Jem & The Holograms: Dimensions

Writers: Sophie Campbell (“Catnap”), Kate Leth (“Roll With It”), Sarah Kuhn (“Face Off”), Sarah Winifred Searle (“Stargirl”), Nicole Goux (“Shooting Stars”), Sam Maggs (“Haunted”), Sina Grace (“Tasty”), Kevin Panetta (“Jemojis”)
Artists: Sophie Campbell (“Catnap”), Tana Ford (“Roll With It”), Siobhan Keenan (“Face Off”), Sarah Winifred Searle (“Stargirl”), Nicole Goux (“Shooting Stars”), Rachael Stott (“Haunted”), Hannah Templer (“Tasty”), Abby Boeh (“Jemojis”)
Colorists: M. Victoria Robado (“Catnap”), Brittany Peer (“Roll With It”), Siobhan Keenan (“Face Off”), Sarah Winifred Searle (“Stargirl”), Rebecca Nalty (“Shooting Stars”), Marissa Louise (“Haunted”), Rebecca Danforth (“Jemojis”)
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Cover Artist: Derek Charm
Publisher: IDW Publishing

Review by Nico Sprezzatura

IDW’s main Jem & The Holograms title ended in 2017, but that hasn’t stopped the publisher from continuing the stories of Jerrica, Kimber, and the rest of their gang in further stories. There’s since been the Infinite crossover with The Misfits (who received their own mini-spinoff as well) and Dimensions, an anthology of one-off tales produced by a variety of creators that’s collected in trade this week.

Dimensions is something of a showcase for some of comics’ best current talents, which doesn’t necessarily make for a cohesive reading experience, but it’s still plenty of fun all the same. As noted in the index, most of these tales are set in specific parts of IDW’s Jem canon, but they’re otherwise totally accessible for those who haven’t read anything prior.

Among the myriad creators listed above is original Jem & The Holograms artist Sophie Campbell, who writes and draws “Catnip.” It’s a welcome return for Campbell, who played such an instrumental part in rebooting the property with Kelly Thompson in 2015. Her Misfits-centric story here perfectly captures the voice of hers and Thompson’s original run, and I’d love to see another Jem series with Campbell at the helm sometime soon.

(Special mention goes to colorist M. Victoria Robado, who also returns to bathe Campbell’s illustrations in the candy-coated hues that were so distinctive throughout the main Jem title!)

I also quite enjoy Sina Grace (late of Marvel’s Iceman, which I loved) & Hannah Templer’s “Tasty,” which also features The Misfits. Of all the artists in this collection, Templer’s aesthetic perhaps veers the closest to what Campbell established at the start of the original title, which I appreciate. That’s not to say Templer’s style is derivative of Campbell’s, obviously; there’s one splash page in particular that reflects the hectic nature of social media, which I imagine a band like the Misfits would suffer. It’s one of the more memorable visuals in this collection for sure.

Like I touched on earlier, an anthology like Dimensions can seem a bit inconsistent in spots, which isn’t a negative aspect per se, but it does lead the reader to preferring some passages over others. I will say that it’s a major testament to the collective strength of each creator involved (as well as series editor Sarah Gaydos) that, despite their varying differences, that none of the stories feel like they don’t belong. It ultimately comes down to personal preference, but doesn’t everything?

The Verdict: Buy it.

For Jem-heads who miss reading the adventures of her truly outrageous band, Jem & The Holograms: Dimensions is a worthy collection of bite-sized stories.

Nico Sprezzatura
nicofrankwriter@gmail.com
Nico Frank Sprezzatura, middle name optional. 24. Schrödinger's writer.

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