One of this year’s most fun new series gets its first annual this week. “Jem And The Holograms Outrageous Annual” #1 is a joyful and beautiful extra sized issue that fans of this series cannot pass up. Read on for our review but be warned, there are some spoilers.
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated Sophie Campbell, Amy Mebberson, Arielle Jovellanos, Rebekah Isaacs, Jen Bartel, Agnes Garbowska
MOVIE NIGHT! JEM and her sisters relax with some popcorn and on-demand? but their subconscious minds have other ideas, as their favorite films? shine a spotlight on each HOLOGRAM’s fears!
Annuals have become a bit tough to sell to comic fans. They cost extra and unlike many years ago, the plot doesn’t add a whole lot to the ongoing and nowadays the issue rarely features the current creative team. “Jem And The Holograms” by Kelly Thompson, Sophie Campbell and M. Victoria Robado has been a real treat and the perfect example of how you perfectly execute a remake with a modern sensibility. Remakes with a twist ends up being the theme of this annual and it ties together nicely for a sweet, stand alone story.
After a successful show, Jerrica, Shana, Aja and Kimber are wired and can’t sleep. They decide to watch a movie with the assistance of Synergy. They can’t choose and end up crashing. The bulk of issue then ends up being the dreams each woman has. Jem dreams that she’s in the movie Teen Wolf, Aja dreams of a Mad Max mash-up, Shana dreams she’s on Dagobah, and Kimber dreams she and the Misfits are in a version of Muppet Babies.
What really works about these dreams is that they aren’t homages for the sake of doing it. Thompson does a really nice job in a technical way by framing the sequences in a way that makes sense but more importantly, the dreams reflect each character’s personality and current story arc. For example, Kimber and Stormer want to be together but their rivaling bands don’t help and so she dreams up a scenario where the two bands need to work together while still retaining a friendly competition. It isn’t an annual that moves the story along, but it does allow for a bit of a break for some character development and that’s what makes it a good bet for people reading the series. That’s where it also isn’t perfect; this isn’t really the best place to jump into the series, but it doesn’t really need to be. Thompson goes all in with this script, and it’s very clear that she’s having a great time with this book and these characters. There’s a lot of humor in this extra sized issue, and it doesn’t come off as her trying too hard. The characters are naturally interacting with their environment, and each other, and it all clicks so nicely.
Each of the four chapters features a great deal of cute jokes and adorable art. Of all the artists, Rebekah Isaacs brings the most interesting thing to the table. Her work on “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” isn’t super adult, but she does bring more adult qualities to the characters. I love Campbell’s style but (and this is a very small issue) occasionally the women can look a little too teenage-y when they should be in their early to mid 20’s. Isaacs in her Mad Max homage brings a really interesting touch of gritty action with the cute and hyper stylish designs of these characters. Aja in her car with her bright blue hair and smile is a great contrast to the wasteland backgrounds and a little funny visually. There are a bunch of great close-ups on the characters that sell the story perfectly since there isn’t a lot of space for her to draw major action sequences. Joana Lafuente’s colors also have this same contrast. She’s able to contrast the wasteland grittiness with all the bright colors of the Holograms without there being a disconnect. Maybe it’s just that Fury Road is still on my mind but I think this was the strongest chapter as far as the art is concerned.
The cutest of all the chapters is without a doubt “Jem Babies” by Agnes Garbowska. The story was adorable from a romantic sense with Kimber and Stormer’s budding relationship taking center stage, but it’s Garbowska’s art that sells the whole thing. The only way this kind of art works is if there’s movement and actual emotion in the characters faces. You can draw lots of cute “baby” pin-ups for covers but doing the interiors is a whole different ballgame. Like Skottie Young, she hits out of the ball park but in a very different way. There’s such a sense of fun and less mischief in her work. The bonds of friendship shine through the way the characters react to each other and, even when the two groups are fighting, there’s no sense of meanness in it. Each character’s style is retained, which is a big deal in this series and, even better, there are some different body types. The way the lyrics spread across the page Is as close as we can get to hearing music and it does almost completely work. The colors are just stunning and it’s a short story you’ll find yourself looking at over and over again.
“Jem and The Holograms: Outrageous Annual” #1 is a really cute and delightful read for all ages. There are some great jokes in here, but also some important lessons for younger readers.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Really cute, very fun, and totally outrageous
