I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki (review)

Mandy has a lot to say in this graphic novel about what it’s like to grow up under the radiant, mega-girly, hyper-glow shadow of her superhero mom, Starfire, most of which can be summed up into one phrase: it sucks. Her mom’s gone a lot, people are nice to Mandy just to get access, and Mandy doesn’t even have powers of her own. She rebels in very human ways to distinguish herself from her alien mother, embracing goth colors, refusing to try anything new so that she never has to fail at anything, and isolating herself from others. Fans of DC comics’ Starfire character will likely be particularly excited for the brief glimpses of the other Titans (it is especially fun to peer at the illustrations and wonder whether the unnamed biological father is one of them), though newbies will also appreciate this stand-alone reimagining of her life. Of course there are dramatic scenarios, battles, and comic book–style revelations, and those are all terrific, but the core of this graphic novel is about a mom and daughter who used to be closer than close but now find themselves longing for each other across a gulf of adolescence, insecurities, and the complications of fame. Yoshitani’s illustrations are lush and vibrant, contrasting the resplendence of Starfire’s costume (and whole self) with the goth palette that Mandy has chosen. Body posture, glances, and carefully drawn out silences enhance the text, a credit to Yoshitani’s masterful choices on how to best capture the vibe. A confection of a budding romance with a super cute and genuinely nice girl, cool superhero references, and relatable family drama: what’s not to love?