Zatanna: Bring Down the House #3-The Kind of Comic You Can’t Wait to Read

From DC Comics 

Written by Mariko Tamaki 

Art by Javier Rodriguez 

Every now and again, there is a comic release that fundamentally transports you back to early childhood in a variety of aspects. The sensation of seeing a bright shiny comic book on a shelf- even having no idea as to the context of the character or the narrative direction in any discernible way- but nonetheless being enthralled by the story and the magical art accompanying with only the first few flips of the page. 

This is EXACTLY the experience I am having with Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodriguez’ alluring new vision for Zatanna. I will admit to some familiarity with the character in my intervening years as an avid comic book fan, but as I mentioned in a previous review for this series, Zatanna exclusive titles have been few and far between since the characters inception and she has only gained her newfound popularity in recent years, thanks to her inclusion in Justice League: Dark. 

However, the effective combination of both Rodriguez’ magical, reality bending, psychedelic art work and Tamaki’s infectious, psychological, and dauntless plot, creates a harmonious, precious jewel of a series that fills me with a precise measure of nostalgic glee. 

For those poor souls uninitiated with the story, allow me to stop ranting and drooling at the mouth, and give you some useful context to the series narrative direction. 

Zatanna: Bring Down the House is a kind of origin story, focusing on a younger Zatanna who has long since forsaken “real magic,” inclining instead (quick successfully it seems) towards classic tricks and illusions. In Issue #1, we follow Zatanna to her main stage performance on the Las Vegas strip, where we are also privy to flashbacks of Zatanna in her youth on the fateful day that she used “real magic” for the first time, inadvertently causing her irritable childhood friend to disappear permanently. Though Zatanna may have forsaken magic, it seems like destiny and the inherent magical forces of reality are not through with her, as she is confronted in the final moments of her show with the arrival of an absurd,  long-limbed, fire breathing, behemoth- that looks strangely like her deceased father Zatarra. 

Part of the magic of this series is that it can be enjoyed by both fans new and old, effortlessly weaving a timeless tale that feels unique to our titular magical heroine. 

Let us dive into the latest issue, which means, 

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! 

Issue #3 begins with a hilarious exchange between the organization representing the hierarchy of magic, the Casters, as some of them regret not being able to see Zatanna’s magic show- which is actually really affordable. The Casters lament that their agent, the Stranger, wasn’t able to prove that Zatanna committed any magical crimes, which would have resulted in her merciful imprisonment as a dangerous rogue magical entity. 

Meanwhile, a similar investigation is happening at Zatanna’s apartment as she is a tested by an emissary from the “Order of Bunnies” who forces Zatanna into a harrowing, Lewis-Carrol fueled, psychedelic battle with a titanic cyclops rabbit called, “The Destroyer of Souls.” As the bizarre creature chases Zatanna, through what I can only describe as a pastel Monty Python animation universe, she is finally placed in a position where she must defend herself, with the only effective weapon she has- magic. 

At which point, Zatanna wakes up to find her room littered in bunnies and the “Destroyer of Souls” transformed into a cute bunny on her chest. Finally, our Bunny Emissary arrives at her point: Zatanna has a gift and she shouldn’t squander it. Faced with this challenge to her entire M.O as a magician, Zatanna does what she has always done and runs away. However, unbeknownst to her, she is followed by the floating eye of a new agent of the Casters who reports that Zatanna is in fact capable of “real” magic. 

Sitting inside of a cozy Las Vegas diner, Zatanna converses with our Bunny messenger once more, who clarifies her political position further with a magical demonstration explaining that the Casters only gained their power by stealing the magic of other magicians, a secret that Zatarra figured out personally. Moreover, it is revealed that Zatarra, though a prized pupil of the Caster’s, had also begun delving into forbidden magic that rivaled the power of the magical organization. All of which leads Zatanna to the horrifying realization that perhaps she stole her father’s magic. 

Zatanna doesn’t have much time to wallow in this apprehensive thought though, as she is apprehended by the Stranger who has been listening to the exchange. The Stranger and the Bunny Emissary argue for a moment about their ideologies as the bunny emissary insists that Zatanna is the key to stopping the Zatarra Demon hunting magic users, but they are both distracted by the sight of an unexpected patron at the diner- John Constantine. 

This issue does a masterful job of layering in necessary clarifying details as to the direction of this serpentine narrative, while remaining eye-catchingly evocative and true to form. It has been some time since the magical landscape and ensemble cast of DC characters has had its due, and I am ecstatic to see John Constantine added to this story examining the hierarchy and nature of magic. 

Please support this series and your local comic book store by picking up Zatanna: Bring Down the House #3 on shelves now! 

-Nicholas Aaron Hodge