I’ll admit I used to be beholden to whatever the current continuity might be,
so I had significant issues with film/TV adaptations that strayed too far from
the source material, Smallville being
a prime example. But then a friend suggested that perhaps it’s should be
regarded as an Elseworlds storyline.
This
was a rather liberating epiphany for me. Comics have always enjoyed the
opportunity for alternate realities. So within the DC Universe, I can regard
every new era as simply the next variation in the chain of multiple Earths.
So,
the Rebirth Raven: a teenage goth girl with mystical powers, dressed all in
black. So how do we reconcile this version with the original? Easy. She has
mystical powers, and presumably can easily travel from one DC Universe to
another, and occupy multiple variations of herself while remaining true to her
original self.
What
reinforces this interpretation is the involvement of original co-creator Marv
Wolfman. I once heard him say at a convention panel that he has a distinct
voice for each of the Titans. He knows how they speak, he hears it in his head.
(Perhaps that’s Raven’s trans-dimensional influence on Earth Prime.)
So
everything about Raven in the Rebirth series rings true to what I’ve known
before, while expanding on her own character. Supporting players are
introduced, while moving Raven away from the cloaked sorceress Wolfman and
George Perez introduced in 1979 as a member of “New” Teen Titans. In recent years,
DC editorial has maintained that those stories did not happen, but we all know
that’s nonsense.
In
35+ years, there’s a lot of change in the comic book market, and in readership.
Kudos to DC for empowering an original creator to reinvent their character for
contemporary audiences. It should happen more often.