Fans of Teen Titans You’ll be shocked to learn that one of the team’s most iconic members was almost left out of DC’s latest series. The team’s brand is thriving, with the Teen Titans established as equals to the Justice League in the main DC Universe, while a separate series of young adult comics breathes new life into the characters, with Teen Titans: Starfire set to be the next entry in the YA anthology.
Talking to Comic borderwriter Kami Garcia offers new details about herself and Gabriel Picolo Teen Titans: Starfirefeaturing Cyborg in a supporting role. Starfire and Cyborg have had a close friendship throughout all iterations of the Teen Titans, but believe it or not, Cyborg was almost not included as Garcia wasn’t sure he could respect the character as a non-black creator
“Initially, when I pitched the series, he wasn’t in my series because I wasn’t sure if other creators were working in this new children’s space with DC. someone else, preferably always for me, who would have been a black creator/writer, to take him and make a kind of story about him in the first person, but since that didn’t happen, while our series was happening, then. there was no way to leave him out. I didn’t want to write a first-person point of view where he was the star of the book. I feel like there are black writers who could do better, more legitimate work. having the only black hero of the Teen Titans not be in the group. He’s one of my favorites. So I thought, we can’t leave him out.
But how do I find a way to respect how I feel about him and include him? And what I realized early on, as I was playing with this story, I knew I was going to bring it. But then I thought, what if he’s the person Starfire meets when she goes to this new place? What if he’s sad because she can’t hang out with her sister all the time like she expected in the summer because she has a new boyfriend? Kira is like hanging around with this guy all the time. So I thought, this would be a great opportunity for her to actually make a friend, because you see she goes to college locally. But you don’t hear that she has all these friends; her sister seems to be the one making friends.”
Kami Garcia almost left Cyborg out of Teen Titans: Starfire
Garcia’s decision to include one of DC’s most famous black heroes was not a simple one
The new Teen Titans YA portrays a young Starfire as she navigates complex family dynamics with the help of her friend Cyborg. In previous comics and especially in the original Teen Titans animated series, Starfire and Cyborg were extremely close friends. On the show, they were able to bond through similar experiences, particularly with regards to race (Starfire being an alien). Ironically, it was racial concerns that made Kami Garcia doubtful about dealing with a black character like Cyborg.
Garcia’s biggest concerns were whether or not it would be appropriate for her, a non-black creator, to adapt Cyborg into this continuity.. This also explains why she didn’t create a solo book of characters for Vic Stone, like Beast Boy, Raven, Robin and now Starfire. Garcia goes on to explain that if there were ever a book about Cyborg planned, she would be open to handing over that responsibility to a black writer. At the very least, she refused to completely let go of such an iconic Teen Titan from her version of the group.
Our take on Cyborg’s story as told by a non-black creator
Are Garcia’s concerns about writing Cyborg justified?
​​​​​​Cyborg appearing in Teen Titans: Starfire allows the title character to actually make a friend outside of her more outgoing sister, as Kami Garcia explains above. It’s easy to understand Garcia’s concerns and it’s difficult to argue whether or not his concerns will be valid for all readers. On the one hand, there are ways for a non-black writer to approach a black character in a way that not only respects them but also doesn’t have to be race-centric. Case in point: Garcia takes the correct approach to this sensitive topic in this very book by deciding to use Cyborg.
On the other hand, There are often aspects of a black character that are lost when race cannot be highlighted by the creative team. As previously stated, even when approached subtly, Cyborg and Starfire’s bonding over their experience with race in the Teen Titans episode “Trog” proves to be a pivotal moment in their friendship. Without this racial element, their relationship wouldn’t have resonated as strongly. It’s a complicated and layered debate that requires space for a broader conversation, but the Teen Titans: Starfire Fortunately, the writer is aware of these layers and determined to take a thoughtful approach to the nuances of this conversation for DC’s future.
Teen Titans: Starfire It’s in stores now.
Source: Comic border