Jem and the Holograms has thus far been one of the unexpected surprises of recent comic releases.  It focuses on concepts closely related enough to the romance genre of comics, but also incorporates a plot element with Jem/Jerrica which is close enough in spirit to that of the more traditional superhero comics.  Although the plots available to the tales of an all-girl band might seem to be somewhat restrictive, the creative team has been effective at creating a series which is engaging and fresh, and has proven that there is a demand for such titles on the comic market.

The story here follows on that of the previous issue.  With the battle of the bands still looming, the competition is heating up between the two competitors, to the point that sabotage was in the works for Jem.  Obviously the series can’t do without its leading character, but surprisingly the repercussions of this attempt to take Jem out of the competition are not as evident as they might be expected to be.  Instead once again the issue focuses on the developing relationship between Kimber and Stormer and between Jem and Rio before things get back to being pretty serious.

Some might see it as a huge challenge to create fictional material which is designed to be approachable to all ages.  Part of the problem is that the stories have to be relevant enough for the adult market but also fun enough for a younger audience.  Such is the challenge facing Jem and the Holograms, and while at times it veers off into a territory which is perhaps a bit too sedate, it gets back those moments by throwing in the unexpected.  Such is the case here, as the suggested food fight from the cover gets underway towards the end of the issue, although the issue itself was a bit slower paced than previous issues.  Nonetheless the series maintains the same level of approachable fun which has let it makes its mark thus far, and presumably which will keep it going for a long time to come.

Story: Kelly Thompson  Art: Sophie Campbell
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5  Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

It can be tricky when updating a previous franchise or fictional property.  On the one hand, one expects the creative team to stay close to the original material, on the other hand, significant changes are bound to occur as society progresses and leaves outdated ideas behind.  In the case of Jem and the Holograms it would seem that many of the changes have been for the better in terms of the characters.  What were 1980s big hair and big shouldered music superheroines were transformed into modern characters that would fit in with the big names in music at the moment.  Part of the approach for this series is that it leaves the characters in the hands of two women, something which is a relative rarity for comics which still tend to be dominated by male creators, and notably when it comes to female characters.  Although there is nothing to say that a man cannot write a deep female character, it is also interesting to see a couple of female creators get their hands on an all-girl squad.

The story in this series continues to be that of the initial story arc.  Having discovered her Jem alter ego, Jerrica is still busy trying to get the band ready for the Battle of the Bands.  Meanwhile Kimber and Stormer are getting a bit more wrapped up with each other romantically, and the romance between Jerrica and Rio seems to be heating up as well, except for the unexpected arrival of Jem in Jerrica’s changing room just after she was seen there.  As before the series is extremely effective in portraying the music scenes as well, with the music styles of both bands being easy to relate to through their presentation.

This series is a success, at least from the sense of being fun and approachable.  At the same time, there are a few problems notable for first time writer Kelly Thompson.  While she is talented she does occasionally rely on cliches or what seems like filler to get more out of each issue.  If there is one drawback to this series, this is it, that she hasn’t yet fully moved into a comfort zone and is not yet ready to let loose.  That will come with time, and for now it seems as though Kelly and Sophie are the two best fits for this series that the comic world could conceive of as this series is all about the girls, and rightfully so.

Story: Kelly Thompson  Art: Sophie Campbell
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5  Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review