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The new DC young adult graphic novel, I Am Not Starfire, tackles the complexities of identity with sentimental art and a slice-of-life plot.
DC Comics’ young adult catalog continues to develop, but its latest graphic novel is slightly different from its prior titles. Whereas Poison Ivy: Thorns, Teen Titans: Raven and other YA labels have focused on established DC heroes as teens, I Am Not Starfire, written by Mariko Tamaki and with artwork by Yoshi Yoshitani, is about the titular Titan’s daughter, Mandy. While this is without question Mandy’s story, Starfire still plays a key role in this relatable story about the struggles a teenage girl faces while having a seemingly perfect mother.
In I Am Not Starfire, Mandy, a non-conformist high school student, is constantly compared to her superhero mother, Starfire. However, she has no powers and actively tries to be unlike her mom. Along with figuring out what to do post-high school, Mandy must deal with her feelings for her project partner, Claire, and her mother’s drama-filled past. All of this leads the graphic novel to tackle the many issues that come with discovering one’s identity as a young adult.
It’s refreshing to see I Am Not Starfire address multiple aspects of who Mandy is and isn’t. The strongest instance of this is when the story explores Mandy’s connection to her heritage. Tamaki and Yoshitani effectively explore the struggles a first-generation child faces; however, instead of Starfire being from another country, she’s from another world. This leads to Mandy having a disconnect with her Tamaranian culture. It’s a complex issue, yet it is handled in a relatable way for those who either have questions about how they relate to their culture or have been on the receiving end of flawed and preconceived notions of how they should act.
Another aspect of Mandy’s identity that’s refreshingly explored is her sexuality. In I Am Not Starfire, Mandy’s queerness is not a point of conflict. Instead, it is just one part of who Mandy is, and is simply accepted by characters around her. This is not a first for Tamaki, who also authored Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, and it’s great to see her continue to tell queer narratives like this where characters like Mandy can exist and their identities can be explored beyond coming-out narratives or tales of homophobia.
However, Mandy’s love story itself feels secondary to everything else in I Am Not Starfire. Her crush on Claire often distracts from the strongest relationship in the graphic novel. At its core, this is a mother-daughter story, and it would’ve been nice to see more of that dynamic. While Mandy’s issues are clear, the graphic novel leaves one wanting to see Starfire’s struggles as a single mom, especially since she is raising Mandy within an unfamiliar culture. Starfire and Mandy do have plenty of great moments, but there could have been more.
For the most part, I Am Not Starfire is a slow burn tale until its third act, which feels more on par with a traditional superhero narrative. While the ending action is cool to see, especially with Yoshitani’s depictions, it comes out of left-field, which then leads to a rushed resolution.
The DC YA titles have featured a number of unique artists and Yoshitani’s work — which has been used for variant covers and the middle-grade graphic novel Zatanna and the House of Secrets — is a welcomed addition to this line. What instantly catches one’s eyes is how soft the art is, which lends itself well to the slice of life and romantic aspects of the story. Yoshito’s art gives the characters an air of vulnerability, which is needed for Mandy’s closed-off nature.
Yoshitani’s colorwork, which relies predominantly on pastels, creates a compelling contrast between Mandy and Starfire. While Mandy’s world is soft and light, she is an edgy teenager who wears predominantly blacks. Visually, it’s clear that she does not conform to society’s expectations, which the writing also confirms. As for Starfire, she fits in more so with this world; however, where the background colors are subtle, Starfire is bright. Both her and Mandy are outsiders, yet they are uniquely distinguished from each other.
The blend of Yoshitani’s artwork with Tamaki’s writing creates a graphic novel that shows off the complexities of identity. While I Am Not Starfire tries to tackle a lot and some of the themes are not as fleshed out as others, Yoshitani and Tamaki ultimately deliver a story about how one’s identity is ever-changing and complex.
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