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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
As a once in a while reader of the DC Universe, I am not keen on all the backstories and arcs of the characters, specifically Starfire and the Titans. Therefore, this story is brand new to me, and my thoughts are not muddled with the canon of the DC Universe. I liked the story and was delighted to see a plus-sized, queer, goth teen as the main character. Mandy is not the most likable, but what sullen angsty teen is? The artwork brought me to this story, and I enjoyed the vivid colors that jumped from the pages bringing the story to life. The dialogue was stilted at times, but with the limited pages and the medium it was being presented in, the story had a nice flow from start to finish with a satisfying resolution.
The reviews for this made me really sad because I think Tamaki perfectly captures teenage angst and introduces new comic fans to the Titan world. The art is SO beautiful and I could not get enough of it, plus I think the characters we're familiar with are executed rather well. Starfire as a mom is something I never really thought about but found endearing as well. My critique on this is that very little of the plot makes sense when you consider the Titans universe. Raven should have been brought in way earlier to reach out to Mandy and it would have made a much more interesting plot.
lighthearted
relaxing
Happy pride tbh!!! This was cute and I really enjoyed it. Tamaki really doesn’t let me down!
[3.5]
i dont understand the hate for this comic, i get that it isnt "canon" or that it was "fanfic-y" (i dont know much about dc/titan lore so obviously i dont understand the hate) but i'll rate this based on my reading experience.
Story:
i think that the story was a little surface-level, especially with the whole starfire/blackfire lore. The writing also feelings insufficient in some parts and the buildup towards Mandy and Claire's relationship was minimal. I wouldve liked Claire's apology to be more heartfelt but that's just me
Characters:
Mandy, the mc, seemed a little flat to me as we don't really see her whole personality outside being starfire's daughter and that she's goth and likes Claire. The same goes for Linc (bff) and Claire (LI) too. However, i like Mandy nonetheless, i think she's pretty badass and her fashion sense is amazing too. (also the way she confronts Blackfire was lowkey hilarious and so in-character)
Art:
absolutely amazing, i love how the lineless and vibrant style really fits the story and i especially love the designs of the Titans (again, idk titan lore so maybe they actually look like that in the comics) and omg Raven feature!! and her outfit is fire!! The graphic novel is also easy to follow and just so pleasing to the eye
All in all, the story didn't leave a huge impact on me but I enjoyed reading the graphic novel anyway :D
i dont understand the hate for this comic, i get that it isnt "canon" or that it was "fanfic-y" (i dont know much about dc/titan lore so obviously i dont understand the hate) but i'll rate this based on my reading experience.
Story:
i think that the story was a little surface-level, especially with the whole starfire/blackfire lore. The writing also feelings insufficient in some parts and the buildup towards Mandy and Claire's relationship was minimal. I wouldve liked Claire's apology to be more heartfelt but that's just me
Characters:
Mandy, the mc, seemed a little flat to me as we don't really see her whole personality outside being starfire's daughter and that she's goth and likes Claire. The same goes for Linc (bff) and Claire (LI) too. However, i like Mandy nonetheless, i think she's pretty badass and her fashion sense is amazing too. (also the way she confronts Blackfire was lowkey hilarious and so in-character)
Art:
absolutely amazing, i love how the lineless and vibrant style really fits the story and i especially love the designs of the Titans (again, idk titan lore so maybe they actually look like that in the comics) and omg Raven feature!! and her outfit is fire!! The graphic novel is also easy to follow and just so pleasing to the eye
All in all, the story didn't leave a huge impact on me but I enjoyed reading the graphic novel anyway :D
Forest of Reading, White Pine, ⅕. First book. Whoo! Since it's a short graphic novel, I don't have too many thoughts on it so this review might not be as long as some others that I write.
Themes: Being a hero, being overshadowed, finding yourself
Representation: Superhero, queer
Content Warnings: Bullying, body shaming
What I Liked
THE ART (so pretty)
The diversity (didn't expect the MC to be queer so that was a pretty happy surprise)
The epic battle (that was nice and added lots of cool tension into the plot)
What I Didn't Like
The MC at the beginning was kind of annoying and mean to her friends and her mom (though I get that she has stuff going on, I wish she could’ve at least tried making more of an effort to be kind to them)
The miscommunication trope in the middle wasn’t the most necessary (sometimes this trope can be good but I felt like this was something that could’ve been easily fixed by asking a few simple questions)
What I Wanted More Of
The MC's character development (it mostly happened because of the epic battle but I wanted more on how she changed her thoughts and stuff)
A little more epilogue that explains her life but the one right now is okay
Rating: 3/5
Date Read: January 26th, 2023
Date Reviewed (Updated): April 6th, 2023
Themes: Being a hero, being overshadowed, finding yourself
Representation: Superhero, queer
Content Warnings: Bullying, body shaming
What I Liked
THE ART (so pretty)
The diversity (didn't expect the MC to be queer so that was a pretty happy surprise)
The epic battle (that was nice and added lots of cool tension into the plot)
What I Didn't Like
The MC at the beginning was kind of annoying and mean to her friends and her mom (though I get that she has stuff going on, I wish she could’ve at least tried making more of an effort to be kind to them)
The miscommunication trope in the middle wasn’t the most necessary (sometimes this trope can be good but I felt like this was something that could’ve been easily fixed by asking a few simple questions)
What I Wanted More Of
The MC's character development (it mostly happened because of the epic battle but I wanted more on how she changed her thoughts and stuff)
A little more epilogue that explains her life
Spoiler
after she got her powers and how she's dealing with themRating: 3/5
Date Read: January 26th, 2023
Date Reviewed (Updated): April 6th, 2023
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really like this perspective on one of my childhood favorites!
Look, I wouldn't have even known about this comic book if there hadn't been so much drama about it. But people argued, I heard, and one thing immediately sprang to mind: how many people had actually read it? I heard a lot about the cover art, and debates about representation/diversity vs liberal wokeness. Any time there's that much brouhaha over something I get curious, so I mentally bookmarked it to read later. And then promptly forgot about it.
It was Disney Marvel's "Loki" series that made me think of this comic book again. DC and Marvel comics have multiple worlds and realities, so why couldn't there be a Starfire with a grumpy goth daughter? So the book got pushed up on my list, and voila, here we are.
Internet combatants, thank you for bringing this to my attention. It was charming.
First, the art. I liked it! It's very different from traditional comic book art, a bit younger and more… cartoon-y? Manga-like? Whatever. The point is that I actually don't like traditional comic art styles, but I did like this art.
Second, the layout/format. This is important point because there have been comic books where I became lost trying to figure out how to read them; I'm looking at you, "Monstress." I could actually follow this pretty easily, even though I was reading it on Hoopla, so that was great.
Third, the characters. Starfire seemed fairly true to form, at least from what little I know about her. Maybe some bits were made questionable for the sake of the story, but that seems to happen all the time in comics (Squirrel Girl has beaten how many supervillains?). Mandy is a new character, so obviously there's nothing to compare her to. At times her personality can be grating, but teenagers *are* grating, so I'm pretty sure it was intentional.
I even liked the concept/story! The cover is actually the start of the story, posing the question: what if Starfire had a daughter who was the complete opposite of her? How/why might that happen? The comic book's answer is to explore what it might have been like for a regular, power-free little girl to grow up in the shadow of her superhero mother. How she might come to resent how much of her life - and peoples' interactions with her - revolve around her famous mom and celebrity associates. And how, as moody teenagers are wont to do, she decides to rebel by trying to make herself as opposite of her mother as possible by dying her hair, wearing darker and more conservative clothing, etc.
That all makes sense, but it's not the whole story. The transition kinda has two threads: a romantical interest, and Mandy's decision not to go to college. The romantic interest thread has a miscommunication which ultimately teaches Mandy that not everyone is obsessed with her famous mom/family. And Starfire learning that Mandy didn't finish the SAT - the real reason Mandy started insisting she's not going to college - sets up the final act.
The final act is basically: BBEG arrived, fighting ensues, Mandy suddenly appreciates her mom and gains superpowers just in time to save the day. And a bit of a coda with Mandy becoming more comfortable with herself and repairing her relationship with her mother. This is not a bad ending. It played well into the overall story. And yet, it almost felt… too perfect
That's my one quibble with the story. As soon as Blackfire captured them, I knew Mandy was going to gain superpowers. And I kinda wish she hadn't. Something about that cheapened the resolution for me. Maybe the idea was to leave the door open for Superhero Mandy in the future, but I think it would have been more meaningful if Starfire and Mandy had been able to repair their relationship and Mandy has been able to overcome her resentment without the deus ex machina of sudden superpowers.
tl;dr = Not traditional, not perfect, but cute.
People need to actually consume the media before drawing battle lines over it.
It was Disney Marvel's "Loki" series that made me think of this comic book again. DC and Marvel comics have multiple worlds and realities, so why couldn't there be a Starfire with a grumpy goth daughter? So the book got pushed up on my list, and voila, here we are.
Internet combatants, thank you for bringing this to my attention. It was charming.
First, the art. I liked it! It's very different from traditional comic book art, a bit younger and more… cartoon-y? Manga-like? Whatever. The point is that I actually don't like traditional comic art styles, but I did like this art.
Second, the layout/format. This is important point because there have been comic books where I became lost trying to figure out how to read them; I'm looking at you, "Monstress." I could actually follow this pretty easily, even though I was reading it on Hoopla, so that was great.
Third, the characters. Starfire seemed fairly true to form, at least from what little I know about her. Maybe some bits were made questionable for the sake of the story, but that seems to happen all the time in comics (Squirrel Girl has beaten how many supervillains?). Mandy is a new character, so obviously there's nothing to compare her to. At times her personality can be grating, but teenagers *are* grating, so I'm pretty sure it was intentional.
I even liked the concept/story! The cover is actually the start of the story, posing the question: what if Starfire had a daughter who was the complete opposite of her? How/why might that happen? The comic book's answer is to explore what it might have been like for a regular, power-free little girl to grow up in the shadow of her superhero mother. How she might come to resent how much of her life - and peoples' interactions with her - revolve around her famous mom and celebrity associates. And how, as moody teenagers are wont to do, she decides to rebel by trying to make herself as opposite of her mother as possible by dying her hair, wearing darker and more conservative clothing, etc.
That all makes sense, but it's not the whole story. The transition kinda has two threads: a romantical interest, and Mandy's decision not to go to college. The romantic interest thread has a miscommunication which ultimately teaches Mandy that not everyone is obsessed with her famous mom/family. And Starfire learning that Mandy didn't finish the SAT - the real reason Mandy started insisting she's not going to college - sets up the final act.
The final act is basically: BBEG arrived, fighting ensues, Mandy suddenly appreciates her mom and gains superpowers just in time to save the day. And a bit of a coda with Mandy becoming more comfortable with herself and repairing her relationship with her mother. This is not a bad ending. It played well into the overall story. And yet, it almost felt… too perfect
That's my one quibble with the story. As soon as Blackfire captured them, I knew Mandy was going to gain superpowers. And I kinda wish she hadn't. Something about that cheapened the resolution for me. Maybe the idea was to leave the door open for Superhero Mandy in the future, but I think it would have been more meaningful if Starfire and Mandy had been able to repair their relationship and Mandy has been able to overcome her resentment without the deus ex machina of sudden superpowers.
tl;dr = Not traditional, not perfect, but cute.
People need to actually consume the media before drawing battle lines over it.