Zatanna Zatara: Mistress of Magic Appreciation 2021

[John Venus]

Yeah, there has been no reason for why she wouldn't tell them and it is detrimental to her character, especially because she's suppose to be in some kind of leadership role, because she should tell them if for nothing else than so they could develop a contingency plan in the event she starts having problems containing him. It's like being a member of a bomb disposal squad and then not telling any of your teammates that you'ce got a live bomb inside of you.

I agree with you that it feels lazy because it's like "Why did Zatanna keep this a secret? Just because."

I'm indifferent to Zatanna in the JLD and even I can see her character's getting done dirty by the writing.

It's how dismissive she is over something this major.
"You're hurt I didn't tell you. Well, we're all hurt. He rattled me more than anyone."

Remember that bomb analogy? I'm bringing it back.
"Oh, you're upset that I didn't tell you that I had a live bomb inside me so it nearly went off and killed you? Well, it hurt all of us- but by the way, it was way worse for me!"

Yeah, it reflects very poorly on her. I hope there is more explanation in the annual itself but I'm not holding my breath.

I don't think Zatanna gels with the team as well as people think she does.

I'm not a Young Justice fan (disinterest, not dislike) so this is the only arc that I'm interested in because

• It'll likely include my favorite DC superhero (Doctor Fate)
• It'll likely introduce the character that opened the door for my interest in him (Khalid Nassour)
• I like YJ Zatanna, her story and want her to be able to succeed in freeing her father so she can at least have a few years with him (because it doesn't look like he has many left)
• I like the idea of Zatanna either playing mentor or getting her own magical possé.

I'm not the biggest fan of the Khalid Nassour Dr Fate but nice to see that he has fans as well.

I prefer JLD and Shadowpact to Sentinels of Magic. I think it's the Sentinel part that doesn't gel with me.

I'm not a fan of JLD name since it sounds like coffee order. Is there a Justice League Latte? Justice League Cappuccino?

I think Sentinels of Magic at least makes them a sense of purpose and power. Like yeah, this is the team of the baddest magicians in the DCU.

My own fanon name would be 'Keepers of Magic'.

I like her on the team. I don't know how accurate it is to the general characterization in her own books, but JLD has made me really like Wonder Woman.

Glad to hear you like her. I was a WW fan first and her being on the team is what got me to check out JLD.

I forget Ronnie and Zee are Jewish (unless they're just referencing Professor Stein). Although I think Zatanna being Jewish comes from that DC Bombshells comic?

Yeah, her being Jewish is straight from Bombshells. DC might be incorporating elements from that into the main canon.

I'm more surprised as Hal Jordan and Firestorm's inclusion. I already knew about Harley.

I just realized she could be both. Her dad is “Giovanni” so he could be Italian Catholic and if her mom is Jewish that would still make Zatanna an ethnic Jew via blood heritage from her mom (Jewishness comes from the mother I understand). Is that how it was handled in Bombshells?

Man we know so little about her mom, it’s usually all about her dad.

It's a shame since her mother has a very interesting backstory: her name is Sindella, she comes from the 'Hidden City' on the outskirts of Turkey which is basically a magic city populated by Homo Magi and hidden from the eyes of humans. Sindella was born with the Medulla Gem. The Gem serves as a power source for the city and Zatanna also inherited it. She met Zatara after the latter was injured in a fight with a supervillain near her city. She nursed him back to health, they fell in love and had a daughter. Sindella seemingly died in an accident shortly afterwards but in reality she was kidnapped by her people and became their prisoner. She psychically contacts Zatanna after she came of age in order to protect her from her people. The Zataras and the JL goes to Hidden City to rescue Sindella but the story ends with her dying to protect her family.

I'm leaving out a lot of the weirder stuff. It's a lot of interesting ideas but imo, the execution was lacking in many ways. That's why I would love to see this story revisited and retold in a modern way.

Sindella's ghost appeared a couple of times to warn Zatanna of upcoming threats but she all but disappeared in the 21st century except for a brief mention of her in Dini's ongoing. Her mother did appear in JLD but she had dark hair and not blonde hair and was not dead/missing during Zee's younger years. Maybe as well as have an entirely different character.


As for Zatanna being Jewish, that might be how some modern day writers or people internally at DC sees her nowadays. But she's already Italian Romani from her father's side and Turkic from her mother's side. Both are rich cultures to draw inspiration from for stories. DC could use some more explicitly Jewish character but I think it should be with characters who don't already have a pre established background.