‘Jem and the Holograms’ Book One Review: Truly Sparkling

I grew up as a fan of Jem and the Holograms cartoon, but I will be real, I do not remember every single thing about it. The colors? Yes. The drama? Absolutely. The general feeling of glitter, music, and chaos? Burned into my brain. But the details are mostly floating somewhere in the nostalgia section of my mind, so when we received an advance copy of Jem and the Holograms Book One (thanks to the publisher), we couldn’t wait to read it!

Jem and the Holograms Book One is a new BOOM!Box paperback collecting the earlier IDW comic series written by Kelly Thompson. The collection is listed for October 6, 2026, and brings together Jem and the Holograms #1-10, plus Outrageous Annual 2015, Holiday Special #1, and Valentine Special #1.

What Is Jem and the Holograms Book One About?

Jem and the Holograms Book One collects the beginning of Kelly Thompson’s comic book reimagining of the classic franchise.

Jerrica Benton and her sisters Kimber, Aja, and Shana dream of musical stardom, but Jerrica struggles with stage fright. Then they discover their father’s secret invention, Synergy, and everything changes. The Holograms are born, Jem takes the stage, and suddenly they are thrown into the bright, dramatic world of music, fame, friendship, romance, and the Misfits.

So yes, this is still Jem. Secret identity, outrageous fashion, band rivalry, big emotions, pop-star fantasy, all of it. But what I really liked is that it does not feel stuck in the 80s. It keeps the spirit of the characters while making the world around them feel like it actually belongs in a newer context.

Basically, Jem got updated and nobody took the glitter away. Thank God.

This Actually Does Justice to the Characters

This does not feel like a comic trying to be embarrassed by Jem, which would have been a crime punishable by glitter. It also does not feel like it is just copying the cartoon and hoping nostalgia does all the work.

Instead, the series keeps the characters recognizable while giving them space to feel like people again, not just icons from a toy aisle memory.

Jerrica still has that tension between who she is and who she becomes as Jem. The Holograms still feel like a group with real chemistry. The Misfits still bring that rival-band energy that makes you want to boo them and keep watching them at the same time, which is honestly the correct Misfits experience.

What really worked for me is that the cast does not feel like decoration around Jem. Everyone gets moments. Everyone has a personality. Everyone brings a different kind of drama to the stage.

And if you are going to do a band comic, that matters. It cannot be “lead singer and some people with instruments.” We have suffered enough.

Kelly Thompson Was Already a Big Reason We Wanted This

We were already big Kelly Thompson fans before this collection, so her name on Jem and the Holograms was a huge part of the appeal.

She wrote our favorite Captain Marvel run, we love basically everything involving Jeff the Land Shark, we loved The Cull, and we also loved her Rogue & Gambit work. We even have a bunch of issues signed by her in our collection, so yes, the Comics Warlocks bias department is very much active here. But that also means expectations were high.

What Thompson does so well, at least for us, is make big personalities feel clear without flattening them. Her characters can be funny, messy, dramatic, romantic, stubborn, insecure, and still feel like different people instead of one writer doing the same voice in different wigs.

That matters a lot here, because Jem and the Holograms lives or dies on character energy.

The Art Is So Colorful It Practically Sings

This book is colorful in a way that feels essential, not just pretty. The fashion, the hair, the performance energy, the expressions, the stage presence, everything feels like it belongs to a world where music and identity are constantly colliding.

And that is exactly what Jem needs. A dull-looking Jem comic would be offensive. Like, legally maybe not, but spiritually? Absolutely.

Here, the art understands the assignment. It is stylish, expressive, bright, and full of personality. The characters are easy to recognize, not just by design, but by attitude. The pages have that pop-star chaos where every outfit, pose, and look feels like it is saying something.

The Holograms and the Misfits also feel visually distinct, which is important because their rivalry is not just about music. It is about presence. Performance. Vibe. Who walks into the room like they own the speakers.

This is one of those comics where the visuals are not just supporting the story. They are part of the whole point.

The Music Actually Works on the Page

This was my favorite thing.

A story centered on music is always tricky in comics, because you cannot actually hear the songs. There is no soundtrack. No vocals. No dramatic guitar moment unless your brain decides to provide one, which mine absolutely did.

So the question becomes: how do you make music feel alive on a silent page? This book does it through lyrics, layout, color, and lettering.

The lyrics across the pages from both Jem and the Misfits were easily one of my favorite parts of the collection. They do not feel like random text dropped over panels. They become part of the performance. The lettering moves with the energy of the scene, and the songs help sell the mood, the rivalry, and the emotions underneath all that stage light.

That is such a smart way to handle the challenge. The comic cannot make you hear Jem sing, but it can make the page feel like a performance. And when it works, it really works. It turns the limitation of comics into part of the fun.

The Coven’s Verdict

Jem and the Holograms Book One is bright, emotional, stylish, and genuinely fun. Kelly Thompson gives the cast room to shine, the art is colorful and expressive in exactly the way this world needs, and the use of lyrics and lettering makes the music feel alive on the page, which is not an easy thing to pull off.

As someone who liked the cartoon but does not remember every detail, and as someone who did not love the movie, this collection felt like the version that actually understood why Jem works.

It feels nostalgic, but not dusty. Updated, but not in that annoying “what if we fixed the thing people liked?” way. And it is colorful enough to make your eyeballs feel like they joined a band. Truly outrageous behavior, honestly.

Jem and the Holograms Book One publishes October 6, 2026, from BOOM! Studios / BOOM!Box.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.

FAQ

Is Jem and the Holograms Book One a new comic? Not exactly. Jem and the Holograms Book One is a new BOOM! Studios / BOOM!Box paperback collection of the earlier IDW comic series written by Kelly Thompson.

What issues are collected in Jem and the Holograms Book One? The collection includes Jem and the Holograms #1-10, plus Jem and the Holograms Outrageous Annual 2015, Holiday Special #1, and Jem and the Holograms Valentine Special #1.

Who wrote Jem and the Holograms Book One? The collection is written by Kelly Thompson.

Do you need to know the cartoon before reading Jem and the Holograms Book One? No. The collection works for readers who are new to Jem, while still giving longtime fans plenty of familiar energy, characters, and music-driven drama.

Is Jem and the Holograms Book One good for fans of the original cartoon? Yes. The comic keeps the spirit of the characters while updating the world and context around them, making it feel like a modern version of Jem rather than a simple repeat of the cartoon.

When does Jem and the Holograms Book One come out? Jem and the Holograms Book One is scheduled to publish on October 6, 2026.

Who should read Jem and the Holograms Book One? Readers who enjoy colorful comics, music stories, band drama, friendship, romance, pop-star chaos, and updated versions of nostalgic franchises should have a lot of fun with this collection.