Zatanna #3 – Jamal Campbell, Writer/Artist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Jamal Campbell’s surreal journey through the DC magical world continues to unfold with a fascinating issue that reveals a tragic love story that reverberates through the ages. Things started last issue with Zatanna being called to a music club in Memphis, where a legendary blues singer still holds court long after her death. This necessitated a truce with Papa Midnite, the dark sorcerer and occasional frenemy of Constantine who serves as a magical protector of the southern supernatural world. But as Zatanna aims to set a trap for the mysterious and violent spirit that has been attacking houses of music, things go haywire. She’s nearly killed, the theater is damaged and the ghostly musician nearly has her afterlife brutally ended, and Zatanna realizes that her role as Prime Magus has many more layers than she considered. And that sends her deeper into the magical realm in search of answers.
Unfortunately, not everyone is approaching things with as scholarly a take. Chief among them, Agent Di Manes, the mysterious, supernaturally-masked magical liaison of the DEO, has a different approach to magical beings that are out of control – namely, shoot them and sort it out later. Zatanna comes across him as he’s trying to neutralize and capture the rogue spirit, and the two of them engage in a magical battle that has some of the best surreal visuals I’ve seen in a book that specializes in them. The way Di Manes has developed his own, utilitarian brand of magic specifically designed to neutralize characters like Zatanna is pretty fascinating, and his MO is inscrutable enough that it’s really had to figure out what he wants and if he’s a villain or simply a rival. But Zatanna’s way wins the day here, leading to a really emotional conclusion that serves as a great end to act one of this series.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
