DC writer Kami Garcia, the co-creator of the popularTeen Titansgraphic novel series, describes dealing withStarfire’sorigin as"tricky.“The whole premise of the popular YA graphic novel series by Garcia and Gabriel Picolo is to have the Titans just be normal teens, with the goal of making them as relatable as possible for the teen readers of the series.
In an interview with Liam McGuire ofComic Frontier, Garcia describes wanting tomake all the Titansas much like “normal teens” as possible. Because of this,Starfire’s alien origin is shaken up and spun out in a whole new wayin the new bookTeen Titans: Starfireby Garcia and Picolo. In this story, Starfire’s origin is very different.
Garcia doesn’t address Kori’s alien nature in the book, andeven her physical appearance is depicted by Picolo as more human-like, as Kori doesn’t have her usual orange skin. Garcia has left Kori’s past vague on purpose, which allows her the possibility to revisit Starfire’s origin sometime down the road. Kori still has her larger-than-life powers, but like the other Titans, she’s a regular human teen with inexplicable powers.
Starfire’s New Teen Titans Origin Is Challenging, But Makes Sense for the Story
The Beloved Character Is Adapted for a New YA Audience
In DC Comics' prime Earth,Starfire is an alien princess named Koriand’r from the planet Tamaran. When the planet is invaded by evil alien conquerors called the Citadel, they kill Starfire’s entire family besides her sister Blackfire. The Citadel forces Blackfire to banish Starfire in an effort to make a point and prevent Tamaran fighting back.Starfire was experimented onby the Citadel, which accidentally granted her great powers. She was forced to work on a slave ship, but instigated a rebellion and escaped to Earth, where she eventually became a member of the Teen Titans.
Starfire’s origin is altered quite a bit from the comics, but Garcia made it that way for a reason.
Along with her usual powers, another thing that Garcia absolutelywanted to keep about Starfirein the YA Series washer complicated relationship with her sister, Blackfire. Just like Starfire, Blackfire was made to seem more human in the YA series, including her name change from Komand’r to Kira. Kori and Kira have a sisterly dynamic, where Kori believes they’re really close, but while Kira loves her sister, she is ultimately only focused on herself. Kira loves Starfire, but as the story goes on, she makes questionable decisions as a sister, which is where their dynamic begins to resemble that of their DCU counterparts.
This Version of Starfire Is Made to Be Far More Relatable
Starfire Is No Longer an Out-of-This-World Alien Princess
Beyond the changes to her physical appearance in the graphic novel, Starfire has an invisible disability called EDS (Ehlers–Danlos syndrome) which is a connective tissue disorder that causes her joints to swell if she walks too much.“I’m always trying to find waysto have our characters represent more of who is out there in the world as far as teens,“Garcia stated in her Comic Frontier interview. Starfire’s disability doesn’t define her, and it doesn’t affect her powers, and is not in anyway the main focus of the book, but it gives teens the opportunity to see themselves in a hero like Starfire.
DC’s New Teen Titans Designs Finally Get Their Cosplay Debut (Plus Starfire’s Sister)
A gaggle of talented fans has officially treated fans of Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo’s Teen Titans series to an incredible group cosplay.
Starfire’s origin is altered quite a bit from the comics, but Garcia made it that way for a reason: to be as relatable to teens as possible. There are many parallels between this book and Garcia’s other Teen Titans books and characters. Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne’s sibling dynamic is similar to Kori and Kira’s, and Cyborg, who is introduced in this book, has visible disabilities. Not only do these changes allowStarfireto connect to the teen audience, but also to the other characters in thisTeen Titansstory.
Starfire
Starfire, also known as Princess Koriand’r, is a key member of theTeen Titansand originates from the planet Tamaran. With her bright, energetic personality, she is known for her fierce loyalty, optimism, and strength in battle. Starfire is one of the most powerful Titans, possessing the ability to fly and shoot energy blasts from her hands.
