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A review by allisonwonderlandreads
Jem and the Holograms, Vol. 4: Enter the Stingers by Kelly Thompson
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Do you have to insult me even when you're agreeing with me, Aja?"
"Probably."
^^like why is this also me?
Jem & the Holograms continues to offer up a story about bands but also one about sisters. In this one, each sister has her own worries. Aja cuts her hair, and the sisters all quip she's gearing up for a breakup. Aja is serious about her boyfriend and has to confront her history as someone who doesn't stick with someone for long. Shana's on a Devil Wears Prada adventure, struggling to make her fashion dreams come true. She's alone in Milan, isolated from her sisters. And Jerrica sinks deeper into the illusion of Jem, even to the point of kicking off a romance in her holographic alter ego. To be honest, Kimber isn't a major player in this volume. And neither are the Misfits, despite plenty of page time. Where they've been growing, now they stagnate, even regressing to their original villainous roles. The only exception is that Stormer is left out of their schemes for fear of testing her loyalty.
The biggest bummer of this volume is that nothing's really resolved. A lot of drama is kicked up due to a new band that's introduced. Sadly, The Stingers lack the flavor of the original two groups (hopefully they'll be developed more in future if they end up recurring). Jerrica makes increasingly erratic, questionable decisions in regards to the group's frontman, and neither the cause nor the effect is fully explored in the volume. Shana is worried about what her decision means for the sisterhood, and that's the same from beginning to end. So there's a lot of flailing but not a lot actually ~happens.~ I'm also unsure about the shift in art style. Sometimes it just takes me a while to adjust, and I'm not there yet with the new look.
I love this series and its characters. I just don't think this installment did them justice.
"Probably."
^^like why is this also me?
Jem & the Holograms continues to offer up a story about bands but also one about sisters. In this one, each sister has her own worries. Aja cuts her hair, and the sisters all quip she's gearing up for a breakup. Aja is serious about her boyfriend and has to confront her history as someone who doesn't stick with someone for long. Shana's on a Devil Wears Prada adventure, struggling to make her fashion dreams come true. She's alone in Milan, isolated from her sisters. And Jerrica sinks deeper into the illusion of Jem, even to the point of kicking off a romance in her holographic alter ego. To be honest, Kimber isn't a major player in this volume. And neither are the Misfits, despite plenty of page time. Where they've been growing, now they stagnate, even regressing to their original villainous roles. The only exception is that Stormer is left out of their schemes for fear of testing her loyalty.
The biggest bummer of this volume is that nothing's really resolved. A lot of drama is kicked up due to a new band that's introduced. Sadly, The Stingers lack the flavor of the original two groups (hopefully they'll be developed more in future if they end up recurring). Jerrica makes increasingly erratic, questionable decisions in regards to the group's frontman, and neither the cause nor the effect is fully explored in the volume. Shana is worried about what her decision means for the sisterhood, and that's the same from beginning to end. So there's a lot of flailing but not a lot actually ~happens.~ I'm also unsure about the shift in art style. Sometimes it just takes me a while to adjust, and I'm not there yet with the new look.
I love this series and its characters. I just don't think this installment did them justice.