Jem And The Holograms #19 Review: Debut Of The Stingers
By Alex Widen
Jem and the Holograms thought dealing with the Misfits was tough enough. Can they deal with an upstart new band whose front man has a crush?
Jem and the Holograms #19
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Meredith McClaren
Colorist: M. Victoria Robado
Changes are afoot as the second year of this series by IDW emerges in the horizon. Readers will likely notice it immediately from the cover. Meredith McClaren, who collaborated with Kelly Thompson for Heart in a Box, takes over as the series’ lead artist. Her distinct style is the most drastically different compared to previous artists, and matches the shift in tone. Change is the spice of life, and this issue highlights how much of it are coming for our cast.
Image Courtesy of Jem and the Holograms #19
The Holograms are going through what could be their greatest crisis. As difficult as it was to deal with the Misfits or Silica, losing Shana may be worse. As revealed last issue, Shana has chosen to head to Milan to take advantage of a fashion internship. Hence, Jem, Aja, and Kimber are caught between having to do what is best for their sister versus what is best for their band. This entails waking up early in the morning to find a replacement drummer for their record label boss, Elise.
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The girls walk a delicate tightrope in terms of Shana. They acknowledge that the band may never be the same without her, but they don’t want her resenting them if she ditches her internship for it. They don’t want her feeling as if she’s easily replaceable, yet also fear riddling her with guilt at their struggle to do so. Not even suggesting Aja’s boyfriend Craig seems to work! Unfortunately, their efforts to minimize Shana’s emotional turmoil over this may be for naught.
Image Courtesy of Jem and the Holograms #19
The Stingers Live up to Their Names!
As effective as the drama between the Holograms is, it isn’t the only subplot that Thompson packs into this issue. The largest involves the band whose title graces the cover, the Stingers. A “hot new band” from Europe, Elise is interested in signing them exclusively for her label. Unfortunately, fitting them in may be coming at the expense of the Misfits. Adding Blaze to their roster has effected their sound, and neither Pizzazz or Elise are satisfied.
Speaking of Pizzazz, her era of being kinder and gentler is over. Her tyrannical demeanor is back, and her rivalry with Jem is back in full swing. Unfortunately, Elise is the one with power over their fortunes, and pleasing her may be an impossible task. Stingers lead singer Riot develops an immediate crush (or fascination) with Jem, and his attempts to woo her may end the Misfits’ careers. Riot quickly establishes himself as a different yet very shrewdly distinct rival for Pizzazz.
Image Courtesy of Jem and the Holograms #19
Riot lives up to his name in more ways than one throughout the boot. Even Jem finds herself smitten by his vocal skills. So far the series has avoided the awkward “love triangle for two” that Jerrica initially had in the cartoon between Rio and her alter ego Jem. Riot’s obsession with Jem stems from the original cartoon, and is well placed here. It allows some potential love triangle antics between Jem, Jerrica, Rio, and Riot in a complicated yet plausible way.
New Art and Nostalgia Mingle So Well!
Jerrica’s relationship with her alter ego is another subplot which continues to rumble forth. After the end of the Dark Jem story, it seemed as if Jerrica would become hesitant to become Jem again. Instead, the opposite has happened. Although Jerrica often comes up for perfectly logical reasons for remaining as Jem during her off time, neither Aja or Kimber are wrong in noticing that something is amiss. Jerrica relying on Jem as more of a crutch is great stuff.
Sophie Campbell was the artist who has defined this title and virtually every major character design in it (including the Stingers). Most of the subsequent artists have had their own styles, but worked well within her style. Meredith McClaren is easily the most drastically different artist to Campbell that the series has seen. Her flair for character emotion as well as her own visual style is completely her own, and provides an interesting new look for the new era of the series.
Image Courtesy of Jem and the Holograms #19
A series which on the surface is a reboot of a nostalgic 1980s cartoon has evolved into what may be one of the best “band comics” ever. The mixture of comedy, romance, and drama always seems well measured and appropriate. The Stingers had a great debut and this arc continues Thompson’s trend of showcasing her love for the franchise without being so slavish that she isn’t original. McClaren’s artwork brings a new spin to the entire cast and their antics.
Next: Check out our review for #18
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Predictions? In the cartoon, Raya from the Stingers ends up joining the Holograms, but there’s no telling if Thompson would go that far. It could be possible that Stormer winds up switching bands. And speaking of the Misfits, with their spin off coming, it is possible they may end up losing their label and going back to their “indie” roots for a premise. Regardless of what happens, Jem and the Holograms remains an incredible series, and one well worth any reader’s four dollars every month.