Zatanna #1: Three, two, one…it’s showtime! Zatanna is preparing herself and her crew to perform in a historic theater in San Francisco when the Lady White, a long-forgotten relic of the past, shows she has other plans for the crew and a taste for theatrics. Zatanna is sent on a trippy whirlwind adventure not for the faint of heart..
Creative Team:
Jamal Campbell: (WRITER, ARTIST, and COVER)
Ariana Maher (LETTERS)
Let’s Review, Shall We?
Normally, I would break up my review between the artwork and the story. However, Jamal has taken up the daunting task of doing just about everything in this book save for the letters.
Zatanna is admittedly also one of my favorite DC characters and so I had to get my hands on this book that is just the latest entry in DC’s All In series.
The story features Zatanna preparing for a magic show. What Jamal does well is he touches briefly on her past tragedies. It doesn’t make it a focus or waste time on introducing more backstory. Instead, he thrusts us directly into the trippy and magically weird side of what Zatanna stories can and should be.
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Now, what truly impresses me is that Jamal splits up panels within the pages in broken fragments. That works for the weirdness this story leans into. This issue features many different kinds of artwork, which blew me away. We have a simplistic style in the opening pages. As the comic progresses, his artistic talent unfolds as the colors and styles shine.
This issue truly shines artistically. I cannot fathom how insane it is to take all of these various styles on as one person. The colors are bold and, at times, a deep and dark color palette that, despite being dark, pops off the pages.
It’s not only about the art. However, Ariana blends in the lettering style that fits the astral plane when needed. The letters that are oozing from the panels, and more. It ties this issue together, making it exciting and different than what the All In series has been giving us.
Overall Grade: 10/10
Zatanna #1 is a magical thrill ride into the mystical side of DC’s superhero stories. The art, letters, and stories make this yet another strong outing for DC, which is crushing its new initiative. This will be a comic run to follow every single month if issue 1 is to go off.
Make sure to check out more reviews by Matt and his weekly podcast by heading to http://hops-geek-news.com
Let me know your thoughts on Zatanna #1 in the comments below!
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