By Mike Badilla

Ah, the Misfits. Danzig, Jerry Only, Von Frankenstein... all those classic characters. We can't forget about those memorable songs either! We are 138! Angelfuck! Remember when.. wait.... what? Whats that? This book isn't about those Misfits? Well I'm already not happy.

Jem and the Misfits begins with a "rider" sheet, which basically sums up all the demands of each member of the band, and a picture of each member to accompany each demand. This is comical, each member with their own 'zany' demands and requirements. Oh how wacky this cast is already.

We cut to a beach, 2 weeks ago, where some of the girls are playing beach volleyball (yowza). An argument ensues between the girls over the last ball being in or out of bounds. The consult the ref, another member of the band, who wasn't watching. She weighs in on what happened, delighting one side and angering the other. Riveting.

One girl yells from the beach house that "Eric's here," directed at Pizzazz, the lead of the band. Eric is the manager of the band, and he talks to Pizzazz about volleyball. He then lets her know that no one cares about the band anymore, and they are basically dead in the water. We are then left to far too many word bubbles in the course of three panels, all filled with a complaining Pizzazz.

Eric then tells her that the only way out of this situation is to start a reality show starring the band, which she doesn't want to do. After some more conversation, she says she needs to think on it. We then cut to another girl that is hearing from a lawyer about her parents custody battle surrounding her.

That's when I stopped. What the actual fuck is going on here? Did I give it a good read? No. This book didn't even attempt to hook me in. I did skim through the rest of the book, just to make sure I wasn't stiffing myself or you all on anything interesting, and I wasn't. Believe me. Just more talk, a show, they agree to the reality show, blah. Art was fine, nothing bad and fairly consistent throughout. That story though; avoid.

Score:2/5

Jem and the Misfits #1
Writer(s): Kelly Thompson
Artist(s): Jenn St-Onge
Publisher: IDW Publishing