Zatanna is making her triumphant return to the stage at a hallowed stage of Old Hollywood, but will the spirits within let the show go on without a hitch? Your Major Spoilers review of Zatanna #1 awaits!
ZATANNA #1
Writer: Jamal Campbell
Artist: Jamal Campbell
Colorist: Jamal Campbell
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Editor: Brittany Holzherr
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: February 19th, 2025
Previously in Zatanna: The Mistress of Magic, and former Justice League member is back on tour. She’s got her stage crew back together and is looking forward to a new, less chaotic chapter of life.
A PART OF HISTORY
Zatanna #1 opens with scenes from a children’s book about a young princess and her sad shadow. Things then shift to Zatanna reflecting on her life until she’s told that her crew is ready for her. She then greets them with a big flourish of magic and then gives a speech about how important and amazing the show they’re putting together is. Afterward, they begin rehearsing, during which one of her co-stars, Adam, thinks he made a mistake and apologizes profusely. The rest of the crew begins exploring the theater with one of them pointing out a poster of an old performer named The Lady White. Suddenly, ghostly hands appear, and crew members are dragged into all the posters for old movies that line the wall. Zatanna leaps into action, diving into the posters herself. One by one, she hops from one realm to another, saving her crew from the hands in accordance with the movie they’re in. She ultimately finds herself face to face with Lady White, but before she can get answers, something she never expected happens.
A PERFECT SETTING AND STORY FOR ZATANNA
Zatanna #1 not only gives us the perfect setting for a Zatanna story, it also gives us the perfect setup for it. Seeing Zatanna interact with these old movies, utilizing her magic in creative ways that fit the themes of the films is a joy to read. Considering the character’s background as a performer, it just makes sense for her to be the one basically fighting Old Hollywood itself. What’s even more impressive is how each of these different worlds she jumps into is fully realized, even the ones that only appear for a single panel. One of the best moments is when Zatanna finds herself in an old noir detective story and the star’s overwrought narration takes over, giving the reader an almost second person narration of the events we’re seeing, it’s a truly clever moment. This story also gives Zatanna’s personality the chance to shine. Even though most of her dialogue is backwards, due to her powers, her wit and sarcasm shine in fun ways. The one flaw I saw in this issue is in the cliffhanger ending. This event hinges on an emotional punch that I’m not sure the issue actually earns. There’s a little set up for it, but not nearly enough for it to really hit home.
GORGEOUS
Jamal Campbell has become a superstar in the art department at DC. His work on Superman and Far Sector was stellar, and his art in Zatanna #1 is even better. The way he manages to capture all the different film styles in a way that is distinct from each other but still feels like they belong in the same book is astounding. Magic is something that isn’t always depicted well in comic books, with a lot of spells coming off as just basic energy beams. But here we get to see unique and easily recognizable usages of magic, like having the spectral hands get abducted by aliens, thrown to the sharks, even finding true love, all as means of defeating them.
BOTTOM LINE: IT’S NO TRICK, THIS IS A GOOD COMIC
Zatanna #1 kicks this series off with a bang. With so many different backdrops and styles, it would be expected that not all of them would get the attention they deserve, but everything in this issue is fully realized. Zatanna’s characterization is enjoyable and keeps with the tone of the story, the art captures every ounce of this diverse setting perfectly, and the plot feels like it’s part of the world, not simply happening in it. Turns out mixing a character with a setting and story that is tailor-made for them turns out to be a winning equation. 5 out of 5 stars.
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Zatanna #1
Zatanna #1 gives the readers a joyous romp through Old Hollywood, which also turns out to be the perfect showcase for a character who hasn’t had a lot of love in recent years.
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Writing10
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Art10
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Coloring10
At a young age, Jonathan was dragged to a small town in Wisconsin. A small town in Wisconsin that just so happened to have a comic book shop. Faced with a decision to either spend the humid summers and bitter winters traipsing through the pine trees or in climate controlled comfort with tales of adventure, horror, and romance, he chose the latter. Jonathan can often be found playing video games, board games, reading comics and wincing as his “to watch” list grows wildly out of control.