Review: Jem and the Holograms #19

Pizzazz has fully slipped back into her persona as the bad girl in a band made of bad girls. Though, through her struggles and private interactions over the last handful of issues, we've learned that it is mostly a persona. She's a person, with layers. Lesser books would be satisfied to have her either turn over a new leaf or lead the life of a conveniently unchanged antagonist. What Jem #19 gives us is more complex than either of those options. Pizzazz, like Jerrica, is maintaining a façade that reveals more about her true self than you might think. She's the angry, abrasive, and cold frontwoman. But she's also a leader, someone who has to take responsibility for both the careers and creative output of her band mates. She'd earlier expressed betrayal regarding Stormer's coziness with Kimber and the other Holograms. That hasn't been directly followed up on yet, though I expect we'll find that Pizzazz sees Stormer's relationship not as a personal slight, but as a threat to team unity. Not even her bandmates really seem to understand Pizzazz. She's needed to be somewhat unapproachable, separate from others. And that is the reality of becoming what you pretend to be. We've seen her at her lowest, and now Pizzazz has to re-establish her identity to regain her position. Speaking of identity -- Jerrica barely appears in this issue. Rio's mouth encounter with Jem may have tapped into a deeply hidden insecurity concerning Jerrica's sense of identity. Coupled with Aja's impending departure and the need to juggle her personal and private life, Kelly Thompson is forcing a lot of stress on our heroine. In issue 19 that stress is apparently turning Jem into a safety blanket. Given how key identity is to all of Jem and the Holograms, I expect further developments to center on the Stingers' front man. He's got a strange, worshipping fixation on Jem. Thompson writes him like he's a super creep, but there's something there beneath the surface. What does he see in Jem? Does he see through her, to Jerrica? He's a mystery, for sure. And I'm intrigued to see what the book does with him.

Meredith McClaren's on art this time around, and I think the issue really benefits. McClaren renders characters in very lively states of smoldering rest and manic flailing. Kimber gets the best of this treatment, twisting and stretching and flopping around like a Muppet made of taffy. Even at her most obnoxious, Kimber is fun to watch. I particularly like the onomatopoeia of Kimber nodding her head in agreement. Also, McClaren's version of Pizzazz is appropriately very mercurial and cat-like.

The proper introduction to the Stingers is downplayed while hinting at potentially dangerous repercussions for both our main bands. It was a good -- if inevitable -- idea to place a third, wild card faction into the mix. While the story so far has been about struggles between and within the Holograms and Misfits, the Stingers present some welcome variety. I'm continually entertained by Thompson's ability to take a lifestyle most can't relate to and make it feel accessible. A very strong issue, all in all.

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Jem and the Holograms #19 Writer: Kelly Thompson Artist: Meredith McClaren Colorist: M. Victoria Robado Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: Jem and the Holograms #18

This story arc is certainly more grounded than the last. It has more drama and subjects our protagonists to more stress than their most recent adventure. And in spite of a brief near bear mauling, it remains far more focused on the human part of the drama. It's disappointing, though not surprising, how easily Pizzazz has slipped into her old ways. Her barely concealed distrust toward newcomer Blaze feels more than a little petty considering how little confidence the supposed usurper has displayed. It feels like forced conflict. Likewise, there's a falseness to Pizzazz's disapproval of Stormer's romance with Kimber. Hopefully, the Misfits will call out their leader's bullcrap, and we'll get to see some character growth. On that front, a significant portion of the issue's drama centers on Shana's decision to take what she sees as the next step in her life. If this is a book about finding your voice through art, then it makes sense that one of our artists would find release in an art form outside of music. After all, the Holograms can only do so much in one medium. Kelly Thompson handles this conflict particularly well. From Shana's boyfriend cautiously urging her on, to the shouting match between the bandmates, Thompson nails the mixture of joy, anger, bargaining, and reluctance that accompanies any attempt to alter a comfortable norm.

Jen Bartels art is less energetic than Sophie Campbell's work from the last arc. However, I find character faces here much more distinct and easier to immediately recognize. It's neither and improvement nor a downgrade. However, as the cast of characters seems to swell every few issues, I find Bartel's rendering of faces a little easier to follow. And Robado's colors still go a long way to match the shifting moods of this tumultuous arc. This series as a whole succeeds visually in large part because of the color work.

There's an inherent mystery to a story about change. I have to wonder how theses bands are going to look by the end of the story arc. I further wonder how much growth will take place from the beginning of this story to the start of the next. Many things are up in the air, and I hope they land somewhere interesting instead of hitting the ground and rolling under the couch to be forgotten.

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Jem and the Holograms #18 Writer: Kelly Thompson Artist: Jen Bartel Colorist: Victoria Robado Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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