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geekwayne's review
2.0
'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.
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.
brnineworms's review
dark
fast-paced
2.5
I’m having a hard time reviewing Material because, while I can safely say I didn’t like it, it’s hardly egregious. I could talk about the sloppy artwork, the mediocre writing, the disjointed narrative threads. I could talk about the footnotes urging me to read this philosopher’s work or that Wikipedia article, shoehorned into the book instead of being organically incorporated into the fiction. I could talk about the unshakable feeling that I’m supposed to think this book is important because it gestures at heavy subject matter, even though it has nothing insightful to contribute. But these things don’t make the book worth hating. Did it irritate me? Absolutely. But I can’t hate it. I just don’t like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Sexual content, Confinement, Drug use, Torture, Violence, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death, Hate crime, Murder, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Dementia, Gun violence, Rape, Ableism, Addiction, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Cancer
pixelina's review
2.0
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'
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'
marksutherland's review
3.0
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.
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