As much criticism as Titans received before its premiere (reminding us, we need to be kinder to the hard working people that are bringing or favourite comic book creations to life), the more well known and well-known and recognizable costumes for Raven and Starfire have finally been revealed.
DC Comics News had the pleasure of attending New York Comic Con this year and interviewing the cast.
DC Daily recently gave fans a quick glimpse into upcoming Titans TV stories. In their most recent episode DCD featured behind-the-scenes footage of Kory Anders/Starfire (portrayed by Anna Diop) and Rachel Roth/Raven (Teagan Croft) facing off against some baddies.
In the clip Starfire sports her familiar neon purple outfit, standing in an iconic, powerful stance, with straight orange hair. The series might be only one episode in, but I’m dying to know if her locks flames up. That’d be a neat trick!
Raven gives us a blast from the past in her uniform as well. She wears a dark robe resembling a cloak.
In another recent interview, Croft told ComicBook.com:
Well, I can’t say too much, unfortunately, but she does have the classic hood and as the series progresses she goes from kind of a stylized version to the costume to getting closer to the comic book version of the costume.
The controversial and most impactful costume from the set is Starfire’s.
It has also been revealed that the outfit chosen for the pilot episode was different because it’s simply there for Diop to enter a European nightclub trying to blend in as human. Diop told ComicBook that this will be part of her story:
As soon as I put it on, everyone was flipping out. It’s awesome because it’s something that so many people have seen for so long and it means so much to people and this is the first time we’re bringing it to life. But you know — our story takes its time. It’s an origin story. So it takes its time in the characters coming to this place where you see them and the way that everyone’s always known. I hope that the audience can be patient with us and have fun with us. It’s a ride, and it’s a fun one.
Unfortunately, her costume has been at the centre of attention carrying sexist and racist connotations, which are ridiculous. The character herself is an alien, indicating no-canon human race. As for the sexist remarks, superheroine costumes are often under the microscope. This is mainly due to the comic book industry being heavily male-dominated, so there is a higher level of sexualization for female characters.
It would be a particular problem if the comic book industry didn’t recognize this, but ever since social media gave a voice to the marginalized, the industry has been listening.
DC and Warner Bros. have race-bent a handful of iconic comics characters. In addition they’ve also employed many LGTBQ actors such as Ezra Miller (Flash) and Ruby Rose (Batwoman). I feel that they have also lessened the level of hyper-sexualization in comics. In my opinion Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn are now drawn with the same level of respect as Superman and Batman are. Let me know if I’m wrong.
It is unconfirmed which episode these new costumes will debut in. What are your feelings about these new live-action uniforms?
Let us know in the comments.
