A comic about "bad girls" in the entertainment industry has never been more investing, engaging, humanising, poignant, powerful, empowering, biting, bold, and beautiful.
I am completely sincere when I say that 'Jem and the Holograms: The Misfits' is not only one of the best things to come out of the comic reboot series, if not the best...
... It is one of the best comics to come out in the last ten years--correction, the last twenty years now.
It is just so inspiring, meaningful, and heartfelt. It is true female empowerment, and female love, support, and friendship and family. It is something you would not expect from a comic entirely about the Misfits, and that's the point.
These "mad", "bad", "crazy", "difficult", "washed out" "has-beens" and "divas" and "trainwrecks" have depth. They are not "bitches", they are human, and they have real lives of their own, as well as real talents they want to show the world.
It's not their fault society dealt them a bad hand, and they were let down by people from their pasts who were supposed to love, protect and support them. They now have each other, and that's what matters.
Their music, and each other, matter to the Misfits.
In that way, they are not so different from Jem and the Holograms. Though they won't admit it.
They are the Misfits - their whole purpose and identity are in their band name - and they do not have to explain themselves to anyone, nor prove anything to anyone.
No one is perfect, perfection is impossible, and they embrace that. They let their talents and humanity shine through.
No one with any sense would want these firecracker misfits - the "bad girl" band who will set the world on fire in a good way and make music history - to change.
They are the new, 21st century feminist rioters, roarers and punk rockers, set alight, alright.
In 'The Misfits', readers learn a lot about Jem's rival band from their last ditch effort to save their careers after no music label will touch them - reality TV, set in Pizzazz's pad. It is a desperate last resort that, miracle of miracles, does turn out for the better, and it shines a new light of truth on the band women.
Pizzazz, real name Phyllis Gabor, aka the green girl - frontwoman, lead singer, and guitarist - is like a female punk rock Daffy Duck with a criminal record. She is more than an unhappy rich girl from an absent, loveless family, who is lashing out - she is a great advocate for other music-minded women, and loyal and supportive to her friends no matter what, even with her rage issues. There is heart and encouragement underneath her "nasty", "hateful", "resentful" temperament. I love her. It's honestly surprising that the violent and borderline unstable rockstar wasn't given a drug abuse and rehab backstory; maybe it would have been too mature and sensitive a topic for a YA audience?
Stormer, real name Mary Phillips, aka the blue girl - keytarist and songwriter - let me tell you, her story and closing words on what it means to be a fat woman in the spotlight - and a fat queer woman at that - in a society and culture obsessed with thinness in women, and how that's upheld as the desirable default in modern beauty standards, it is an enlightening tearjerker. She will not hide any part of herself, she is here to stay, and she will take up any space she wants. &%$@! what anyone says. I love her story.
Blaze, real name Leah Dwyer, aka the red and orange girl - singer and lead guitarist - is a sweet and beautiful transgender icon. She is currently thinking of starting her own band, inspired by another female singer from her childhood. She is meeting the other band in secret, in fact. But she will always be a Misfit, and they are her girls, and part of her family (plus her girlfriend Clash, real name Constance Montgomery).
Roxy, real name Roxanne Pelligrini, aka the grey and white girl, is not just a "dumb" drummer girl and bagel girl (seriously, she is obsessed with bagels). She came from a poor and tragic family and homelife, and any setbacks and deficiencies in her education are not her fault. She is not stupid. She is passionate, and loves music as much as the rest of the Misfits, her found family.
And speaking of, last but not least is Jetta, *ahem* real name Sheila Burns, aka the black and white lightning girl, and the Misfits' bassist. I won't dare spoil much about her, but her story is all about found family. Ultimately, that is the Misfits. Jetta is an iconic Black rockstar woman who leans in on the angry Brit stereotype. Roxy is her best friend, and she will do anything to defend and protect her. She will protect her from the invasive reality TV crew...
I love every woman in this comic, but especially every one of the rock'n'roll ladies. Their fierce drive and passion - not to mention their love for one another, as, again, a found family, when they had no one else (well, Blaze has her sister Courtney, and Clash, and her new band, and Stormer has her brother Craig, who is dating one of the Holograms, Aja, and of course she is also dating a Hologram, Kimber) - it is infectious. You can't help but feel for these loud and proud individuals, and their individual, unique stories. They won't let anyone or anything stand in their way towards earned fame and recognition.
Together, they will turn their reality TV show to their advantage; they will flip the narrative in their favour, and make the show their own - for the comeback of their band and label.
Found family. Found label.
For someone like me, who cares not a stotch about music news, and celebrity gossip and culture, and who is vehemently against all the toxicity and systematic abuse that comes with the famous lifestyle, to love a comic book like 'Jem and the Holograms: The Misfits', is saying something massive. It might be revolutionary, even.
It is damn funny and witty, to boot.
The artwork is great. Top tier. Ten out of ten.
I want to hug this comic.
It is something special. Not quite a five star for me, but it comes extremely close. It might be my favourite 'Jem' media product that doesn't feature Jem and the Holograms themselves.
The Misfits are equally as terrific and valid. Whether their songs are better is up for debate.
Eric Raymond, wannabe evil mastermind manager, is in this, too. But Madmartigan, Pizzazz's cat, is more of a star than he is.
I'll leave off with part of Stormer's speech to the reality TV crew at the end of her story/issue, because it is that good, and everyone needs to hear it:
'I'm not just putting myself out there so that I can have a magnificent life. I'm also doing it for you. Because if people like me run and hide, if we pretend for you that we don't exist, then you just don't get any smarter. If I disappear, you win. And I'm not remotely okay with that.
But If I can just be strong... not all the time, but just the times when it feels impossible, if I can get through those moments and get to the next easier one... then... the world can actually be better. Someone somewhere said being fat in public is to be a revolutionary. I didn't want to be a revolutionary... [...] ... All I ever wanted to do was write, sing, play... I thought that was what I had to offer... but giving music... it's all the same. It's all me. It's all giving the world a piece of me.
[...] And if you--any of you--have a problem with that... then, well... just try to stop me. I'm made of storms and I will tear. you. up.'
@&^%!ing brilliant.
Final Score: 4/5
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