My final 'Jem and the Holograms' reboot comic review.
'Jem and the Holograms: Dimensions' is an anthology comic, featuring titchy little "adventures" with the characters. It is the only 'Jem' comic not to be written by Kelly Thompson. Instead, we have multiple writers and artists for each story, including Kate Leth, Sarah Kuhn, Sarah Winifred Searle, Sam Maggs, Kevin Panetta, and the return of Sophie Campbell for the first one, 'Catnap' (alongside regular colourist M. Victoria Robado).
These stories are... okay. Mostly mediocre.
'Catnap' and 'Shooting Stars' are cute. In 'Catnap', I like Misty (hijabi rep FTW!), and seeing Clash and Blaze together is awesome. It's like a toxic fangirl/internet troll fight in the snow, on a ski trip, but in a fun, goofy, campy way, reminiscent of the classic eighties cartoon. Plus it has Pizzazz's cat, Madmartigan, as a star. Speaking of, 'Shooing Stars' has the 'Starlight Girls', the young foster girls and the Holograms' protégées, take center stage. Though why does Jem's dress have a boob window in this one?
'Stargirl' (a lot of stars, huh?) is very good. It has the best art - the prettiest art - and it showcases Shana and her talent as a fashion designer exceptionally well. I adore Andre - fellow fashion designer, model, and drag queen.
'Tasty', about the Misfits, Pizzazz, photography, magazines, imagery, and celebrity exploitation, is also pretty excellent.
But the rest are definitely mediocre, in writing and art.
The 'Dungeons and Dragons' story, 'Roll with It', which this whole anthology supposedly owes its existence to, is random, baffling, illogical, and disjointed. What was the point of it? However, at least it contains more of Synergy than any of the later 'Jem' comics. In fact, I don't think she appears in any of the other stories here! WTF?
What the hell is up with the art and ending of 'Haunted'? The ending is far too rushed, and Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits look like bodybuilders and construction site workers, and their smiles are more terrifying than anything in their "haunted" spooky TV environment.
Some of these 'Jem' tales are cute, but some others are flat and pointless.
Hardly any male characters are present. No Rio, no Craig, no Tony, and yeah, you can forget about Techrat. I do not miss Riot, though. There's Andre, and Eric Raymond in 'Tasty', plus a sleazy photographer guy, and that's it. 'Dimensions' is truly girl power and femme empowerment central.
The index page at the beginning of the comic lets the readers know (in parentheses) when each story is supposed to take place in the 'Jem' canon, most notably whether it's set before or after 'Infinite'. The parentheses in the final story, 'Jemojis', misspells 'Misfits' as 'Misfist'. Typo. Oops.
Sorry, I have to add: Why do Kimber, Shana, Aja, and Raya look utterly stoned on the comic's cover? Seriously, the way they stare, they look dopey as hell. Shana looks like she's seeing some %$*@!
I think I'll end my crowning 'Jem' review by mentioning something in the comics that I had previously barely touched on, and that I wish to rectify now. It is, specifically, about a character:
Clash, real name Constance Montgomery.
Basically, she is the Misfits' eternal groupie and coffee girl. Which is fitting, considering she worked in a café before Pizzazz hired her, as seen in 'The Misfits'. She possesses no musical talent; she is only their toady and tool woman. She is a complete simp who will go along with, and even orchestrate, any of the Misfits' schemes, no matter how dangerous and deadly. You never really feel sorry for this hopeless, hapless yet enthusiastic fangirl.
Clash's relationship with her girlfriend Blaze, the Misfits' lead guitarist and singer, who may leave to front her own band someday, is the cutest.
'Catnap' shows Clash at her best. It's her own wacky skiing misadventure, where she cat-sits for cute little Madmartigan, and it ends on her and Blaze kissing!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's it.
And I mean it this time.
Farewell, IDW's 'Jem and the Holograms'. I will be coming back to reading you again and again. You are a gem of a magical girl series, a dark horse, when I'm not normally into music bands and brands.
Thank you for your colours, style, cuteness, and diversity, and your rebooting, retooling, and updating of a nostalgic property done right.
Best of all, thank you for your girl power. These are the stars in my eyes.
'Jem' and 'The Misfits' - such good girly comics.
I stand by my claim that 'Jem' deserves a reboot cartoon series, and a real movie adaptation.
Final Score (for 'Dimensions'): 3/5
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