Zatanna #3: ID NAM NI KCALB

Zatanna and co. are reeling from Agent Di Manes’ attack on Aede. As time runs out to find a solution to the entity’s madness, Zatanna heads to the underworld for a hail mary that could have dire consequences.

This is the final part to the opening Aede storyline, although it does lay down more threads for our intrepid Prime Magus to follow for the rest of the run. One thing that Jamal Campbell has done early that I don’t think is highlighted enough is his focus on more African and Caribbean forms of spirituality and mysticism. Outside of a few exceptions, these types of arcane arts are often not showcased with reverence in western comics so it’s good to see it shown here with a prominent white character. Zatanna’s interaction with Guede Nibo is both humorous and helps expand the magical world even further beyond what we’ve seen before. Di Manes also remains a solid antagonist and a good counterbalance for Zee. There still isn’t a clear idea what exactly he wants, but it’s obviously not good.

Campbell’s art remains a wonder to look at with his expansive uses of color and inventive, dare I say, mystical panel layouts, but there are times when the art can be a bit too ambitious. Di Manes and Zatanna’s battle for Aede is gorgeous, but there are times when the intricate layouts of the page make it hard to follow. A lot of visual noise takes up some pages, making for a somewhat less than ideal reading experience in a few spots but overall its nothing that will kill the book.