Despite what fans may have heard, oneDC Comicscontroversy wasn’t the big deal various outlets made it out to be. While the publisher has had its brushes with upset readers in the past, one particular moment between two heroes was completely blown out of proportion.
It’s not uncommon for comic books to push boundaries, even include storylines or concepts that may make people angry.DC alone has had several comicsthat have stirred up outrage in the past. But urban legends would have many fans thinking that one particularly harmless moment sharedbetween Nightwing and Starfirewas one of the most shocking moments in comic book history.
Starfire and Nightwing’s Night Together Wasn’t a Big Deal
DC Legend Confirms an Infamous Panel Generated Practically No Controversy
If there’s one thing people remember aboutThe New Teen Titans, it’s the romance that blossomed betweenBatman’s first Robin andthe alien hero Starfire. Fromthe moment Starfire locked lips with Dick to learn English(as a Tamaranean does), the two developed a bond that eventually resulted in the two becoming romantically involved. It was a big step in Dick’s character growth as he stepped out of Batman’s shadows and became his own man as Nightwing.
…Pérez confirmed that angry responses to the scene didn’t even account for a fifth of their fan mail.
InNew Teen Titans #1by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Raven is suffering due to the corrupting influence of her father, Trigon. Jericho attempts to enter Raven’s mind to assist her, only for Trigon to attack Jericho. The commotion wakes everyone in the tower,including Starfire and Nightwing, who are shown sleeping together in the same bed. While the couple is only shown in bed for two panels, it was reported by outlets likeThe Comics JournalandAmazing Heroesthat the fans were outraged by the panels.
George Pérez: It’s his bed, there’s no question about it. It’s established. And there were much fewer letters than everyone made it out to be. It got exploded totally out of proportion.
However,New Teen Titansco-creator George Pérez was interviewed inFocus on George Pérez, where he was asked about the reception to the panel. According to the iconic creator, there weren’t that many letters in response to Nightwing and Starfire sharing a bed,and that it “exploded totally out of proportion”. Pérez admitted that his collaborator Marv Wolfman got some letters and even printed one in a later issue of the series. But Pérez confirmed that angry responses to the scene didn’t even account for a fifth of their fan mail.
Take Comic Book Legends with a Grain of Salt
Things Aren’t Always Dramatic in the Comic Book Scene
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with two consenting adults sharing a bed, but one could see how some readers may have found such a scene objectionable in the mid-’80s. But it’s interesting that fans seemed to think that the response to panels was worse than they actually were. Granted, Pérez confirmedthey did getsomenegative fromNew Teen Titansreaders, but not enough for it to be considered an actual problem.
It’s human for people to take something with no substance as truth and pass it around…
Comic books are no different than any other fandom where rumors can easily spread, such as sports or music. It’s human for people to take something with no substance as truth and pass it around until an entire collection of people take it as fact. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier to dispel this kind of misinformation in the digital age (provided people are willing to do the work).
Yes, comics can be controversial from time to time and groundbreaking content can get a negative reaction from readers not ready to see certain progress. But the idea that people massively objected to Starfire and Nightwing sharing a bed is simply not true. While there were some that didn’t like seeing it, this particular moment was never the big upset that someDC Comicsfans think it was.
