Review: Jem and the Holograms #6 – “Showtime, Part 6”
Pizzazz isn't bad, just misunderstood.
If you’re not reading IDW’s Jem and the Holograms right now, what are you even doing with your life? If you have been reading, but are wondering if you should pick up the current issue out today, keep reading…
In “Showtime, Part Six,” Jem and the Holograms are being reprimanded by the board in charge of the Misfits Battle of the Bands because of the food fight incident of the last issue, which started, of course, because one of the Misfits’ obsessed most loyal fans decided to sabotage the Holograms help out with a pair of wire cutters, putting Aja in the hospital! Nonetheless, The Holograms were disqualified from the competition, tensions within the Misfits are growing, Kimber and Stormer really want to be dating but can’t, and Jerrica figures out a way to have Jem and the Holograms shine during the Battle of the Bands after all!
The most interesting part of this issue was getting a deeper insight into Pizzazz. It’s easy to read her as the straight-up villainous head of a rival band. However, in this issue we see that she’s really just a talented musician who desperately wants to be the best – and prove it. Does she come on too strong most of the time? Sure. But she’s still the front woman of an amazing band, and in a way, she has something that Jerrica is still struggling to find – confidence in her ability. She might not have the confidence to believe that her talent is enough, but everything she does stems from the knowledge that she’s good at what she does, and that’s kinda admirable. So, I was struck by the way that she asked the Board not to disqualify the Holograms from the competition because of the food fight – because she wanted the chance to beat the Holograms in the battle fair and square.
She kinda reminds me of Elle Driver in Kill Bill.
Anyway, I also love that her relationship with the other Misfits is a nuanced one. Yes, she pulls rank and gives Stormer an ultimatum about seeing Kimber, but she also reprimands Blaze (in a roundabout way) for sabotaging the Holograms. She has a moral code. She might not be the nicest person ever, but she’s also not looking to cheat, or have things handed to her. She wants the Misfits to earn their accolades.
Like I said, this was the most interesting part of the issue for me. Issue #16 definitely felt a bit like a filler issue story-wise. Not much actually happens, and really the issue is almost entirely the characters dealing with the fallout from the previous issues. Nothing much happens to move the story forward. However, this issue is great for its character work from Kelly Thompson, and the always-beautiful work of Sophie Campbell.
So, if you’re looking to start a Jem and the Holograms habit, but haven’t yet, start with the first issue and read your way up to this one – you’ll have a greater appreciation for it, as this issue is not a jumping-on point. Jem readers, this one’s probably already in your pulls this week, but if not, you can go ahead and pick it up with the next issue.
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