Zatanna is a DC Character that I’m not super familiar with, but I always enjoy when she shows up as a cameo character. A stage magician who can do real magic, there’s a lot going on with her, and so when I saw the first cover for Zatanna: Bring Down The House, written by Mariko Tamaki with art by Javier Rodriguez, I snapped it up. And I’m glad I did.
This first issue sets Zatanna up as a character apart from the larger DC Universe. Despite being headhunted by larger hotels and even the Justice League, Zatanna works at a run-down Las Vegas casino, doing two free shows a day for sparse crowds. And she never uses the word ‘Magic’ in her act. She says she does ‘tricks,’ but she does have the eerie feeling that someone has been following her, and has been having nightmares involving her childhood and her late father. But surely all that is coincidence. As is the woman who’s been attending every performance for the past week.
This gorgeous first issue feels like something out of DC’s ’90’s Vertigo imprint. So far, this is a story all about a character running from their past, and their destiny, working in a small job for small crowds. Unable to face what they’ve done and their great potential. The narrative is hitting familiar beats, but the setting and character are intriguing enough to keep going. It has that common first issue problem that the cliffhanger arrives just as the action heats up, but the slow burn here is worth the cover price.
Rodgiguez’s rich and colorful art help as well, lending the story a Neo-noir flair with the bright colors and sleaze of the Vegas strip. Rodriguez fills his pages with garish colors, clever details, and a strange shadow following Zatanna throughout her day. The layouts build tension masterfully throughout the issue to the final reveal. And if that reveal doesn’t quite make sense yet, well, that’s what issue 2 is for, isn’t it?
Zatanna: Bringing Down the House #1 is available now from your local comics shop or digitally from your online store of choice. This is an intriguing first issue that has me on the hook for the next one. I recommend it!