OMG GUYS THIS IS SO GOOD!!! I CAN'T RECOMMEND THIS HARD ENOUGH!

But, yelling aside, this is srsly insanely good. The art is beautiful and does an excellent job of capturing the feel of the old Jem show while updating the characters and settings for a new generation. The way Sophie Campbell and M. Victoria Robado capture the essence of musical interludes in their art is truly stunning. And Kelly Thompson's writing is sharp and witty and super fun.

Also, Kimber Stormer 5eva.

Full disclosure, I was a hardcore Jem fangirl growing up. I loved the mix of fashion and adventure in every episode, and of course the music! So, when I found out that Jem was coming back in comic book form, I was definitely excited. I just hoped it could live up to any hype I created for it in my mind.

Well, Jem and the Holograms are back in a big way thanks to Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell. They've modernized the story, but only in the most basic ways. It still has all the important show more features that make Jem, well, Jem. All the aspects I loved about Jem and the Holograms are still there, and Sophie Campbell's art is so freaking gorgeous!

Seriously, I can't talk up this book enough. I just love it so much! show less

i think i've probably mentioned this series before; i know i've done lengthy appreciations elsewhere on Books 1 & 2. morgan made me sit down and read Book 1 once, sternly, that's what did it. it's beautifully drawn and very nicely written, about a goth girl who's awkward and shy, in a community college, and the series is (i think) about her coming of age, like a butterfly very gradually emerging from a cocoon. the series doesn't seem very ambitious at first glance, until you realize that the show more tone is perfect, and by that time it feels so real that you recognize every bit of every one of the characters, from their petty flaws to their hopes and dreams. and root for them all. and after that they're all so real, that wall dissolves utterly between the playgoer and the play. which is odd, since i have nothing at all in common with any of them, except for that little thing about all being human. 6 books, dunno if that's all or if it's still in progress, but i have to stop after every one for a year or more just to savor. delicate, all nuance, all the detail exactly right, and altogether kind of a tiny, modest, perfect thing. show less

This is packed with so much nostalgia from my childhood, but it's been updated. The 80's punk aesthetic is still there in the costumes but there's also the internet and twitter and cellphones. This was super fun, and fans of the old TV show should love this. It feels like Jem but modernized.

The story telling is also more nuanced than in the old TV show. There's a Romeo/Juliet type relationship between Kimber and Stormer, and Rio is now a music industry journalist instead of the Hologram's show more roadie. Both bring in added complications.

Will be continuing on. I'm glad this is here, because I did try rewatching the cartoon and it, unfortunately, does not hold up with time. show less