I'm going to do something a little different and review a comic book. Jem is my favorite 80s show, one of my favorite doll lines ever, and just all around awesome. Though the movie is something I never even want to see, the comic is pretty damn great. It modernizes the storyline, which was very, very 80s, and revamps the characters in mostly exciting ways.
I'm going to tackle these reviews by storyline. The first, Showtime, is the first 6 issues. If a special happens to fall within or near a storyline, I'll include it at the end of the review for that storyline. I'm going to make comments on each issue as I reread it, then comment on the storyline as a whole at the end.
So let's go.
Issue 1: Every issue came with multiple covers, but both #1 and #2 had sets of variants by Amy Mebberson, who I love. The first issue had Aja, Kimber, Jem and Shana drawn in their 80s style, and the second had Roxy, Stormer, Pizzazz and Jetta. I have the boxed sets for both #1 and #2. Yay. I'm not normally a variant cover person, but vintage-style characters drawn by one of my fave artists? I'm in.
Anyway, issue #1 introduces us to the Holograms. Jerrica, 23, is shorter and curvier than her vintage counterpart. (Jem, on the other hand, is 6 inches taller and has a more stereotypical comic female shape. Pizzazz is the only other one that's built more like this. But my point is that Jem actually looks like a completely different person, instead of like a glammed up Jerrica with pink hair. Which is cool.) Her younger sister Kimber, 18, is a giraffe. She's very tall and skinny, though not as tall as Jem. Aja, 23, and Shana, 22, are their adopted sisters. Aja is Chinese/white, as mentioned by artist Sophie Campbell, but other than that, the girls match up racially with what they were in the original show. Vintage Aja could have been biracial, but it was never mentioned, and things in the 80s were more simplified when it came to kids' properties, so I think she was just Chinese. It doesn't matter either way to me, just clarifying, since I'm comparing the modern with the vintage. The biggest difference between the vintage and modern designs is the body types. As I said, Jerrica is shorter and curvier and Kimber is tall and skinny, but also, both Shana and Aja are curvier girls. Aja's bigger all over, while Shana is smaller built on top and very wide-hipped. Shana looks great and while Aja does, too, her look is the one I have an issue with. The only change looks-wise I have an issue with really. Aja is the athletic one. That was her thing in the 80s and it's still her thing now. So I feel there was a really big missed opportunity to put a gorgeous athletic female body, like, say a gymnast's or a runner's, on Aja. I'd love to see a girl with realistic muscles drawn in pretty outfits and being obviously thought of as attractive. The characters are all drawn well and the outfit detailing is mind-blowing. I'm not going to fawn over that every time it looks good, although I may make a comment here and there on both the positive and negative ends.
Okay. Character looks established. Let's get to the plot.
Jerrica and her sisters are a band. Jerrica sings, Kimber's on keytar, Shana's on drums and Aja's on guitar. However, Jerrica has crippling stage fright and can't sing a note. She's arranged a video shoot for the "Misfits Vs" contest three times and failed three times. Kimber says she's got to do it or she (Kimber) is bailing. Kimber explains that being in a bad with her sisters is all she's ever wanted. Their father made them wait until she graduated, which she did, but then he died and none of them wanted to work on the band for a long time, but now it's been a year and it's time. Kimber says she has nothing else, while the others are older and have found other pursuits. She wants music. She goes back inside and has an argument with Aja and Shana about Jerrica, which eventually wraps up fine. Jerrica, meanwhile, abandons them and runs for home. She plays herself a song, strumming on her guitar and singing, when she's joined by a...purple woman. This is Synergy, a "holographic computer...built to be the ultimate audiovisual entertainment synthesizer." Apparently, she's been offline since Emmett Benton, the girls' father, died, but the current storm somehow rebooted her. Synergy directs Jerrica to her father's safe, where he left a birthday present for her that he never got to give her before she died. She finds the Jemstar earrings just as her sisters arrive home. Their reactions to Synergy are hilarious and she tells Aja to punch a code into the jukebox. The wall opens up and there's basically a Batcave in there, a Synergy Batcave. Or as Kimber puts it: "Was Dad a superhero?" Synergy can create lifelike holograms and shows off her powers. Jerrica wheels have been turning the whole time and she's figured out the solution to her stage fright: creating a literal illusion that she can hide behind, JEM.
I think the first issue introduces the Holograms neatly and gives us a good crash course in Synergy.
Issue 2: It's Misfits time! I should probably say that I am extremely biased towards the Misfits. I loved them in childhood, I still love them now. Let's talk about their looks first. Pizzazz, as I said way, way up there has got the steretypical girly comic body like Jem. She's as tall as Jem, too. She's also the oldest main cast member at 24. She tends to have the boldest look, even entirely shaving her head at one point, although the characters have Clawdeen Wolf hair. It grows back at completely unrealistic speeds. Roxy, 22, is medium height and built big. I think she's supposed to be the muscley character, but she doesn't really come across that way much. She's got an interesting face with a dominant square jaw. My only issue with Roxy is that the colorist likes to make her grayish and I don't know why. It's not any ethnic reason, because she's white. Stormer, 20, is the comic's biggest girl and it's really awesome to see that, like everyone else, she's thought of as beautiful and appealing, not made fun of for her weight or anything like that. Both Stormer and her brother Craig are, according to the artist, of Jewish/Middle Eastern descent, which is a change from the vintage. Pizzazz is also Jewish, but she always was. Jetta, 22, is the biggest change. Back in the 80s, Christy Marx initially designed her as black, but the villain characters weren't supposed to be black, so she became the Jetta we know. Well, we're not in the 80s anymore, so Jetta went back to being black. It's a cool change given the history and visually, she's stunning. She's tall and very thin like Kimber. I think they could have changed the heights around a little bit though. Both Jem and Pizzazz are the same height and build and Kimber and Jetta are similar, too. I think Roxy should have been tall as well as big, because the bigger girls are all shorter.
So we open the issue with the Misfits performing live on the Lin-Z show. In the post performance interview, Pizzazz goes over the contest. Bands submit videos online and the winner will perform against the Misfits in a battle of the bands, earning a recording contract if they win. Lin-Z and Pizzazz clearly do not care for each other. Afterwards, the Misfits are saying all the band submissions so far have been weak. Roxy says they don't want to lose their own competition, but Pizzazz says she doesn't want to play against someone weak either. Rio, who's doing an article on them, is in the background, occasionally annoying Pizzazz.
I have to stop here and mention poor Pizzazz's nickname. Now in the Jem fandom, we always called her Zazz. Makes sense, right? No, they've saddled her with Pizz. I refuse to call her that. There is literally no fucking way in hell Pizzazz would let anyone call her something that sounds like "piss." It's so weird that they think this is an okay nickname.
Stormer finds the Jem and Holograms video, which is getting a ton of votes. They play it and it's pretty awesome. Pizzazz is furious and Rio thinks it's hilarious. Pizzazz screams at him to get out. It is pretty unprofessional behavior of a reporter. Stormer reads Kimber's blog. Hee. Rio does a little work and learns Jerrica is the manager.
At the Holo's, Kimber's freaking out in a squealy funny way and getting a high number of new Twitter followers. Her phone's constant pinging is pretty amusing. Shana's hair, by the way, is awesome. Kimber tries to get Aja up, but that's a no. (Stingers poster on Aja's wall.) Jerrica comes out and Kimber drags her to the computer, then does a great little dance, including the iconic "Here we come, Misfits! You better watch out! Except you, Stormer. You're the cutest. You should go out with me." Jerrica tells Kimber to wake up Aja, because they have to be at the Starlight Community Center in an hour. That's how they work the Starlight Girls in. While Kimber is pelted with Aja's shoes, Jerrica and Shana have a talk about how this is going to get complicated, but Shana says they'll get through it if they stick together.
At the community center, Ms. Bailey says the girls saw the video and are more excited than ever about being their own band. She asks Jerrica if the Holograms would perform at their benefit and Jerrica says she thinks she can talk the girls into it. The appearances by Ba Nee and Ashley are super cute. Jerrica's giving Ashley a guitar lesson when Rio comes in and introduces himself. Ashley is none too pleased at being dismissed, and Rio says he's writing an article about the Misfits' competition. He asks why the band isn't Jerrica and the Holograms, because he can tell she wrote the song in the video, from hearing her play it with Ashley. Jerrica says that's none of his business. He jumps right into asking her out, which Jerrica says is a ploy for his article, but he says he's writing about the Misfits so he can't write about the Holograms. She agrees and he insists on them going that night.
Meanwhile, Kimber is at a Misfits' autograph signing where everyone else has just left Stormer. They banter cutely and Kimber asks if she can buy her coffee after the signing. They're sitting there being cute when the Misfits appear outside the store window and Pizzazz is Not Happy.
Another good introductory issue. We meet Rio, who's much cuter than his original self, although I don't think he's a very professional reporter. He crosses some lines there. Pizzazz here is quite like her vintage counterpart, but don't get too attached to that Pizzazz. And I love the appearance of the Starlight Girls!
Issue 3: The Misfits have gotten themselves caught on film causing a scene when they confronted Stormer about Kimber. They're at, I believe, Pizzazz's place, since it looks pretty luxurious. The others are upset because Stormer was in public with Kimber, who is "the enemy." It's true that could have totally gone viral, her and the girl from the competition hanging out together before said competition. People could have accused them of having rigged things when (not really if) the Holos win and get the chance for the battle of the bands. So the other Misfits caused a scene to distract from that.
Jerrica and Rio are on their adorable first date at a carnival. Boardwalk? Something. Rio says he doesn't usually track girls down and force them on dates to which Jerrica replies, "Good."
At the Holos', Kimber and Aja have a chat about Jerrica dating and Kimber's new interest, though Kimber doesn't say who it is. Shana comes in and she has amazing hair again.
SHANA: What's going on?
AJA: Kimber likes a girl.
SHANA: Must be Tuesday.
More Jerrica and Rio date cuteness. He says he likes to get to the bottom of things, which yeah, that might be an issue.
The Misfits are filming a video and Pizzazz pitches a fit. She's such a perfectionist that even though they're not filming sound, she's not happy if they're off. Pizzazz flops down on a couch by Clash. Oh, I forgot to mention Clash earlier. She's one of my favorite redesigns. She's an even bigger giraffe than Kimber and she's got the best nose ever. Clash has set a Google Alert for Jem and the Holograms and tells the others they're playing a big benefit concert. Pizzazz flips her shit. And a table.
ROXY: Nooooooooooooooo, the bagelllllllllllls.
Roxy has this hilarious thing with bagels. I love it.
Aja and Shana give Kimber girl advice.
JERRICA: My giant stuffed animal needs have totally not been met.
The adorable first date continues and I love Jerrica for the above line.
JERRICA: I could also eat more cotton candy...if pushed.
And that one, too.
Clash calls her friend Blaze and asks if she still works for the catering company that does the Starlight benefit. She does and Clash asks her to get her a job for the event. After Pizzazz says "Jem and the Holograms need to be stopped," Clash takes things a bit too seriously and she's out to do some damage.
So Kimber/Stormer is awesome and Jerrica/Rio is, too. Both are off to a pretty good start. I love Clash. Kimber is probably my favorite character.
Issue 4: Jerrica, Aja and Shana are loading their band stuff into the van while joking around. Kimber is meeting with Stormer, relieved that Stormer isn't mad at her for bailing when the Misfits attacked last issue. Stormer says she can't see her anymore, because the Misfits freaked out. Kimber tries to get her to reconsider, but Stormer says if she didn't write all the Misfits songs, they'd probably have already kicked her out. Music is everything to her, so she can't take the risk. Meanwhile, the Misfits are backstage at a late show, wondering where Stormer is. And where Clash is. Well, Clash is meeting with Blaze. It's her first day on the catering job Blaze got her. As she pulls her white shirt out of her bag, we see an odd assortment of tools. Yeah, Clash is up to no good. Jerrica, Aja and Shana are setting up at the benefit, wondering where Kimber is. Kimber is wordlessly chasing Stormer down the street and they kiss. Moving a little bit fast there. Back at the benefit, Rio has appeared without warning and he ends up going to get coffee for the girls. Shana sends a worried Jerrica off to change, as Kimber comes pelting into the benefit and knocks Clash over. She helps her pick up everything, including her "bolt cutters and wrench" and then compliments her hair color. Clash dashes off. Rio returns with coffee as Kimber races in. He goes looking for Jerrica and she answers to him calling her name, but...she's Jem at the moment. She also takes Jerrica's coffee, which I don't think Rio cares for. Stormer arrives at the Misfits' show and Pizzazz is pissed, because they're on in five. Stormer, Jetta and Roxy bicker and someone tells them it's time to go on. Stormer apparently has magic powers, because she found enough time to change and apply makeup. After their performance, the host makes the mistake of asking about Jem and the Holograms and Pizzazz lets out one of her trademark wails. Back at the benefit, the Holos are performing and Clash is tinkering above, sending some of the lighting heading down right for Jem.
Lots of stuff going on here! I don't blame the Misfits for not wanting Stormer and Kimber together, because during this contest, it does seem really unprofessional. Both of them need to get better at their timing, too, because running late to your job is not cool. I wanted them to take things slowly though, and kissing during issue 4 makes this relationship feel more like fanservice than something well-developed. I love slower-paced things. Both Jerrica and Rio and Kimber and Stormer are already paired off and it's only issue 4. Slow it down! But they don't. I really love that Rio does not like Jem. Spoiler warning: This does not change. As of the current issue, he still doesn't like her. Jerrica is a total dumbass here, too, because if she's going to hide her secret from Rio, she needs to get a hell of a lot better at it. And I love that Clash is taking things to Jem cartoon level extremes by basically committing crimes to help Pizzazz. It's also important to note that Pizzazz did not tell her to try to hurt Jem. This is Clash's idea.
Issue 5: So all that lighting and stuff is aiming right for Jem and Aja jumps in to save the day, pushing her out of the way and taking the hit herself. Rio says not to move her because someone's called 911. They just need to move the stuff off her. We see Blaze apparently yelling at Clash in the background, but it's unknown if she saw what she did. Rio asks where Jerrica is, Jem does the "I'll find her" excuse and turns back. The girls and Rio get Aja onto the ambulance and will follow. Rio asks where Jem is and Jerrica has Synergy project a hologram of her getting into a cab farther down the road. Rio is shocked she'd abandon the others and then notices bloody scratches on Jerrica's legs. She makes up an excuse. Blaze is trying to reach Clash by phone and asks if she did this. The next morning, Pizzazz is woken by phone alerts. Jem and the Holograms are all over the news and Pizzazz is furious that they're getting all this publicity. Roxy asks why she cares and Jetta says she thought Pizzazz would be happy if something happened to Jem, but Pizzazz says "Not if whoever does it is dumb enough to screw it up and also make them more famous in the process." Clash just sits there silently on her laptop. At the hospital, where Aja's been kept overnight, Jerrica, Kimber and Shana are curled in a ball sleeping at the end of her bed. Rio brings Aja a coffee. And now we've got a big splash page of things happening: Lots of Kimber/Stormer, Rio/Jerrica, Clash shopping for music, Shana working on clothes, the Holos hanging out together, Pizzazz and her awesome cat, the Misfits playing, Blaze sitting on the beach after a run, Roxy and Jetta at the gym, and the Holograms rehearsing wraps back into the storyline. Everyone loves the song and it's agreed that's what they'll sing at the Vs. competition. At said competition/carnival, the Holos are waiting to set up, Kimber is starving, and Jerrica's trying to do professional things. The trailer where other bands are doing hair and makeup is a jam-packed mess, so Jerrica needs somewhere else. She suggests they come back in an hour and Kimber dashes off, shouting "Foooooooooooood!" She's chowing down pizza and sees Stormer all dressed up. There's this adorable moment:
STORMER: Hi.
KIMBER: Hi.
STORMER: You look great.
KIMBER: You look...stars.
And Kimber grabs her and kisses her. I still think they moved too fast, but dammit, they're cute.
Aja's playing a game and Shana's nervously tapping on the counter with her fingers, distracting her. Jerrica comes up and tries to get them to go back to the trailer, but Rio appears and the girls use that to distract her. Aja wins a giant Sunset Shimmer pony and she and Shana discuss Rio/Jerrica, worrying that he's going to figure things out with Jem. Aja crashes into an adorable blue-haired boy. Yeah, it's Craig already.
CRAIG: You okay?
AJA: Yeah. You?
CRAIG: Well, I might be hallucinating.. Are you holding a really huge stuffed horse?
AJA: No. This is a really huge stuffed UNICORN. C'mon, dude, know your basic fantasy creatures.
And I don't care that we have third couple so quickly because they're awesome. Rio and Jerrica are on the ferris wheel and the subject turns to Jem. Rio mentions that it seems like she leaves all the work to the others, which is definitely how it looks. He says Jem's not a team player. Jerrica says he doesn't even know her and he replies, "Yeah, how would I ever get to know her?" Jerrica storms off angrily. She finds the other girls and then here come the Misfits, looking fabulous. Jerrica says they should introduce themselves and she tries, but Pizzazz's reaction is "You're not Jem. Where's Jem?" Clash comes up with coffee and Kimber recognizes her. She remembers Clash had tools in her bag and now here she is with the Misfits. Kimber's furious. Pizzazz denies it. Kimber's pissed at Stormer, who says she had nothing to do with it. Kimber throws a pie at Pizzazz. Oh, big mistake. And the issue ends with a carnival food fight of epic proportions with Clash, whose fault this whole mess is 100%, just stands there.
Wow, definitely a jam-packed issue. They do that a lot. So Clash is revealed as the perp, but the Holos will never believe Pizzazz had nothing to do with it. Which she totally didn't. Not fair to her. Jerrica and Rio are still having issues over Jem. Good. Jerrica really does need to do a better job with Jem.
Issue 6: The conclusion of Showtime! Hooray. Both food-covered bands stand in front of some execs, who say that the rules are very clear on this. Jem and the Holograms are ejected from the competition. Both Kimber AND Pizzazz yell "No!" Kimber protests that the Misfits tried to kill them, but they're out, and Pizzazz calls her a liar. Jerrica tries to step in, but the exec guy says that was a separate incident and there's no proof of anything. She questions the Misfits being exempt from the rules and the guy says they haven't signed the same contract, because they're the hosting band. Pizzazz says they'd rather the Holograms not be ejected, but the board won't allow it. They need to leave immediately. In the Misfits trailer, they've all cleaned up and Roxy asks what they're going to do. Pizzazz says they're going to give a couple fantastic live shows and she says to Clash that if she really did do this, she'd better make sure it comes nowhere near them. Stormer asks if she did it and Pizzazz tells her not to answer, because "we know nothing and we're keeping it that way." Smart. Pizzazz warns Stormer that if she sees Kimber socially again, she's out of the Misfits. Clash exits and Blaze is standing there. Clash promised she could meet the band, but she says now is a very bad time. Stormer tries calling Kimber, who declines the call. Rio has to get back to cover the show, but he once again asks where Jem is. She should have been at the meeting as well as other places. And he's right. He asks if they can trust her and Jerrica basically tells him to hit the road. He says he'll call her later. Every one of his concerns is 100% legit. After the Holos are cleaned up, Aja asks Kimber if she's been secretly dating Stormer. She admits it. She says she kept the secret mostly for Stormer, because of her risk of being kicked out of the Misfits. Jerrica says going forward no more secrets. Stormer's sending a lot of texts and Aja says maybe she really didn't know because she looked shocked. There's a pillow fight and then Aja asks what they're going to do. Jerrica has a plan. At the competition, the Limp Lizards are wrapping up and the emcee announces that the Holos were ejected. The crowd boos, but then he says the Misfits have agreed to play a full set after the competition and the crowd is pleased. A newly bald Pizzazz is onstage, while Clash, Blaze and Rio are off to the side. Clash also has shorter hair. Rio takes a call from Jerrica and agrees to help. This is why he's so unprofessional. The other two bands have performed and the Misfits won the competition easily. They come out again for their final show on the guitar-shaped motorcycles we fans of the cartoon know so well. But as they play, the sounds of another band come in. The Misfits ride on their guitar bikes to investigate and find all these crazy holograms floating in the air over Jem and the Holograms. The Misfits are suitably pissed and Pizzazz declares war.
Well! That wraps up the initial story arc. Now I am a diehard Misfits fan. Have been from day one of the cartoon. BUT. It is absolutely without a doubt that the Holograms did wrong here. And I'm not saying that just as a Misfits fan. Yes, it was Clash who attacked first, but she acted independently. Kimber attacked the Misfits and her band was rightly punished for it. So what do they do? Instead of putting on their own show at a respectable different time, they somehow manage to crash the Misfits' competition, which is just so completely disrespectful and awful. I see no integrity in any of the so-called good characters in this action. Rio, too, because like I've said, he's just a horribly unprofessional reporter. Pizzazz had more integrity because she tried to reverse the ejection. I mean, if I was there to see the Misfits and the Holograms played over then, I'd be fucking pissed off. What they're doing isn't just getting back at the Misfits (for something they didn't even do), it's disrespecting the Misfits fans. You can't tell me every one of those people suddenly loves Jem's music. So doubtful.
So if you really want to know who started the Holos/Misfits epic battle, always remember it was the Holograms. NOT the Misfits.
This is also the beginning of Jerrica's downfall for me. She was okay at first and I liked her with Rio, but as Jem works her way more and more into things, she becomes a bigger and bigger bitch. This idea of hers was terrible. The way she treats Rio in the last two issues is terrible.
These six issues are a strong beginning, although I kept wanting more. Some characters like Roxy and Jetta are very overlooked. I'm looking forward to the Misfits own series because that's going to help a lot.
I'll be back eventually with the next story arc!
