REVIEW: Jem: The Misfits #1

The Misfits are a staple in Jem and the Holograms, and every band needs a good rival. I have been waiting for this series to finally debut, and it“s finally here!

This story is told from the perspective of Pizzazz, the neon green-haired leader of the all-girl punk rock band The Misfits. It picks up where Jem and the Holograms left off, with The Misfits burning bridges and living up to their wild and difficult to work with name. Pizzazz is at the center of it all, and begins to realize that her dreams and the dreams of her fellow band mates is going to go down the drain-all because of her own choices. She“s presented with a choice to make to keep the Misfits relevant, but it just so happens to be one that she“s strongly against.

Kelly Thompson is fantastic, that is just a fact, and we all know it. She, in her usual style, keeps a great hold on the story and writes smoothly from one transition to the next. The writing is light-hearted with serious undertones that have many layers of complexity, and I think that really breathes a different sort of life into what seems like just a colorful story with some kick ass ladies on the surface.

We are seeing a change in artists with Jenn St-Onge (isn“t that just the coolest name?) taking hold of The Misfits. I was so taken with previous artists that I almost felt against a new artist coming into this series. But change is good, and even though Jenn“s art is more playful, it works. The characters still look like themselves, and they“re completely distinguishable from each other. A big thing with revamping Jem into a comic book was actually making the women in the series look different from each other. They“re not all stick-thin and actually look like real woman, and Jenn keeps this train a-movin“ in her own artistic style, and pulls it off superbly. Jem is a colorful world, and M. Victoria Robado keeps this theme going strong. There is a multitude of hues, and I“m very happy to see the flavor that really brings this band of literal Misfits together.

I always thought there must be a backstory of why Pizzazz is the way she is – mouthy, determined, and a little bit of a brat sometimes. Seeing a peek into her life and what she did to really make The Misfits a reality is a great introduction to this book, and the covers are a true representation of that. I would pick a favorite, but I can“t. All of them are gorgeous, and this is a great introduction to what is most definitely going to be a fantabulous series.

Story: 5 Stars
Artwork: 5 Stars
Colors: 5 Stars
Covers: 5 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Kelly Thompson (w) ”¢ Jenn St. Onge (a) ”¢Â M. Victoria Robado (c)