ultimately, the reader is left to dwell on the story and come to their own philosophical conclusions. The inclusion of 4 essays - one for each of the main stories the book follows - provide a welcome context to the story, and is unique among comic trades that tend to remove back filler. A difficult read, both physically and emotionally, but I cant recommend it highly enough. Ales Kot is a visionary of the comics medium.

[Alexander Weiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book and it's story is at times dark, bleak, cynical, complex, intense and so forth. However it does explore current and relevant social issues so I do recommend it. I also like it's scale since it does follow 4 people and the supporting characters of there friends, family, colleagues, etc. Including a man dealing with being released from and tortured at Guantanamo bay, an actress, a teenage boy in Chicago and a college teacher. This comic was published originally as 4 issue series by Image Comics. I think the only thing that is eh is the visuals. It is hard to describe I think I would say it is trying to be surreal I guess. Still the story is interesting and heavy so that make up for the artwork not fitting my personal taste.

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. This is probably a more weird kind of comic, I would even call it more of an essay touching on various social justice topics, such as police violence, racism, misogyny, sexism and religious freedoms, among others, all from the perspective of several characters each just dealing with their own lives. Not everybody is going to like this, but to hell with it. It is important to talk about these things through whatever medium available. And Ales Kot has made some good points here.