I Am NOT Starfire: A Truly Awful Comic Book

DC Comics latest YA graphic novel, I am NOT Starfire is out, and its worse than anyone could have possibly imagined!
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[@HailNeatoBurrito]

>Wants to be an Anarchist >Refuses to go to College where deeper political and economic studies could be learned to understand Anarchism better

[@linesonpaper1245]

Excellent point!!!

[@yurionagony7782]

but if she does try to understand how anarchism works then she would realise anarchism is kinda dumb

[@HailNeatoBurrito]

That is merely a matter of opinion and perspective.

[@bripierce5563]

Oh ya because college is totally known for encouraging political discourse and diverse opinions.

[@HailNeatoBurrito]

@@bripierce5563 Yes it is.

[@actionbreeplay8256]

Mandy: They all hated me Starfire: Hey Mandy, cool binder! Claire: Hey Mandy, wanna come to my house this weekend?!

[@dragon_princess3937]

Literally

[@InternalChickens]

WAS THIS A _MEET THE ROBINSONS_ REFERENCE?

[@NRF-ql3bq]

Michael "Goob" Yagoobian. His story begins with him as a boy who wanted to win a little league championship!...

[@InternalChickens]

@@NRF-ql3bq YES

[@c0zmozys]

*"Cool binder!"*

[@MsBrendalina]

This is the kind of self insert fan-fiction I would have been embarrassed by when I was twelve. I can't believe an adult wrote this and DC actually published it!

[@sawawtiv3764]

lmaoo

[@CMage101]

Who says an adult DID write it?

[@decoygale131]

there are better well written (self inserts of all things) fanfiction than this dumpster fire

[@spadessongs]

@Bernardes 0905 you're thinking of first world anarchists. Not all anarchists believe in full governmental shutdown and no rules and absolute chaos blah blah. This book is really not doing actual anarchists any good

[@Drixenol86]

I have a theory the author had a shitty childhood. She resents and haters her father who was never there for her.

[@FeetHigh]

Mandy’s like a reverse Mary Sue. Instead of being flawless, being perfect, and somehow magically achieves their goals without explanation. She’s all flaws, does nothing right, but can somehow still able to achieve her goals without explanation.

[@nazaninsoltanpour6254]

anti sue!

[@xhmochmk9670]

@@nazaninsoltanpour6254 perfect

[@xhmochmk9670]

@@nazaninsoltanpour6254 or mandy sue

[@nazaninsoltanpour6254]

@@xhmochmk9670 this term will probably catch on! let's be honest!XD

[@uandresbrito5685]

I mean, she's still a Mary sue, kinda? Because she is liked for no reason and gets everything she wanted without deserving it. Those are some of the mary sue tropes

[@iwantedtobethatanomaly2270]

Let's also talk about the fact how the most unlikable character of the comic is also the main character, and if the main character is unlikable or uninteresting, that's very much a huge problem.

[@spiderbrine8877]

If the main character is unlikeable is needs to be intentional and taken care of well-- it’s so easy to mess it up… you can make a wretched, low life but if you develop the character well *chef’s kiss*

[@kyperactive]

The main character doesnt have to be likable, just needs to give me a good reason to actually want to even somewhat cheer em on and see em improve later on. An unlikable character can work provided that they have a somewhat valid reason as to why they are so unlikable and that they at least have good character development as time goes on, which makes me like the unlikable character a bit more. This character is super unlikable and feels sooo much like a Mary Sue that Kirito would cringe at how much of a Mary Sue she is.

[@Hexdy]

Ella es como Raven pero mala persona

[@Adamguy2003]

@@kyperactive Yeah, like Ebenezer Scrooge. You hate him at the start, then gradually start to gain sympathy for him as the story goes on and you see his past, present and future, and finally are cheering for him when he has turned himself around in the end. Mandy, in contrast, is a horrible, hideous (Inside and out) character all the way through, who we're somehow supposed to be rooting for the entire time even though she has absolutely no redeeming qualities other than perhaps being nice to her cockatoo. Ugh.

[@thedestroyasystem]

I like your pfp, and agree with your sentiment. Overall I think this book was by no means great, but not entirely worthy of all the hate (especially the fatphobia) directed at it. There are good points to be made for and against it, but to it’s just a forgettable, mediocre, trope filled work that fell flat on its original goal.

[@DeyBeuller]

I hate the part where she got powers. She got them out of basically no where. Then using the barely acquired powers somehow destroyed black fire. The black fire who just destroyed Starfire, who is a hero for many years.

[@teoborges3949]

protagnist powers!

[@dimitriwarchief301]

I hate it too. No build up or anything. So fuvking stupid We could had her get em from beginning and trained but nah then we couldn’t both the audience with w school story

[@Guntherson220]

@@dimitriwarchief301 Mandy doing exercise, now *that's* funny.

[@mrd2392]

That's just typical super hero writing

[@maothedemonking]

Has a manga and comic Reader i can Say it happens often in both, and i dislike it most of the time.

[@cartooncottage2024]

Starfire's always saddled with a goth girl who doesn't like her much at first. First it was Raven, now it's her daughter.

[@tamaradelgado8254]

Even Raven that looks like someone who hates the world, she still have her moments of vulnerability and actually care for Starfire and the Teen Titans, even when her past was rough, she don't let it defind her who she is. Mandy it's just disgraceful and insolent with everyone without reason and blames other for her fails.

[@tonythong5352]

@@tamaradelgado8254 Raven really care for people around her, she pushed others away because of her trauma of causing the death everyone she loved. Dumpsterfyre is just human trash.

[@theAudaciousAudacity]

While Raven had a very rough past and broken relationship with her father for actual reasonable reasons(while also being an offspring from rape) it makes sense why she’s mostly closeted, yet she still shows affection and care for her friends. *Thens there’s Dumpsterfire…*

[@Basteal]

Good point. This isn't even fresh material.

[@jonniliquid9248]

I thought that was Raven 😂

[@jilliancrawford7577]

How and why can she object how her mother dresses? I highly doubt she doesn't know how her mom gets energy for her powers from the sun through her skin. If she's aware of this, then doesn't it imply she doesn't want her mom to be strong enough to do what she needs to do as a superhero?

[@greyworld6242]

Also it’s bizarre that blackfire was made to wear less clothing then starfire when in the comics she’s always dressed more covered then her.

[@hhhhh33335]

I read the comic on the internet, she is aware Starfire gets her powers from the sun, she adresses it in the beginning while presenting her mom. She just wants another reason to hate Starfire I guess…

[@tlmacmillan1]

That's like Amber levels of ungrateful

[@jlroxas]

@@hhhhh33335 not only that, but how she talks about how Starfire sees the way Mandy dresses as weird but in the comic we see none of that. Like, it's like she's being harsh on herself and blaming it on someone else.

[@AnInkStick]

Because body and slut-shaming is okay when THEY do it.

[@KittyKatt_Luna80s]

Starfire already has a daughter in canon. Mar'i Greyson, a.k.a. Nightstar. This story just stinks.

[@anarchomando7707]

This is what happens when you raise your child with superhero identity revealed Why the heck would you do that It'll get your child killed and allow for a complex to develop This is not freaking marvel public identities in DC is generally a nono It would be a good plot twist to show that mandy is not actually fat ( hear me out Have her be slightly fat but to her she wildly exaggerated because she has bad self-consciousness for body issues (To yourself you look at the mirror and see only people flaws ) Have her try to overcome it She feels her mother is a model and can't help it ( She'll be okay but this is how she looks to herself not how she accidentally is In 8 out of 10 in a house 100 (including the batfamily) (like the ending few panels could be traditionally drugged in comics style and it being stylized is a part her perception ) Heck even the height could be explained as her feeling so short inheriting being 5' 10 from her father Nightwing Feeling like she's so short compared mother

[@orkoskang7967]

@@anarchomando7707 James Howlett 616 and Vegeta: HMPH. I AM SHORT. 😡 5'3/5'4.

[@Drixenol86]

Nighstar? I wanna read about her! What comic does she appear in?

[@anarchomando7707]

and that would have been Noble Raising a child not your own (adopting) And teaching them how to be a kind compassionate person That could have been interesting

[@YunikuYosefMomoka]

OK..?? Night wing was a playa. He has multiple baby mama's.

[@rinrin.0376]

The only thing I like about this comic is, starfires hair

[@just_extremely_confused]

I kinda like Mandy's design....... Only the design......

[@rinrin.0376]

@@just_extremely_confused yea same

[@dontlookatmyplaylists]

Blackfire’s hair too.

[@badulgumm5458]

@@just_extremely_confused To be honest I really love Mandy's hair style and that's the only compliment she will ever get from me

[@augustoballen7947]

@@just_extremely_confused is not bad I just think she looks way too short for being starfire daughter but I guess that's the idea of her design

[@denises9120]

R/ I'm not like "OTHER" girls comic. The lesson this comic tries to teach: Remember children, if you are an angry awful person don't work to fix yourself because you will automatically get super powers and that will make you a better person. Worst moral for any story especially a comic.

[@qetiogusliriope7436]

So... The real moral of the story was that a celebrity's kid or a rich kid will be a shittier person when given immense power.

[@PowWowChikaBowWow6902]

@@qetiogusliriope7436 that’s actually terrifying to think about

[@deathwizard1996]

@@PowWowChikaBowWow6902 the thing is we have that in real life

[@PowWowChikaBowWow6902]

@@deathwizard1996 I know. I’d prefer to not think about it

[@diegoagayev9359]

I'm a 35yo teenager who do the same lol

[@realname4430]

There's a part where she says "eat macaroni and chocolate sauce". This line feels so oddly specific that it feels like something the author has made.

[@nonsookafojr.3370]

For real lmao. When I read that it was odd.

[@arthurpendragon6563]

Looking back on the Teen Titans cartoon, sounds like something Starfire would eat. Cheese and chocolate can go with a lot things, minus the macaroni though lol

[@PetitTasdeBoue]

Eating spaghetti with hot chocolate is like eating crepes (wells depends which pasta you use) but with macaroni ?... yeah, maybe not.

[@LL-tr5et]

@@PetitTasdeBoue crepes with cheese sauce 🤢

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

Right? who the hell eats macaroni and chocolate sauce? Unless it's supposed to be some weird thing Starfire fed her because Star is "weird and quirky"

[@tartpop4978]

i kinda feel this sudden urge to just..write a better story even tho i never made a comic book before

[@exangelkonnonori6211]

Honestly go for it, no gain no pain BUT if it picks up… free fame! (つ°ヮ°)つ

[@tamaradelgado8254]

I support the idea.

[@katzii9430]

I am currently writing a story. Am at 19000 words right now. It's hard and it's not good yet... still it's better than dumpsterfire

[@katzii9430]

oof, I just read all of starfire. Damn it's bad. How the fuck was it produced without anyone saying: "Is it April fools again?"

[@tartpop4978]

@@katzii9430 the answer is simple, when you create a story not to create a story but to make some sort of political self insert fanfiction then we have a problem, it will be so easy to fix this by putting her life only at the first few pages and then have the brutal realization of what her mother goes through right at the beginning with the story being how she can be better for her mother and the humans around her, but no, as she herself stated "She was not failing, she was becoming herself" Which is a horrible mindset to have, and teaches a horrible lesson, we all make mistakes... acknowledging them and growing from them is how we become better people...not from ignoring and excusing them

[@mqfii8992]

What triggers me the most about Dumpsterfire Is the fact that she's mean to Starfire for literally no reason whatsoever. Starfire doesn't mistreat her, doesn't abuse her In any way, doesn't judge her by her body image, tries to be present In her life and Is overall what seems to be a good mother.

[@YuriNoirProductions]

yeah but her self insert is woke. and woke people dont like if other people are happy with their lives, so they naturally drag them down to feel better about themselves

[@peaceomolola9230]

@@YuriNoirProductions not sure if this is satire but im pretty sure that isn't what woke means

[@meowscles9377]

@@YuriNoirProductions I don’t know which word you were looking for but woke isn’t the right word 😂

[@optiTHOMAS]

I dont know. I think it's supposed to be she doesn't have powers and her mother is always off saving the world and doing superhero things, which it could be some envy. Either way, it's not at all good reasons to be awful to starfire! How could anyone be mean to starfire, man!? Like cmon! 😅👍🏻

[@om3ga109]

@@peaceomolola9230 ​ @meowscles No, it is, it's the right word. It's not how wokies would self-identify, but it's what they display to the world through their words and actions.

[@DaddyDynastic]

The reason they probably didn't make the father Nightwing is because they needed her dad to be out of her life also Nightwing is a rich well-adjusted human he would have been able to cover any parental area Starfire is ignorant in and if they wanted to keep Mandy as whiny as she is she would have seemed a thousand times more unreasonable

[@mr.vansjohnson7469]

I thought The Unwanted father was the penguin.

[@PowWowChikaBowWow6902]

@@mr.vansjohnson7469 woah there. Let’s not say she’s good enough to be considered biologically related to a main character in the DC universe here, but no doubt, her *real* mom is actually a Karen who abandoned Mandy after getting into an argument with Starfire and Starfire was just nice enough to take in such a underdeveloped character like Mandy Whoops. Got a bit intense there, sorry.

[@jackiesharp018]

IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT THIS KID DOESNT EVEN KNOW MUCH ABOUT SELF DEFENSE OR KARATE. Starfire is from a culture involving combat and war, she is really fit and there is no reason her daughter should be this useless. No offense to starfire but if she had a kid, the chances of the kid not having karate classes is extremely low.

[@PowWowChikaBowWow6902]

@@jackiesharp018 I think it was more that(correct me if I’m wrong) the kid didn’t like her mom at a pretty young age, maybe middle school or something, but because of that, she didn’t want to learn how to fight(as a possible sign of rebellion) and *perhaps* when she was younger, she wanted to be like her mom so she learned how to fight and trained a bit(maybe by her mom or night wing or some teacher, idk). Not justifying the character, but trying to make sense of this edgy Mary-Sue

[@YunikuYosefMomoka]

Night wing and star fire have a separate baby cause Night wing is a playa. Night wing also has a baby with Bat girl.

[@oliverzapp7198]

We all know Mandy was gonna win against Blackfire, the Plot-Armor is just to strong, when the Main Charakter is a Self Insert. Great Video tho

[@linesonpaper1245]

I agree, but it wasn't even a challenge!

[@dimitriwarchief301]

I wanna give my character a person he usually loses alot to Just so i dint make stupid shit like that

[@SyzothAKAReptile]

Thankfully, this dumpsterfire will never be recognized as canon.

[@kevinb6053]

anime mc got nothing on her

[@deandrewoods5621]

@@linesonpaper1245 what confused me is why doesn’t the daughter hang with Raven in the series

[@wierdgamer3067]

It's pretty clear who this was targeted to. Anyone who has any relatability with Mariko. The HAES type who blames everything external before looking into themselves to find what makes them so miserable. The ones who harbor such self-destructive, narcissistic behavior and has become so delusional to the point that dumpstarfire is actually seen as a good guy despite all the toxicity in their eyes.

[@chickenbradly]

Stop reading my mind

[@aport2]

Ok grown ass dude

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@foodconnoisseur9321 the whole argument is a ad hominem attack.

[@WildWeavile]

@@foodconnoisseur9321 I don't hate characters that aimed at "certain" audiences if they are written well. Mandy isn't written well.

[@dogico]

It's a YA graphic novel, it's intended for teens, particularly teen girls. I hate all YA media but it's funny that you dorks have all banded together with some kind of right leaning hive mind to get mad at just this YA graphic novel rather than any of the other DC graphic novels.

[@aurawarrior1367]

I think I have a way that this story can work. You can keep mandy's rage, but have her be extremely insecure and timid. Have her be always compared to her mother, have always hearing things like "Oh starfire can do x better" or "Why can't you be more like Starfire" You could have Mandy hate herself but also in a way hate her mom. Have mandy not hate her mother, have Mandy hate what her mother REPRESENTS. Have Mandy want to be like Starfire but can't, she could actually try to win the volleyball game (Or whatever sportsball game from earlier in the comic) but end up daydreaming, or having a panic attack where some kind of power spark comes out (Foreshadowing the superpower thing) have Mandy be mad at herself. Have Mandy want to be like Starfire, or at least what she THINKS starfire is like. Have Mandy want to be this perfect superhero. When Blackfire shows up, have Mandy watch her mom get beat up, and release this giant wave of power that catches anti-blackfire off-guard. Maybe throw in some outside force that prevents Blackfire from just kicking Mandy's ass right at the baseball game, like the titans showing up. Mandy can grow to not just become her mom, but her own self. You can have mandy use newfound powers in her own way. Mandy could have a crush on claire or some animosity towards claire, and reveal claire isn't just Little miss perfect Maybe Claire could be the daughter of a wealthy family, who owns some kind of big business company who she has to inherit one day, but she doesn't know how. This could make a contrast with Mandy. Claire and Mandy are both unsure of themselves and are riddled with anxiety, self-loathing, and and uncertainty about their futures. Mandy doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, or even sure if she can get anywhere in life (Hence the test anxiety thing and aversion to college) and Claire is pressured to be perfect but trapped in a life that was set out for her. Claire could fall for Mandy because Mandy could be someone Claire can talk to about her problems, someone who she can be vulnerable with, something new and exciting that defects from the life her parents set up for her. Mandy could fall for claire because she can also open up to Claire, and also because Claire is fianlly someone who sees Mandy for Mandy, not Starfire's daughter or even Starfire 2.0. Claire can still be into superheros, but she would hide that from Mandy, after Claire finds out about Mandy's issues with Superheroes due to her mommy issues. This would give a reason for Mandy being so upset with Claire after taking a selfie with the Titans. After finally finding someone who saw her for HER, and not just a way to get close to the Titans or Starfire 2.0. Have Mandy give up on trying to get close to anyone. This could be the part where Starfire realizes what's going on with Mandy, and what she put her through despite not being there. Maybe Starfire and Mandy could have a heart-to-heart and reveal that Mandy's father was a normal human being who regularly went on missions with Starfire, but ended up being killed by a villain when Mandy was very young. Have it be revealed that Starfire withheld and stayed away from Mandy to protect her, but realize that she still hurt Mandy as a result. This could eventually lead to Starfire training Mandy with her powers, and eventually have Mandy using her powers in her own way, maybe in contrasting ways. For example, while starfire shoots blasts of energy and laser beams, Mandy could create forcefields and barrier like projectiles, and maybe engulf her hands/and or feet with energy to power herself up or to increase her strength and speed. This would contrast Starfire's classic, confident, ideal hero personality and Mandy's timid, defensive yet aggressive personality. Claire and Mandy's only could come on missions with her, and they could build off eachother's strength's and weaknesses. Claire could be the brains of the group, while Mandy could be the heart, and her friend could be the brawns, because I don't remember him having any other real personality traits. Mandy's arc would focus on learning to love herself, letting other people into her life, and overall becoming her own hero. Maybe even have Blackfire try to stray Mandy to path of villain and use Mandy's own insecurities and rage to her advantage, but eventually Mandy, with the help of her friends and loved ones, uses her power and defeat blackfire, ultimately becoming something greater than anyone, especially herself, could have imagined.

[@cloverthelll3761]

i like that idea, its long, but good. i do think that mandy should lose a battle of some sort, because she could be this unlikable character, and at the begging of her arc she could lose that battle and it could maybe make her a bit humble. idk? i really do like your thoughts on the plot though.

[@serencefrostbite3362]

This could have been such a good plot for an origin story, the first half of your post literally screams "I'm NOT Starfire, I wish I was but I'm not, I'm sorry but I didn't choose to be like this" , which is a much more relatable feeling to any kids whose parents are even slightly successful or well liked by their acquaintances and put a better meaning behind the "I'm not starfire" title of the comic. The end with her having different version of Starfire's power is also good, being trained under her mother's guidance and eventually face off with Blackfire at the climax with her own team by her side could be a call back to the old teen titans. Hell, let that be the ending line, Blackfire seeing this bunch of brats trying to stop her, laughs and says something like "Come on kids who do you think you are? Starfire?" with Mandy replies in the final panel with "No, I'm not Starfire, but I'm her daughter" while showing her friends behind her, signifying that she both embraces the legacy of her parents now instead of feeling ashamed by it, and starting to walk her own path. But ya know, we got this instead sooo.

[@MyAramil]

This whole post was 800 times as good as the one in the book. As it stands no one was pushing Mandy at all, sure the kids asked her if she had powers, but no one seemed to really try to really compare Mandy to her mother. Hell a lot of people in the book seemed to want to know Mandy because her mother saved the world so many times

[@MIKO_JELLO]

This is way better and I would pay for it-

[@pinkninjin3201]

This is the best comment, the plot here makes sense and it connects to the title of the comic as well. This would be so much better and what we actually have is a huge disappointment

[@macarahneil2154]

Mar'i Grayson or Jake Grayson, the children of Starfire and Nightwing, their stories would make better content than whatever this was attempting to be. Poor Starfire. I felt bad for her having an ungrateful, nasty child who only becomes happy when she gets powers.

[@dogico]

Literally nobody knows who those people are. This graphic novel is typical YA garbage but it's weird that right leaning comics fans have chosen this as the subject of their ire.

[@NaThingSerious]

Who would win? Black fire: skilled, experienced warrior, mastery over her powers, strong and fit, defeated starfire Mandy: fat emo, no experience at all, only just got her powers, not skilled at all

[@destroyerofworlds4663]

... PFFFFFFFFT OBVIOUSLY MANDY HEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEEEE

[@Limacinablues]

Virgin Mandy vs Chad Black Fire

[@xenonsketchesletsgo]

The "fat" part didn't have to be included -

[@thatsockyoulostinthedryer2288]

@@xenonsketchesletsgo it’s true tho

[@xenonsketchesletsgo]

@@thatsockyoulostinthedryer2288 yes but they should have had some tact , personally Mandy's design ain't that bad to me

[@AvatarRiku]

Dumpsterfyre’s father is clearly Oswald Cobblepot. Short and stocky, blames the Wayne’s for his problems...

[@crissanti8206]

Or cartman

[@Raptorkid4444]

@@crissanti8206 this is now my headcanon.

[@davidfrancisco3502]

This wasted paper Is the typical mysandric fat leftist pamphlet for the agenda of erasing father.

[@crissanti8206]

@@davidfrancisco3502 dude. The comic/manga or whatever is sh1t every knows will be a boring typical story la verdad ahora me doy cuenta que te llamas david francisco xd bueno era re contra obvio que el comic vale miercoles

[@anandhua.b4589]

@@crissanti8206 she's cartman and oswald's biological daughter cuz she ain't got none of starfire's genes

[@peoplesaidmypfpiscursedafb6902]

Honestly if this is Tamaki's self insert, then she must be that type of big eater who's always angry on daily basis considering Mandy's immature and raging personality Still waiting at the arc where she meet Cobblepot and learn that he's her real biological father Darth Vader style

[@jamesmiles4660]

stop it don't give her ideas

[@theemeraldblonde218]

I would actually like that. At least than we could have some past drama between Starfire and The Penguin. Maybe Star show good in him and wanted to save him and it ended badly.

[@peoplesaidmypfpiscursedafb6902]

@@theemeraldblonde218 Plot twist: Turned out Starfire and Mandy have no biological similarity. Her mother is actually a random round, short, stocky woman who bear Penguin's child. Penguin: "I am your father, Mandy Chesterfield Cobblepot!"

[@anandhua.b4589]

yeah cant wait for her to realise that she was cobblepot's failed clone or something cuz she ain't got none of starfire's or any human being who isn't a total piece of shit's gene for a redeeming quality

[@Adamguy2003]

@@anandhua.b4589 Her being his failed clone would actually make a lot more sense. If she was Oswald's daughter, he'd likely have done what he could to help her. As evil and twisted as the Penguin is, and as merciless as he can be to his enemies, he can be surprisingly loyal, generous, and even downright kind to those he cares about and that help him. It's a big part of why he's my favorite Bat- villain, because he is such a complex character deep down. Mandy being his failed clone whom he either didn't know existed at all or believed to be dead would be perfect.

[@ImpulseACE]

She's basically Penguin's child

[@cecejamesable]

Penguin actually has some class and the balls to do what he wants. This...swamp monster is a dingleberry from Satan's anus that he was smeared on a DC comic book and tossed back into our reality.

[@orkoskang7967]

@@cecejamesable Lucifer Morningstar created another Demon.

[@austinreed7343]

Or Hifumi and Taeko.

[@snowwhite5887]

@@cecejamesable Satans anus 😂😂😭😭😭 ! ☝️ I agree, also this made my day.

[@SkyDiamond158]

I remember watching another video that said that😂

[@Bronze_Age_Sea_Person]

IF this is a self-insert, how did this author get into where she is in the first place? I mean, you cannot be toxic and whining and always angry and expect to go far in any career.

[@linesonpaper1245]

That was s a good point. Still, Mandy seemed to have a lot of baggage that wasn't explained in the body of the narrative. That often is a sign of an author writing fro their own life. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Where I think it comes into conflict here is that the life experiences of the author and what the life of a child of a character that the reader knows so well don't quite mesh. Why would Starfire who's always been pretty selfless put her fame ahead of her daughter? Why would her father be a total non presence? What happened in Mandy's past to make her so distrustful of her peers? I doubt it was just the fanboys/girls at her school.

[@DynamoLynx]

I think the body is a self insert, not the personality. The personality is just pandering to angsty teens.

[@MaxiaCrest]

According to other people on the internet, her other works are actually good. This one is just a dud.

[@TheNade]

sadly we do not live in a meritocracy anymore, we live in a victimocracy where the most victimized person get's all the praise and awards and recognition, while all the hard working people are treated like criminals and victimizers.

[@ferrucciocaracciuolo8139]

​@@linesonpaper1245Her father is a pokemon trainer.

[@brains7942]

Mandy shows signs of being a very abusive narcissistic romantic partner: Controlling who Claire makes friends with, controlling her social media behavior, belittling her feelings and desires but using her as an emotional trashcan for her own twisted self esteem issues...Poor Claire. She's screwed

[@weeb-shi_draws9289]

Can we talk about how Mandy never told Claire about her struggles with being used for a connection with her mom. Claire took a picture with someone who's BASICALLY a celebrity and posted it because it was cool and Mandy gets pissed at her. Claire knows Mandy dislikes her mom but how exactly was Claire supposed to know she wouldn't like it.

[@linesonpaper1245]

That really bothered me too. It’s just yet another example of Mandy acting like complete garbage to others,

[@greyworld6242]

Is is wrong that wanted blackfire to kill her? Also didn’t blackfire herself not have powers like the rest of her race? And wasn’t she born on a disaster day that killed a lot of her people and because of that be seen an omen and hated by them? ….Actually why didn’t many just side with her aunt if she has all this angst at her mom? Actually it’s probably better if there isn’t a connection cause even through blackfire is evil at least her hate at her sister makes more sense then this girls problems.

[@Hexdy]

Hubiera sido mejor que Blackfire fuera buena, ahora de adulta, que haya aprendido de su pasado y le enseñe el buen camino a Mandy, puedes crear un personaje agradable y ademas puedes crear una historia mas interesante. Lo digo porque Blackfire y Mandy no tienen poderes, por lo tanto pueden entenderse mejor que Mandy y Starfire.

[@sasukesbussy7101]

In defence of this book, it’s an Elseworlds story. Meaning it doesn’t need to stick to canon and can follow its own canon. So Blackfire having powers doesn’t really matter

[@MyAramil]

I really hate the arguments people make for supporting this book. "It's not made for you" who is it made for? The main character couldn't be any more unlikeable. "You can't say anything bad about Mandy, she is a member of LGBT" so that gives a pass for a character to be written poorly? "It's teen angst it should be at least a bit cringe" tell that to Zuko from avatar the last Airbender. Hell his angst is actually fully understandable. The whole book itself was just. . . Bad, there is no other way to describe it.

[@paigemosher8697]

I mean, as an addendum to that second argument, I feel it's a good idea to point out that Jeffrey Dahmer was gay, but he still killed and ate a lot of people.

[@UMAtronic]

You should be able to critize anyone. Thats true equality. If others can be, you should be too.

[@k1n5h0]

as a gay, no this dogshit character is not protected from criticism because she's gay

[@bharg6520]

also the subtle body positivity shit is cringe as hell

[@Its_Pretty_Lame]

​@@bharg6520"subtle"

[@stump9167]

this seems less like a legitimate DC story, even by an Elseworlds standards, and more like just a shitty fanfic an edgy 13 year old would make, how and why the hell did DC look at this and think its okay?

[@xanderlaskey2753]

Because I guess they think they have a lot of fat goth chicks that read their comics

[@stump9167]

@@xanderlaskey2753 then what abput the million other goth and emo characters that are actually fleshed out and not built like a shitty oc a 13 year old would make

[@xanderlaskey2753]

@@stump9167 Just checking but you do realize I’m shitting on Dc right

[@louisalexander133]

So Mandy is a Mary Sue like Rey since that went so well for Star Wars; continues the lazy writing trend we've seen so often where writers' stories come off as junior high fan fiction.

[@linesonpaper1245]

She's basically Captain Marvel. Everyone likes her despite a terrible personality and the only obstacle she faces is unlocking her power and easily defeating her villain.

[@firepuppies4086]

At least Rey is basically tofu. Overglorified and bland but her personality isn't outright nasty or leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Mandy is just... unpleasant.

[@marapines]

@@linesonpaper1245 I miss when Captain Marvel was a man, and there was the whole Marvel family. It was much more entertaining in my opinion, plus they literally got rid of all the male Marvels for no apparent reason now.

[@PlagiarizedDough]

@@firepuppies4086 Mandy is the brown part of the god damn banana

[@diablo6250]

@@PlagiarizedDough she's the apple core, full of cyanide seeds

[@Hexdy]

I just get a idea, imagine Blackfire helping Mandy with her "non-power issue" and because of Blackfire past, making Mandy a good person in the end, a good story and a good message like "You don't have to be like Starfire", that would be a lot better and stable (not original) story, and i am not even a writter, just a dumb shit on internet wtf

[@mohammadmehmood3092]

This concept is already better than the comic itself.

[@chaos_incarnate3275]

this is soooo much better!

[@Mizzwolf-un1cn]

Bro this is so much better

[@Hexdy]

As i said, i am not a writter, just imagine someone with talent for this, but no, "lets be woke, at the end those dumbshits will buy it anyway", at least we have manga, ir recommend Dandadan and Chainsaw-man, god shit. yeah, god

[@paxthebiarooaceer]

Kinda a shame this was executed poorly, the concept is nice and the art is actually very pretty

[@MyAramil]

Yes. It does have a good premise. Even the angst issue could be worked in properly. Everyone pressing her to do better due to her parents. Instead we got this hall assed story that could have easily been given to other better artists.

[@TheCoolCryptid]

I love the art style and feel the concept could be very interesting. The problem is that the main character is an unlikeable Mary sue and all the other characters exist for the main character, not the story.

[@Alyakismydutchname]

@@MyAramil I kinda hope that they do a second book where Mandy realizes over time how wrong she was about her mother and those that she judged so harshly. I feel like having to fight like her mother would open her eyes a bit and she would hopefully become more mature as she gets older and realizes how ridiculous it is to try to judge others because of their appearance. I also hope Mandy can learn that she doesn't have to look or be like Starfire to be successful, but being like her mom isn't a bad thing either. Most people don't really figure out who they are until adulthood (and many adults still don't know), so her character could still be redeemed if she realizes how crappy she was as a teen and learns to do better while also making amends for the hateful things she said. I don't know how an adult can write such an obnoxious main character though unless they intend for her personality to be developed in the next part, but you can't really expect people to be interested in reading the second part if the first part was hard to get through.

[@joechino9022]

I have to wash my eyes many times... 😭

[@SM-yz4hi]

I actually found out about it because I follow one of the artists lol (Yoshi Yoshitani) It’s weird to see her art outside of a social media context and i’m kinda sad that the comic isn’t better

[@eeveeofalltrades4780]

The real Raven would have sent her to a black hole Also, there are only two possible kinds of people who can possibly hate Starfire: -Villains -Mandy

[@justelizur909]

This book sucks

[@waffleman1340]

Short, true and straight-forward Perfect

[@anandhua.b4589]

couldn't have said it better

[@zoiker3512]

You know, when someone told me about this, and also showed the art of it I was like: where did you get this shit? Tumblr? I was shocked to know this is from official DC, DC MAN, fucking DC, they really just went to fucking Tumblr and said: oh yeah we need some of this fanfic

[@alieneko_nyo]

FR LMFAO. I haven't seen anything about the comic but KZbin keept giving videos to me until I said "fuck it, let's see what's this Tumblr shit" BUT BRUH IT WAS DC..

[@pinkninjin3201]

Omg right??? I was shocked this is official, it looks a fan comic from Tumblr

[@Torblis]

I really doubt EVEN people from tumblr would like this-

[@Guntherson220]

I say we use Mandy for the next termination test of SCP 682, either Mandy eats him and he finally dies for good or 682 kills Mandy win win either way.

[@satriadicky3732]

So is it Mandy's termination attempt or SCP-682 termination attempt? It works either way so i won't complain

[@Guntherson220]

@@satriadicky3732 Well *officially* it would be a termination test for 682, but we all know how it will likely go. 😈

[@handoffate7262]

If there was one character in the DC universe who deserves to die a painful and horrible deal it would be Mandy, Literally needs the good old Jason Todd Treatment.

[@electricarc6377]

But no Lazarus Pit.

[@irrationalgoose2290]

somehow they managed to make an ugly character using a cute art style

[@jonathanstern5537]

Everyone's trying to be like Daria or Gertrude Yorks. But here's the difference, Daria was really smart and would help people when asked... usually. Gertrude Yorks actually wanted to help people, was really smart, and the reason she ended up with Chase was because she saved his life. And, despite her seeming anti-social behavior, it was obvious she cared for others.

[@kieranindahouse]

They’re even trying to be like Joan from Clone High.

[@haileyshannon7548]

@@kieranindahouse who was based on Daria!

[@ryuumajin]

I wish Blackfire, who claims to not be as powerful as Starfire (if not NOT having power at all!) come as a silent dangerous aunty who says "I understand you, Mandy!" and "This will be our little secret!" Yes, this could be as creepy as an adult grooming a teenager, especially knowing Mandy seems to be lesbian. However, this will hit the point that a teenager believe someone foreign other than her parent because she finds Blackfire more relatable. As a teenager, Mandy might be STILL looking for someone she could learn from. And considering she can't relate to her Mom, it would be even more poignant. Especially if Blackfire could seduce Mandy that she too, could've had a power somehow, because that's what Mandy might be looking for. Honestly, this story could've had a big potential to develop, but it seems rushed and just "I have power now, everything is okay" ending is kinda... ..... meh.

[@chcltroses]

Who is her father anyway? I figure the reason she doesn't have her powers right away is because she is a halfling. Starfire is an alien, basically. I am not about to read this simply because she has no redeeming qualities.

[@dutchvanderlinde4713]

Robin

[@chcltroses]

Thanks, Dutch

[@AlienCowThatMoos]

Gotta be the Penguin. Reasoning: 1. Father must have no super powers, thus Mandy's powers develop late, and are 100% Starfire, 0% father. 2. Must be a villain, probably not one that the in universe public would think is cool. Because this guy doesn't care about his spawn at all and Starfire is too embarrassed to ever let anyone know about that drunk hook up. 3. Mandy looks like 15 year old Danny Devito.

[@keld4144]

What have they done to my gal starfire!? I mean ok she's girly but not that much plus she has to deal with a daughter like her? They also kinda changed some characters' appearances as well

[@billydamrill6884]

Shit went down hill after Robin left.

[@ark5458]

He did? I haven't read DC from a long time, but daamn...

[@DuskPShermanWallaby123]

yep

[@gloom0259]

Mandy is just a sad attempt at copying and trying to steal Raven’s spunk :/

[@phillewis2630]

There is a good story buried in there somewhere. A child of an immigrant trying to navigate the world, becoming acutely aware that her mother is not like everyone else due to culture, mannerisms, etc. Maybe that would be a source of tension between them as the daughter tries to integrate more into the dominant culture. Kind of showcase common struggles with 1.5/2nd generation immigrants.

[@MyAramil]

There are a ton of good story ideas in this. Not only what you mentioned, but also having to come to grips(at least at first) the fact that your parent has powers and uses them to save people, while you don't have powers at all. You have to cope with being in their shadow, and due to their skills and know how, seems like you never will even live up to a fraction of what they can do. Hell the black fire angle could have been brought forward earlier, perhaps black fire was masquerading as a teacher and influencing Mandy, since I doubt Starfire told Mandy before this book came out about her sister, she wouldn't have to really hide her identity from Mandy.

[@downysgarbagebin5105]

I think a better written character simmilar to this is rose lalonde from homestuck. Gay girl who hates her mom, goth but isn't overly angsty, and gets actual well deveserving powers later on.

[@JonDoe-rq2lf]

I gather the author has alot of issues with the person who stares back from mirrors

[@jasdanvm3845]

I feel like making a Goth female character that's related to the Titans, but not to Raven, is extremely redundant!

[@AvatarRiku]

Dumpsterfyre doesn’t need to go to college, she’s already indoctrinated.

[@DxmpsterRat]

that name is offensive to dumpsters

[@tonythong5352]

Yeah, dumpsters have feelings too, you know?

[@catte_X3]

Lol

[@simoneiiii4817]

Atleast garbage can be used and recycled again lol Mandy is useless

[@happymaskedguy1943]

This looks like someone airing out their own toxic grievances that they've been carrying around for decades. No thanks.

[@simoneiiii4817]

SHE COULD HAVE KEPT THAT WHOLE COMIC TO HERSELF AND NOT CURSE THE WORLD WITH ITS EXISTENCE FUCKING HONESTLY

[@chelseaallen8927]

If this was genderbent I could see alot of "nice guys" liking this story.

[@dragon_princess3937]

Very good point

[@jmhaces]

I have to be honest and say that I would have never expected the daughter of a princess from a long line of alien warriors and Batman 2.0, who's also basically the son of two Cirque du Soleil-level performing acrobats, would look like anything that.

[@anarchomando7707]

This is what happens when you raise your child with superhero identity revealed Why the heck would you do that It'll get your child killed and allow for a complex to develop This is not freaking marvel public identities in DC is generally a nono It would be a good plot twist to show that mandy is not actually fat ( hear me out Have her be slightly fat but to her she wildly exaggerated because she has bad self-consciousness for body issues (To yourself you look at the mirror and see only flaws nothing else ) (like the ending few panels could be traditionally drawn in comics style and it being stylized is a part her perception ) Have her try to overcome it She feels her mother is a model and can't help it ( She'll be okay but this is how she looks to herself not how she accidentally is In 8 out of 10 in a house 100 (including the batfamily) Heck even the height could be explained as her feeling so short inheriting being 5' 10 from her father Nightwing Feeling like she's so short compared mother

[@MyAramil]

There are other issues, such as why is Mandy's skin litterally paler than paper? She doesn't have any orange tint to her skin like any child of mixed race parents,

[@shewolfinubaka]

Night-star is such a better character than this mess and she’s the daughter that starfire and nightwing deserve

[@gray7624]

Now, the art style isn't really my thing, but I don't have much issue with it for like webcomics and occasional prints. But for a DC comic, it's not really what I'd expect or want. That being said, it can be looked over. But Mandy is just so rude and awful that it throws whatever could've been good out the window.

[@dangerdash4393]

I think the biggest issue with this isn't so much the story, but that they're using Teen Titans to tell it, and selling it as canon. Not to mention the push to hype it up as a contender with Manga. Starfire already had a daughter, and a lot of the story's plot around Starfire and Blackfire doesn't make sense with what we know about both, nor do some of Mandy's struggles. Much like the G5 MLP show, it's like the writer never really studied the content before making their idea of a continuation. It doesn't really help that there's no redemption for Mandy's character, she's an insufferable bitch that hates everything from the start, and she's an insufferable bitch that hates everything in the end, she just has superpowers now, so she doesn't hate superheroes anymore. The setup rings more of a villain origin story, but she's painted as being a relatable new hero. Maybe the going for the "villains think they're the heroes in their story" POV, but to quote Deftones, "I don't think so".

[@LovieRayjinx]

They aren’t trying to sell it as canon at all. It’s a different universe made for a YA audience reader. Don’t have to like the work, but keep your facts straight and fair.

[@MyAramil]

@@LovieRayjinx it being young adult still does not excuse it being a horrible book. There are actually a lot of really good young adult content out there that bypasses this entirely, the one that is for front in my mind is "avatar the last Airbender"

[@PowWowChikaBowWow6902]

@@LovieRayjinx I wished that Joker Batman destroyed Mandy’s universe first

[@PowWowChikaBowWow6902]

@@MyAramil any other good ones that you recommend? I gotta find some way to block this dump of a story from my memory

[@dimitriwarchief301]

Did people really think this could kill manga? Did the suitz. Realky think that edit: like serously. super hero comics had amazing stories. great fights and amazing charcaters. batman brave and the bold was able to accmplosh more with 22 minutes then this. and i like that show. this comic blows

[@MyAramil]

The whole comic screams of that meme "how do you do fellow kids"

[@dimitriwarchief301]

@@MyAramil i made a mistake. i meant manga. but yeah

[@Launchpad05]

If there was EVER a comic that needs to be an episode 'Atop The 4th Wall', THIS would be it.

[@anarchomando7707]

Linkara won't likely pan it Don't get me wrong I love the guy but he's probably more likely critique in a constructive way (especially by having this be about body image, it might be a positive message if done well) The one thing I personally would change it to show that mandy is not actually fat ( hear me out ) Have her be slightly fat but to her she wildly exaggerated because she has bad self-consciousness for body issues (To yourself you look at the mirror and see only people flaws ) Have her try to overcome it She feels her mother is a model and can't help it ( She'll be okay but this is how she looks to herself not how she accidentally is In 8 out of 10 in a house 100 (including the batfamily) (like the ending few panels could be traditionally drugged in comics style and it being stylized is a part her perception ) Heck even the height could be explained as her feeling so short inheriting being 5' 10 from her father Nightwing Feeling like she's so short compared mother

[@Halfort57]

@@anarchomando7707 Tamanarean genes are ALWAYS dominant no matter who they mate with, so their children always enjoy the tamanarean physology, meaning it's categorically impossible for a tamanarean child to look as hideous as Mandy

[@rory3884]

it's such a shame that so much could be done with this story, i only learned about nightstar today and already knows she deserves better. instead, they make her this cringey "goth" girl, angry all the time without anything to balance herself out. they just make her seem like an unlikable jerk, which yeah can happen in reality with those situations they gave her in the book, but as a character it's just so... unenjoyable. the art of this book is really nice too, i just wished the characters and story was better to balance it out

[@R.DeMora]

Nightstar? No, this is Dumpstar

[@danieaainnur7557]

it's like reading a wattpad fanfic

[@ReicHHere]

Id be filled with hatred too if I find out my absentee father is the Penguin

[@Ambsdrtony]

This inspired me to make a better comic book story. this will be my first one, wish me luck boys

[@MyAramil]

Best of luck. Don't let only negative opinions keep you down when working on it.

[@theclockworksolution8521]

Ngl that’s how I get a lot of my inspiration for story-writing too. When you go, “Even I could write better than this!”, and then go, “hey, actually…..”

[@cesartolentino2817]

I believe the author is demonstrating the textbook definition of psychological projection, where she is projecting onto the character Mandy her own issues with her mom.

[@Drixenol86]

Also Body Dismorphia

[@invisiblemansleepininyobed9989]

I think this is the one view on this that isn’t completely “Meh meh SJW self insert bullshit not traditional >:(“ your criticisms are really valid and helped me understand how bad this comic actually is

[@demonangeltheo]

would've been better for Mandy to have powers the whole time but because she was suppressing her emotions which is what fuels said powers maybe if there was some build up like have a image with her eyes having a faint glow when she's really mad or maybe have her hair float up when she's really happy but could just be confuse by the wind. and then when she fully gains her powers and tries to fight Blackfire getting one or two good hits before getting smacked down and both Mandy and her mother team up to take down Blackfire doing a mother daughter energy blast. but that's just me never was any good at writing stories

[@TheTicain]

"I am not" Starfire.... sure "I am not" reading this shit

[@patrickmcguire7896]

This is the problem with all SJW character's, their unlikable! That's why they don't sell, its not because of their gender, sexuality's, race or appearance it's because their jerks who are never called out on it and are always treated like their the best thing ever that their really is no growth in these stories. I guarantee this book would have been better received if they tried to make Mandy more likable and have her apologies for her overreactions but instead they made her all the other garbage SJW character

[@kenwahldhlamini8102]

This why people prefer manga

[@z3rothirt33n]

The thing with SJW characters is that from what I have seen so far is the fact that it feels like that it's their whole personality. Some characters I actually liked was Alex from the Magnus Chase Chronicles, a genderfluid character who while being gender fluid was a part of his/her character, she was likable since she was that one friend who would tease the hell out of you but has your back, or Diana from the Dark Artifacts series from the Shadowhunter chronicles. She is transgender but while she sorta talks about it due to reasons in the story I always just saw her as a strong leader and the fact she was a transgender gave her a nice twist to the story as she is the first Shadowhunter to be one. Imo I feel like characters shouldn't just be know for being SJW or gay or whatever specific woke thing people want to say. They can be those things but it can't be their entire character because it doesn't really make a good character

[@heavenlynippes]

what's SJW?

[@z3rothirt33n]

@@heavenlynippes Social Justice Warrior

[@anarchomando7707]

@@heavenlynippes An old outdated term that people keep propagating from the old earlier days of the internet (Rose in 2015-2016 area) Has been stolen by reactionary politics (Particularly the authoritarian right you know January 6ther kind of folk) The term has basically lost a lot of views other than still believe in reactionary stuff

[@cartooncottage2024]

Mandi suddenly is a Mary-Sue mid-way through the comic?🤣

[@MyAramil]

Nah, all the way through the book. Everyone wanted to be her friend pretty much from the getgo, despite her toxic attitude

[@Doginatank6896]

Actually the character development for Mandy should be that she sees Blackfire and wants her to be her mom instead. She's so hateful that it doesn't make sense that she sees Blackfire and doesn't like her, it would make more sense for her to just sink deeper into that abyss vs the change of heart. But the writer probably didn't want to do that since that would villainize her mini me.

[@linesonpaper1245]

Your idea also makes sense because it would have been COMPLETELY within Blackfire’s character to use Mandy’s hatred for her mom to win her to her side and turn her against Starfire and eliminate her. In fact, a lot of plot holes in the turd of a story could be fixed if maybe Blackfire had reached out to her a while ago and had been telling her lies about her mother and manipulating Mandy all along.

[@Doginatank6896]

@@linesonpaper1245 Definitely. She still wouldn't be a likeable character but it would also justify Blackfires appearance and how she knew about Mandy. I feel like they just tried to use her to make Mandy likeable and it... Backfired.

[@Kosmica-h4h]

This comic is like a fantasy novel that you would make up in your head.

[@skycommander2153]

I would love a sequel comic to this with Mandy having to face J.K Simmons character Fletcher from the movie Whiplash cause he is the fucking master of Verbal abuse and giving someone a dress down.

[@GetTheFreakingOreo11]

You don't know who the book was written for? Why, it was written for the author! She wants justification for her own dumpsterfire qualities, I guess.

[@reed627]

Honestly a really, REALLY easy way to fix this whole comic is to just re-order some of it. Like, Blackfire shows up out of nowhere and that's when Mandy gets her powers, and you get the climax of the story, but then you get a huge, long epilogue about her training. But if you just reorder that it's immediately better. Something happens to Mandy that causes her to get her powers, and that's how Blackfire finds out that she exists. So then while Blackfire is on her way to Earth, you do all the training stuff then and that would be perfect time to develop the characters and the relationships between them and have Mandy grow by being put into new situations that can help her empathize with her mother. The concept isnt terrible, it just needed like one more draft and a little more time.

[@child.of_Hadesssss]

-Star fire -Black fire - And now introducing...... -*dumpsterfire*

[@shmoger]

What they should improve on the anger, maybe have her anger come from the fact of her being insure of being in her mom's shadow, have her scared of people making fun of her for not having powers and make herself doubt what she can do in life, THAT'S a good reason to not do collage, but then have a moment where her mom talks her though the selfdougt, since she's stuck in her shadow, tell her that, YES, she can do things in life and that no matter what people say, she can be herself and rock being a person, and it's not up to the people, but it's about if she believes in herself. Have her have powers and her love interest after she sees her poetical and when people are all around her and she's introduced to the titans, make her say no and have her say, "It's really not my powers that make me special, it's who I chose to be now." idk I'm just a 15 year old lesbian girl who wishes she wasn't a lesbian since it's not good representation.

[@fuki_slam]

From the cover I thought it was going to be about a reimagined Raven trying to stack up to her perception of her friend, Starfire. To me, this makes no sense.

[@tarot1361]

That would actually be interesting. I'm kinda glad it isn't that though so they can't butcher Ravens character as bad as starfires

[@irrationalgoose2290]

DC needs to stop hiring Tumblr artist

[@trparnell87]

What we've learned from this comic. Tamaki wants the world to take responsibility for her life, she wants a hot girl without a shred of self improvement, oh and she hates her foreign mother.

[@angelinarocchio6315]

its basically on the same level as a bad Wattpad fanfic

[@dratinibrah]

YES

[@tricksfollies9549]

God, no! I don’t wanna imagine Gizmo and Starfire as a thing! Otherwise, I’m happy you didn’t make fun of Mandy being a lesbian or plus-size, because that’s what other reviewers I’ve seen keep doing. People also keep making fun of the art style and I don’t really understand why. I think we can all agree this comic was poorly written. Also, let’s hope Mandy does not stay as the canonical daughter of Starfire.

[@trollmaster4523]

After watching HBO Velma I'm now starting to think that self insert characters are the writers way of saying. "I'm toxic as hell and my attitude is shit but you know what I want you to simp for me because I want you too." Which is a big red flipping flag...

[@AhsokaJackson]

3:00 This makes me think of that note folks make about how just having funny quips or whatnot isn’t a substitute for substantive character and writing. Neither humor nor edge is a personality all by itself. It’s supposed to be part of the picture-not the whole thing.

[@ES-qm5hr]

When narcissism meets insecurity, there is bound to be trouble.

[@Augoeides32]

I'm pretty sure this is the first comic, so there's plenty of time to develop Mandy's persona further; I think it's perfectly fine for her to be a selfish goth, she was just a normal teen, afterall. Now that she is getting trained to be a superhero, she has plenty of time to learn what it means to help others out and have a more positive future. Raven wasn't exactly likeable, when Teen Titans started. Most characters have already had dozens to thousands of comics already dedicated to them, so people already have expectations set for those characters. Claire may be cardboard, but once again, things are still early on. Mary Jane's entire character back in the day was "the popular attractive redhead that lived nextdoor to Peter", but then they developed her further, and now she's iconic. Although, I doubt this comic will ever going to reach those levels of pop culture. I do agree with literally everything else you said though. The comic seems very poorly written, especially that part about her suddenly getting powers and beating Blackfire. Good review. Other people usually just gloss over the comic, and then proceed to shit on it for 10 minutes straight, without properly explaining themselves. Reviewers seem to just like hating on this particular comic, due to all the hype DC promised.

[@xthe_nojx5820]

Maybe this is actually the origin story of Super Villian. Something like an Anakin Skywalker arc. That would at least be consistent with the character she's presented as.

[@AraAraArisan]

Although I haven't read it, I kinda think something needs to be said: It's okay to be like your parents. There are some good things some parents can have that children are resistant to. Mandy is definitely on that spectrum. Starfire isn't a terrible parent. She tries to bond with her daughter and is unable to get through to her. Mandy is an awful teen, thinking everyone is out to get her. Her mother's existence is enough to set her off and have everything she says as an attack towards her weight. Towards the end, it seems as though she realizes this, but the development getting there seems so annoying and irritating that trying to explore it as something deeper is impossible. While all the info I got from it is based off reviews, they are all pretty consistent with retelling the story. Mandy didn't feel good about herself until her mother's powers came through. Reitterating the fact that some of the things you get from your parents aren't always bad.

[@raelogan]

I love the implications that apparently it's just custom for Tamaranian Royalty to just beat the crap out of new family members to assert dominance. Like, can you imagine your first encounter as a teenager with your aunt is that she just wants to kick the crap out of you?

[@kar6432]

And the creator of this Dumpster tried to cancel Frank Millet, creator of Batman

[@MyAramil]

Why? While I am not really a batman fan(in many cases he is also a Mary/Gary sue due to the simple fact that he is often protrayed as nearly unbeatable even by beings far superior to him, as well as smarter and more skilled than anyone, and holds no weaknesses) at least his comics are far, far, far better then this trashpit.

[@whos.chiaki]

12:18 ok but let’s talk about how hideous Starfire’s skirt looks like in this image

[@emmanuelmateus3760]

Thank you for making this video, this comic represents so many flaws in pop culture nowadays and you handled the review in a far more civil way than most people would

[@falsealias2046]

Starfire is one of the nicest people in the DC universe and the thought that she would have such a angry greasy spawn is insulting.

[@greyEAX]

Based on this description of the story I think you could incorporate all of the major story elements and make a good story. Mandy is angry and shitty because she's compared to her mom, and is everything her mom is not (or at least feels that way). Feeling inadequate, she turns that feeling into distaste for all the things her mom is (a real sour grapes kinda deal). She spent a lot of time on her own because even though Starfire was generally around, she'd have to leave randomly and sometimes during important events for her daughter. Do a little bit of backstory where Mandy talks about how 'it wasn't always like this', and show Starfire being more and more concerned with Mandy's behavior but giving her a long leash after talking to other people and getting 'oh teenagers are like this' as feedback. Maybe have a big blowout where when Starfire finds out about Mandy dipping on the SATs and confronts her, and Mandy has a justified response of 'why do you care now?'. Starfire could apologetically explain that she's a hero and has responsibilities and stuff, and Mandy can respond something to the effect of 'I know, and that makes me proud to be your daughter, and what kind of selfish asshole would I be to stop you from saving the world, but is it too much to ask to have my Mom be there for me before everyone else in the world?'. Gives her a much more understandable mindset, and would be a nice hit at Starfire and the idea of superheros trying to raise kids. Claire also randomly being into Mandy could maybe be explained by the fact that maybe Claire's a bit of a coward as well as a social butterfly. She can get along with everyone because she doesn't really speak up too much about things she dislikes, and so she sees that Mandy doesn't give a fuck and looks up to her for that. Now you have a reason why a relatively normal person would randomly like this really caustic girl, as well as a great basis for character growth between the two of them, Mandy learning to be nicer and that not everyone is a dick, and Claire learning to be a little more honest, and worrying less about other people liking her or something. Maybe they grow apart eventually as they change since their relationship /is/ somewhat superficial. Blackfire still gets to be the nega-Starfire, and Mandy sees herself in Blackfire and realizes that's not who she wants to be, self centered, and destructive to other people. She still gets to have her big 'I got my powers moment' but it's because she's angry at Blackfire for hurting her mom, and even more angry that she can see the really shitty parts of herself in Blackfire, and hates it. Strong emotion = big old uncontrolled power burst that is able to knock out the unsuspecting Blackfire that's taken a solid beating from Starfire (who maybe loses the fight not just due to being weak, but having to protect Mandy maybe, or - possibly even better - another student, showing Mandy that her mother's heroic impulses are just that, an impulsive part of her being, which gives her an understanding of who her mother is and why she's been so torn between her daughter and being a hero.) You get to have Mandy win the fight in a realistic way, give her powers, and have a nice big juicy emotional growing moment. After all the chaos, Mandy gets with Claire, they have a nice little relationship, and Mandy begins to open up to other people (including being nicer to the people who 'bullied' her, who turn out to be not assholes, but normal kids like everyone else), and in the end becoming more like her mother (kind, heroic, friendly) but still very much herself - maybe still a little standoffish and snarky, but less so signifying her attempt to change, bringing to a close the angst of the beginning of the story. There you go, a full character arc that fleshes out all the major players in the story and for Mandy tracks the growth of 'I can't be like my mother - but I'm like her in the ways that count, and everything else is me as my own person'. Maybe toss in a little scene where Mandy confronts her mom about not being as pretty or some shit, and her mom not even understanding why that would be an issue, etc. Oh I guess that doesn't cover her bitchy guy friend, but maybe he could have more serious problems at home, and then ends up resenting Mandy and you can get like a villain story or something where he eventually comes around. Maybe he can't resolve his problems so he has to leave and feels shitty about it or like a coward compared to Mandy, but now that Mandy knows Starfire's backstory, she gives him a line about 'it's not running away if you come back to face it when you're stronger' or something like that.

[@Vivalarunaway]

As someone who's been doing art for about 8 years now, I agree with your opinion on the art style. In my eyes it's a very cute art style (honestly I wish I could draw that way-) but it just doesn't really fit the tone of the book. Especially with the cover it looks like it would be a book for young children.

[@RupertLester]

Imagine glorifying medical obesity. I guess it's a self insert, so at least the author is honest. Although I guess total honesty would have the hero in a pen snout to trough

[@neoslayerpw8230]

I think there is something to learn from this - Don't be an edgy teen who hates your parents for no reason.

[@austinwright6232]

I had heard about this comic and tried not to think much about it. Your review was very helpful and well worded, subscribed. Thank you for also showing how the author injected herself into her own project. That really outlined that this comic book was not for the readers, but for herself.

[@theartisthasarrived]

Blackfire's design is pretty great tho ngl 👌

[@apex2000]

A bad author self insert.

[@NikolasoGames]

"Being an anarchist probably means shes going to be a henchman for the joker" Yeah most likdly but the problem is that anarchists dont believe in any kind of hierarchy

[@k65-m3z]

Where's nightstar who is this chick Starfire : literally have experience fighting with villains Mandy : got power less than a minute can fight with blackfire with far more experience fighting people/heroes

[@brandonkoh8361]

That moment when your self insert character is also a badly written character.

[@fatherpucci8170]

Literally why no one learn from Chris chan everyone forgot what happened to him or her when chris self insert

[@electricarc6377]

Blackfire and Starfire teamed up in order for Dumpsterfire to get more self confidence.