Zatanna: Bringing Down the House #1: Arba Arbadak!

!yals ot ereh s’ehs ,yalp ot ereh ton si annataZ! Yes folks, Zatanna is back in the house, and Mariko Tamaki has us diving in the  deep end of the pool, taking us back to her childhood, up through her adulthood and it’s filled up with some glorious retro nostalgia art by the incomparable Javier Rodriguez! Giving us a new look at Zatanna, and how she got her start. So let’s get on with it! Or as Zatanna would say !ti htiw no teg s’tel oS

Zatanna is one of DC’s most recognizable magical characters, and DC has decided to give the powerful mage her own Black Label series for her 60th anniversary. Tapping Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodriguez as the creative team behind this deeper look into just who Zatanna is. One of the benefits this team has is that it’s a Black Label title, so they’re a tad more free to delve into some deeper themes than you can in a regular title, both thematically and artistically. Unfortunately not everything told in these Black Label books are considered canon, so I’m not sure if this will be a part of her story moving forward or not.

Zatanna’s history goes all the way back to the Golden Age, with her father’s debut being a backup story in a little known title called Action Comics #1, maybe you’ve heard of it. Zatanna, like her father before her, is a master of a magic that works by saying the words backwards, which is something that his daughter also is adept at. It’s not the only form of magic they use, but it’s usually depicted as one of their most formidable tricks in their arsenal. Mariko’s story doesn’t really focus on Zatanna’s magical parents, but instead is a coming of age tale exploring how she handled her innate magic abilities washing over her like a wave, in a way that could be compared to a mutant whose powers activate for the first time, as well as a story that takes place during the present facing an unknown malevolent force that seeks to take her down. What does this force have to do with Zee’s past?

We can’t discuss this story without mentioning the art by Javier Rodriguez. Javier’s art here is lush, and beautifully rendered. His depiction of Zatanna and her world here oozes with nostalgia, where his style could best be described as a love letter to a bygone era. His style here reminds me of Darwin Cooke, especially his work on the graphic novel Selina’s Big Score. The linework is fresh, and Rodriguez’s coloring here compliments everything masterfully,only  elevating the story.