Zatanna #7: White Rolls, Bloody Ceiling

Zatanna’s next mission takes her to the frozen tundra of the Arctic Circle to investigate a grisly vampire attack perpetrated by an old foe. Blood spills, traps are laid, and Zatanna finds herself pulled into an ages-old war that could have catastrophic consequences for all involved.

The next arc of Zatanna takes a bit of a darker turn just in time for the spooky season with the return of The Lady White, the main villain of the previous Zatanna miniseries by Jamal Campbell (which I recommend you to read). The concept of vampires isn’t one often explored in DC as it is in Marvel, so including them is a fun change of pace, especially when Zatanna is involved. Tying it back to Campbell’s previous book is also a good look because the Lady White was a very good foil for Zee in that series.

Speaking of Campbell, he packs a decent amount of lore in this opening issue of the arc by expanding on the Lady White’s origins as a member of a race of all-white vampires, and the cult-like organization started by Van Helsing that hunts them down. There is a steady feeling of dread throughout the pages, as the story progresses similar to 30 Days of Night, just with some superhero magic sprinkled in. The Lady White’s plans this time around aren’t fully realized yet, but judging how she fared against the Prime Magus last time (who is still searching for a measure of revenge) things are sure to get even more bloody when its all said and done.

Yasmine Putri takes over the bulk of the art duties this issue (with Campbell providing colors and drawing a couple expository pages), and while their art isn’t as dynamic as Campbell’s there is still plenty to love here with great pieces of action, some gore, and some impressive visual scale.