ZATANNA #1 – The Greatest Tour Yet

Creative Team – Jamal Campbell, Ariana Maher

Published by DC Comics

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The Story

This is a joint review from Matt of Hops Geek News and Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast!

Matt – That loud, obnoxious person screaming you hear is me with the return of Zatanna and Jamal Campbell. We are picking up her story where it is, with her as Prime Magus, and she is having the time of her life between putting on magic shows and fighting the evil that lies beyond the mortal world. There is an electric vibe throughout this first issue, and it leaps from the pages and through every word that Ariana writes, with the inclusion of the D.E.O. I imagine we are going to be in for some stellar action in the coming issues as well. Jamal does Zatanna properly as she is rightfully the most powerful magical hero in the DC Universe, and there are times when Jamal shows this off, all the while showing off her playfulness as well.

Megan – Zatanna is back in her magical glory to embark on her greatest tour yet! She is the Prime Magus, and it’s her responsibility to take care of the magical world and all its realms. As Zatanna herself puts it, the earth has the Justice League, space has the Lanterns, and the future has the Legion of Superheroes, but what about the magical realms? Who can protect it as these other teams of metahumans watch over their own homes? It’s up to Zatanna Zatara, the Prime Magus.

Jamal Campbell is back writing for Zatanna, and there really isn’t anyone who’s better suited for the job. What I love about this first issue is that Campbell keeps the energy at an all-time high while building up to this incredible, magical tour of the realms for Zatanna. We see Zatanna in all her glory, helping whoever she can, however she can, and it paves the way brilliantly for what’s to come in her all-new ongoing series.

The Art

Matt – Jamal impresses me a ton with how intense and eccentric the artwork is when working with Zatanna. The colorwork doesn’t stick to just one set of colors but rather uses the entire array of every color, and it puts their pallets to full use. There is a ton of detail when chasing the spirit, and there’s. a panel where we see her face split symmetrically, which really stood out to me. As I said, this issue is electric, and Jamal brings that to life along with Ariana’s lettering.

Megan – Jamal Campbell also serves as the artist and colorist, with Ariana Maher, who handles the lettering. These two bring a lot of heat to the pages of Zatanna #1, with the gorgeous detailing, the magical energy on every page, and the lettering work that allows you to get lost on the first stop of Zatanna’s tour. With Campbell’s work on the first issue, you’ll see a lot of pages that really capture the essence of Zatanna’s power. When she is fighting to save the life of a being possessed in the Verdant City of Elves, Campbell uses gorgeous juxtapositions of contrasting colors that make every page drip in vibrancy. Maher brings a lot of depth to the lettering, whether it be the powerful narration or the kindness Zatanna shows while trying to save a life. Both artists showed up and showed out in a really big way with Zatanna #1!

Final Thoughts

Matt – 10/10 easily. Jamal back on Zatanna is just right and feels perfect. We’re getting to see the magical side of DC, and Jamal is already taking us to some incredibly strange places. Strap in, this is going to be a fun ride!

Megan – 10/10. I was already excited for Zatanna’s ongoing series to begin but Jamal Campbell exceeded every one of my expectations. This comic should absolutely be on everyone’s pull list!

Overall Grade – 10/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of Zatanna #1!