Zatanna Zatara Mistress of Magic Appreciation Thread 2022

[Mai Zen]

For the first third (maybe half) of the JLD 1 run, you're right. But she develops over time and becomes the alpha of the team. Even Constantine looks to her. I need to go back and see which issue it was, but Constantine is leading them against whoever they're fighting and he decides it's a lost cause and bails. She basically takes over the team at that point and never looks back. That's why I enjoyed the first JLD, even though it started out frustratingly for her.

Thanks to Zee, my interest of history is rejuvenated. Currently learning about Italian history, especially about the Roman and Italian in Renaissance era. There is this one underrated Roman Leader, Aurelian that made me thinking about late game N52 JLD Zatanna. Aurelian is one of the Roman Emperor during period called "Crisis of the Third Century" (heh, could be a cool DC event name) where Roman civilization nearly collapsed as it divided, filled with backstabbing people, having economy crisis, plagued by widespread disease and pressured by the barbarians from all sides.

Against all odds, he manage to reuniting the Empire in its entirety, repelling all the barbarians incursion, and stabilizing the situation. Hypercompetent and bold, His successes were instrumental in ending the crisis, earning him the title Restitutor Orbis meaning "Restorer of the World". That title is just so majestic and good natured, I would like to see Zatanna bestowed with that beside as Mistress of Magic. Zee's essence of her tenacious resolve to show the good side of magic even thought she experiencing traumatic events and surrounded by brooding dark people in magic community are admirable. After all, she literally restoring the universes at the end of N52 JLD Book too xd

[Mai Zen]

Got the first glimpse of Zatanna in the upcoming Batman vs Robin event and spoilers:

she's hanging from her neck. The plot is some kind of a magic war unleashed by Damian. Constantine and Etrigan are affected as well. I will keep my fingers crossed because it's Waid but so far this event smells like stale fish.

end of spoilers.

Yeah shocked after watching the trailer. It's look like it's gonna be Batfam event. I hope that disturbing images are only nightmare. Wonder if this event is placed before the Death of Justice League event?

Anyway alternate cover for Batman vs Robin #3

Zee should go back to mindwiping criminals. It was a gold mine of interesting ideas that could've been explored more thoroughly. Unfortunately the only ones that got to benefit from it were Batman and catwoman. Their writers made such shitty decisions that degraded other heros so much that it was best to ignore it all.
I can't remember even one thing that was mentioned to be a good outcome of the mindwipes. Like they didn't even try.

The memory of Sindella death is still fresh on Zatanna, I kinda want to see how it's affecting Zatanna especially on how she will do everything to protect her family and friends. Also the guilts on the aftermath.

I'm glad thanks to that event Zatanna has Seven Soldiers story for her written by Grant Morrison. There She paying the karma for her sins and get up from her low points. Nice to see Zatanna dynamic with Misty Kilgore too, they empowering each other. I like that we see Zatanna magic knowledge is used there especially on issue 2. The final battle with Zor is creative and personal. I like that Zor impersonating Giovanni and Zee got great moments there.

Also a drawing of JSA and JLA team by Alex Ross.
The best lineup for me

[Edwin30]

The memory of Sindella death is still fresh on Zatanna, I kinda want to see how it's affecting Zatanna especially on how she will do everything to protect her family and friends. Also the guilts on the aftermath.

I'm glad thanks to that event Zatanna has Seven Soldiers story for her written by Grant Morrison. There She paying the karma for her sins and get up from her low points. Nice to see Zatanna dynamic with Misty Kilgore too, they empowering each other. I like that we see Zatanna magic knowledge is used there especially on issue 2. The final battle with Zor is creative and personal. I like that Zor impersonating Giovanni and Zee got great moments there.

It's ironic actually.
Morrison wrote JLA #1-4 where he had the JL mindwipe 70 white martians into thinking they were human and then he wrote Seven soldiers where he had Zatanna feel bad about mindwiping criminals.

Anyway, I'm excited to see what Meghan Fitzmartin writes about Zatanna.

I know she's been in a lot controversy for her take on Young Justice, Tim, etc but I hope she does something similar for Zatanna where she really sticks it Batman, Constantine and Zatara for some reason.

[Frontier]

How does everybody feel about the braided hair look?

[starduck]

How does everybody feel about the braided hair look?

Not a fan. It looks better down

[superduperman]

Yeah shocked after watching the trailer. It's look like it's gonna be Batfam event. I hope that disturbing images are only nightmare. Wonder if this event is placed before the Death of Justice League event?

Anyway alternate cover for Batman vs Robin #3





The memory of Sindella death is still fresh on Zatanna, I kinda want to see how it's affecting Zatanna especially on how she will do everything to protect her family and friends. Also the guilts on the aftermath.

I'm glad thanks to that event Zatanna has Seven Soldiers story for her written by Grant Morrison. There She paying the karma for her sins and get up from her low points. Nice to see Zatanna dynamic with Misty Kilgore too, they empowering each other. I like that we see Zatanna magic knowledge is used there especially on issue 2. The final battle with Zor is creative and personal. I like that Zor impersonating Giovanni and Zee got great moments there.

Also a drawing of JSA and JLA team by Alex Ross.
The best lineup for me

Can I just say how much I am digging the two Supermen there?

[Frontier]

Not a fan. It looks better down

Agreed .

[Shadowcat]

How does everybody feel about the braided hair look?

I could do without it, but it’s not a dealbreaker for me.

[John Venus]

Oh poor Selina. Look what the evil JL did to her. She doesn't know who she is. All the good she has done has gone to waste. She broke up with Bruce. Murdered black mask. Had a baby where the father is a mystery. Give up the baby.

It was such dirty tactic to garner sympathy like this especially the baby parts.

And in the end had Zee say - Oh you got it all wrong. You were already good when I mindwiped you. Sorry I didn't tell you that before.

I used "benefitted" as in benefitted from a extremely popular event (Identity crisis) to make themselves more interesting at the expense of making other heros look like shit.

I don't think Selina benefitted or became more interesting at all. Both Selina and Zatanna got character derailed by Identity Crisis.

Selina had a good arc under Brubaker and Cooke where she believably transitioned into a hero. The reveal that it was a mind wipe caused fan backlash and made no sense given her history. It also tainted Zatanna as well.

The OYL stuff with the baby was more 'carrot on a stick' style story lines where they at first lead you to think that Bruce was the father before revealing that it was Slam Bradley Jr instead.

The 'Selina was good all along' stuff was a band aid meant to undo the damage done to both characters due to IdC. Much like how Seven Soldiers helped rehabilitate Zatanna's character after the mind wipe revelation.

It's ironic actually.
Morrison wrote JLA #1-4 where he had the JL mindwipe 70 white martians into thinking they were human and then he wrote Seven soldiers where he had Zatanna feel bad about mindwiping criminals.

Anyway, I'm excited to see what Meghan Fitzmartin writes about Zatanna.

I know she's been in a lot controversy for her take on Young Justice, Tim, etc but I hope she does something similar for Zatanna where she really sticks it Batman, Constantine and Zatara for some reason.

Don't forget the later reveal that Bruce and J'onn both mind wiped Prometheus leading to the latter less competent versions of his character.

As long as she 'sticks it' to Constantine as well. It's way too easy to stick it to Bruce, since calling out Bruce's billionaire status and privilege is common and treat Constantine as some bad boy rebel.

How does everybody feel about the braided hair look?

I don't like it. But it's not deal breaker for me either.

[Edwin30]

The 'Selina was good all along' stuff was a band aid meant to undo the damage done to both characters due to IdC. Much like how Seven Soldiers helped rehabilitate Zatanna's character after the mind wipe revelation.

That doesn't answer - "Why Zee didn't tell that to Selina before?" They met twice before that. It had been over a year since they met. Why tell her now? It just further degraded Zee's character.

Seven soldiers didn't help much. She got 4 other magicians killed because of her foolishness.
It didn't tackle the mindwipe issue at all. It also came before JLA Crisis of Conscience where most of her troubles began.
Also I hate those kinds of stories where your sins are forgiven because you saved the world.

[John Venus]

That doesn't answer - "Why Zee didn't tell that to Selina before?" They met twice before that. It had been over a year since they met. Why tell her now? It just further degraded Zee's character.

There is no in universe explanation. It was a retcon because they mucked up both Selina and Zatanna with the mind wipe story.

[Shadowcat]

Wasn’t the Slam Bradley reveal an editorial decision, and that it was originally intended to be Bruce?

[Frontier]

New Webisode episode! The Mystery deepens!

spoilers:

"I'm Verified on twitter, so I'm not exactly a stranger to threats." - Okay, that's a perfect line. I'd actually love to see what Zee's IRL twitter would be like.

end of spoilers

[Daedalus]

I've been surprised with how much I've enjoyed this. I'm even reading ahead using the FastPass coins.

The mystery took a while to get going, but it gets more interesting with each issue and by now I'm quite curious.

[John Venus]

Wasn’t the Slam Bradley reveal an editorial decision, and that it was originally intended to be Bruce?

We don't really know. It could have been a bait and switch from the start with Slam Bradley Jr intended to be the father all along or it was originally meant to be Bruce but they changed their minds later on.