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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
Honestly, super cute. I'd love to see more from this author in this universe.
I'm an adult, but this graphic was everything I wished I could have read when I was a teenager. Several of the other reviews bashed the fact that Mandy always seems angry. I'm happy they had perfectly wonderful teenage years but, as someone who spent most of their younger years in an unexplainable rage, it felt validating to see it in a comic book. Sometimes teenage angst is just constant rage.
I also loved the artistic angle that the illustrator took for Mandy. I love that her style stays consistent throughout the book.
My only critique is a personal one: I wish Beast had been shown more in his human form. That being said, the animal illustrations were wonderful and definitely added to the scenes he appeared in.
I also loved the artistic angle that the illustrator took for Mandy. I love that her style stays consistent throughout the book.
My only critique is a personal one: I wish Beast had been shown more in his human form. That being said, the animal illustrations were wonderful and definitely added to the scenes he appeared in.
I found this to be aggressively fine. The plot was flimsy tbh, it was basically slice of life until blackfire shows up and then it very quickly became an episode of the powerpuff girls. Romance element felt forced.
I was also side eyeing the fact that both sets of bullies had a dark skin black person in them…this didn’t sit well with me at all.
Very cute art and this kept me reading.
I was also side eyeing the fact that both sets of bullies had a dark skin black person in them…this didn’t sit well with me at all.
Very cute art and this kept me reading.
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So, I only knew this existed until recently because of all the hooplah over it. I thought the artwork looked nice so I wanted to give it a try. What I found was an alright graphic novel that has some flaws in it's structures that made me scratch my head a little. All in all I think it's a 3/5.
I Am Not Starfire is about Mandy, the daughter of the famous alien warrior princess Starfire from Teen Titans. Much like in real life, Starfire is beloved by many and considered beautiful. However, over the years, Mandy who looks and acts very differently to Starfire, hated being in her mother's shadow. Soon those differences drove a wedge between them that her mother tries to bridge.
After reading this, I still like the art. I think it's cute and some of the action pages could be pretty dynamic, not anything blockbustery but still nice. There are a few times where some background characters look flat, but it's just a few times. I actually really like how Yoshi Yoshitani drew Starfire and Mandy each time and how their looks contrasted with each other. Seriously, Starfire's fashion was impeccable. Everyone else was good too, but the two central characters here shined the most.
However, I felt conflicted about Mandy. I understand that she hated being in her mother's shadow, but her treatment of her mother and her decision to not go to college felt a little forced. Starfire never acted cruel to Mandy, she just wanted her to have a good future, but Mandy just kept being utterly bitter toward her. Also, Mandy just kept reminding us that she was the "anti-Starfire". We don't need to be told this in a graphic novel, we already see it. Mandy, along with her "anarchist" friend Lincoln, is also sometimes unnecessarily rude and mean to some of her classmates. Sometimes it's justified because they're being jerks and fat-shaming her, like Claire's two friends; but other times, like when Titans and Starfire fans just want to ask her a few questions and to tell her they love her mom, it's just unnecessary.
On the more positive side, I did enjoy Mandy's crush and romance with Claire. It was genuinely cute and when they finally kiss toward the end the page is beautifully drawn. Although, I question what the initial attraction was about since Claire was kind of like Starfire and Mandy clearly disliked Starfire's persona. Additionally, when Mandy lashes out at Claire for taking a selfie with the Titans it felt a bit forced as well and as if she was being unnecessarily mean to her. Still, I'm glad they resolved things and hit it off.
Eventually, Blackfire, Starfire's sister, shows up and wants to fight Starfire and Mandy both because she believes their mere existences challenge her claim to the Tamaran throne, a plotline that has been explored with Starfire solely in the traditional comics before. And here's where the story gets a bit messy. I'm going to the rest of this part of the review under spoilers. In the end, Mandy realizes she can still be who she is, but can also change in other ways.
I overall felt that this was a very okay graphic novel. It's fine. I felt it would have been stronger if it wasn't attached to Teen Titans or any other established super hero team and was it's own thing. It could've been like another version of [b:Faith, Volume 1: Hollywood & Vine|29332093|Faith, Volume 1 Hollywood & Vine (Faith, #1)|Jody Houser|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456858096l/29332093._SY75_.jpg|49564767].
This is neither the most terrible thing DC Comics has put out, nor is it the greatest thing.
I Am Not Starfire is about Mandy, the daughter of the famous alien warrior princess Starfire from Teen Titans. Much like in real life, Starfire is beloved by many and considered beautiful. However, over the years, Mandy who looks and acts very differently to Starfire, hated being in her mother's shadow. Soon those differences drove a wedge between them that her mother tries to bridge.
After reading this, I still like the art. I think it's cute and some of the action pages could be pretty dynamic, not anything blockbustery but still nice. There are a few times where some background characters look flat, but it's just a few times. I actually really like how Yoshi Yoshitani drew Starfire and Mandy each time and how their looks contrasted with each other. Seriously, Starfire's fashion was impeccable. Everyone else was good too, but the two central characters here shined the most.
However, I felt conflicted about Mandy. I understand that she hated being in her mother's shadow, but her treatment of her mother and her decision to not go to college felt a little forced. Starfire never acted cruel to Mandy, she just wanted her to have a good future, but Mandy just kept being utterly bitter toward her. Also, Mandy just kept reminding us that she was the "anti-Starfire". We don't need to be told this in a graphic novel, we already see it. Mandy, along with her "anarchist" friend Lincoln, is also sometimes unnecessarily rude and mean to some of her classmates. Sometimes it's justified because they're being jerks and fat-shaming her, like Claire's two friends; but other times, like when Titans and Starfire fans just want to ask her a few questions and to tell her they love her mom, it's just unnecessary.
On the more positive side, I did enjoy Mandy's crush and romance with Claire. It was genuinely cute and when they finally kiss toward the end the page is beautifully drawn. Although, I question what the initial attraction was about since Claire was kind of like Starfire and Mandy clearly disliked Starfire's persona. Additionally, when Mandy lashes out at Claire for taking a selfie with the Titans it felt a bit forced as well and as if she was being unnecessarily mean to her. Still, I'm glad they resolved things and hit it off.
Eventually, Blackfire, Starfire's sister, shows up and wants to fight Starfire and Mandy both because she believes their mere existences challenge her claim to the Tamaran throne, a plotline that has been explored with Starfire solely in the traditional comics before. And here's where the story gets a bit messy. I'm going to the rest of this part of the review under spoilers.
Spoiler
Prior to this, it was mostly a slice of life kind of story with Mandy trying to become who she is and navigating her daily life, but when Blackfire shows up the pacing and resolution are both sped along for a quick moment. Blackfire orders Mandy to duel her to the death...at Mandy's high school football field? Why would she do this? Shouldn't she have taken them back to Tamaran? For what reason did she need to do it at the football field? During this fight, the school starts cheering Mandy on, even though she--again--was not nice to all of them. Starfire gets hurt in the battle and Mandy apologizes to her. Mandy's powers finally activate, which is actually really cool at first, and then she somehow defeats Blackfire first time without every training her powers.I overall felt that this was a very okay graphic novel. It's fine. I felt it would have been stronger if it wasn't attached to Teen Titans or any other established super hero team and was it's own thing. It could've been like another version of [b:Faith, Volume 1: Hollywood & Vine|29332093|Faith, Volume 1 Hollywood & Vine (Faith, #1)|Jody Houser|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456858096l/29332093._SY75_.jpg|49564767].
This is neither the most terrible thing DC Comics has put out, nor is it the greatest thing.
adventurous
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
i’m giving it a 5 (real rating: 3.5) out of fucking spite towards the homophobic fatphobic sexist men giving 1-star reviews. it’s a cute teen girl coming of age, and the art is so pretty!!! i love the style sm
starfire is super sweet, and i ate up every bit with raven. i adoreeee claire’s design too. OFC MANDY IS FUCKING MEAN SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY TO HER MOM, SHES A TEENAGE GIRL WITH ISSUES!! I AM MEAN SOMETIMES TOO JFC. i didn’t find her unlikeable either?????? this is actually so much better than half the recent YA DC stuff.
i liked it. screw you guys
starfire is super sweet, and i ate up every bit with raven. i adoreeee claire’s design too. OFC MANDY IS FUCKING MEAN SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY TO HER MOM, SHES A TEENAGE GIRL WITH ISSUES!! I AM MEAN SOMETIMES TOO JFC. i didn’t find her unlikeable either?????? this is actually so much better than half the recent YA DC stuff.
i liked it. screw you guys
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Fatphobia
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved it! Tamaki, as always, nails the teen voice. The art is fun, expressive, and suits the contemporary/capes mix really well. A perfect one-off standalone for readers interested in superheroes but intimidated/confused by comics continuity - reminds me a lot of Runaways in that way.