Zatanna Zatara Mistress of Magic Appreciation 2023

[superduperman]

I bought that BTAS Zatanna figure from DC Direct when it came out, and they sent me a Ra's one instead. Was a nightmare trying to get them to send me the correct one.

That's kind of a big screw up there. Sounds like yours got crossed with someone else's order.

[Edwin30]

Which one do you prefer?

A) Zee hides her magic from the world. She uses real magic in her shows and calls it stage magic. She's a superhero who protects the world without the public knowing about it. She is sometimes seen hanging around the heroes in civilian clothes. Her enemies know she has powers but keep themselves from outing her secret.

B) Zee doesn't hide her magic from the world. People come to her shows to see a combination of real and stage magic. She's a well known superhero and member of the Justice league. She's been seen multiple times using her magic in public to protect the world from danger.

[Edwin30]

I prefer B) but lately the writers seem to chose A) for some reason. They tie her origins with batman so much that they don't see how it's harming her. They turn Zee and her dad into con artists just so little Bruce can learn that magic is real.
They've incorporated the BTAS origin into the comics without a second thought. The BTAS origin worked because Zee and her dad didn't have any powers and Bruce came to them to learn escape artistry. In the comics, the writers use the same reason for Bruce to meet the Zataras but they make the Zataras hide their magic.
Tynion, Ram V and Zdarsky are responsible for this.
How dumb can they be? Zee never had an alias, she never wore a superhero costume and she never wore a mask. Her identity was always public knowledge.

I think this problem could've been seen way earlier if Zee was the sole focus instead of being a part of a team or someone's origin.

[Frontier]

I think it's fine that she's a public hero but she doesn't really market herself as using real magic in her show because it kind of defeats the point of stage magic. I'm not sure how consistent it is but it seems like she relies on typical, practical, magic instead of her actual magic for shows until the end.

[John Venus]

Which one do you prefer?

A) Zee hides her magic from the world. She uses real magic in her shows and calls it stage magic. She's a superhero who protects the world without the public knowing about it. She is sometimes seen hanging around the heroes in civilian clothes. Her enemies know she has powers but keep themselves from outing her secret.

B) Zee doesn't hide her magic from the world. People come to her shows to see a combination of real and stage magic. She's a well known superhero and member of the Justice league. She's been seen multiple times using her magic in public to protect the world from danger.

Zee uses real stage magic 99% of the time but occasionally she throws in a little dazzle. The audience thinks she's either a metahuman making the utmost of her ability or they think she is a normal human who is faking it with gadgets or they argue over which one of her acts were real magic and which ones were fake.

I like the Zatara's having real skills anyone can learn like escape artisty, cardistry, sleight of hand tricks mixed with superhero fantasy magic.

[superduperman]

Which one do you prefer?

A) Zee hides her magic from the world. She uses real magic in her shows and calls it stage magic. She's a superhero who protects the world without the public knowing about it. She is sometimes seen hanging around the heroes in civilian clothes. Her enemies know she has powers but keep themselves from outing her secret.

B) Zee doesn't hide her magic from the world. People come to her shows to see a combination of real and stage magic. She's a well known superhero and member of the Justice league. She's been seen multiple times using her magic in public to protect the world from danger.

This one just because it feels like cheating to have a magic show and use real magic. Half the fun of a magic show is trying to guess how the magician performed the stunt. It takes some of the fun out of it if you know real magic is involved. Although I don't like the idea of her being a public figure at all. She assists the JL when they need her but for the most part she isn't a "public" superhero.

[Edwin30]

This one just because it feels like cheating to have a magic show and use real magic. Half the fun of a magic show is trying to guess how the magician performed the stunt. It takes some of the fun out of it if you know real magic is involved. Although I don't like the idea of her being a public figure at all. She assists the JL when they need her but for the most part she isn't a "public" superhero.

Zatanna not being a public figure is just unnecessary. You could go the DCSHG route where her real name is Zee Zatara and she wears a different outfit for superheroing but that's too different from her actual origins.

[Edwin30]

I think the whole "use of technology to make it look like magic" concept has been overdone. Everytime they insert some techno-babble to justify not calling it magic. Be it nano-machines, holograms, meta gene or alien tech/ anatomy.
It's like if they use the word magic, their whole world will come crumbling down in a world full of unusual supernatural things.

[starduck]

Which one do you prefer?

A) Zee hides her magic from the world. She uses real magic in her shows and calls it stage magic. She's a superhero who protects the world without the public knowing about it. She is sometimes seen hanging around the heroes in civilian clothes. Her enemies know she has powers but keep themselves from outing her secret.

B) Zee doesn't hide her magic from the world. People come to her shows to see a combination of real and stage magic. She's a well known superhero and member of the Justice league. She's been seen multiple times using her magic in public to protect the world from danger.

B for sure I prefer her being the face of dc's magic heroes

I prefer B) but lately the writers seem to chose A) for some reason. They tie her origins with batman so much that they don't see how it's harming her. They turn Zee and her dad into con artists just so little Bruce can learn that magic is real.
They've incorporated the BTAS origin into the comics without a second thought. The BTAS origin worked because Zee and her dad didn't have any powers and Bruce came to them to learn escape artistry. In the comics, the writers use the same reason for Bruce to meet the Zataras but they make the Zataras hide their magic.
Tynion, Ram V and Zdarsky are responsible for this.
How dumb can they be? Zee never had an alias, she never wore a superhero costume and she never wore a mask. Her identity was always public knowledge.

I think this problem could've been seen way earlier if Zee was the sole focus instead of being a part of a team or someone's origin.

I think this is more to fit JLD's vertigo-lite tone and them being seen like freaks or whatever, though imo it doesn't make much sense like in Tynion's JLD Diana and Zatanna always butted heads about the magic and superhero worlds not getting along but a lot of magicians including Zatanna herself have been part of superhero teams and the Justice League fights magical threats all the time, with or without Zee. but otherwise I agree, Zatanna needs the focus to be on her asap, I hope she gets a solo instead of being thrown in jld again.

[Mai Zen]

Which one do you prefer?

A) Zee hides her magic from the world. She uses real magic in her shows and calls it stage magic. She's a superhero who protects the world without the public knowing about it. She is sometimes seen hanging around the heroes in civilian clothes. Her enemies know she has powers but keep themselves from outing her secret.

B) Zee doesn't hide her magic from the world. People come to her shows to see a combination of real and stage magic. She's a well known superhero and member of the Justice league. She's been seen multiple times using her magic in public to protect the world from danger.

I choose B. Giovanni and Zatanna as pioneers for magical community to be proactive is great. But what the reasons of magical heroes and villains to be rather hide in plain sight? Trauma over witch-hunt?

[Frontier]

Is it so much hiding that she's not advertising she's using real magic in her stage shows? If anything appearing with the JL probably adds an air of mystique/publicity.

[Vordan]

By Kath Lobo

[Frontier]

By Kath Lobo

Spectacular !

[Mai Zen]

I love it when Zee playfully tipping her top hat

Is it so much hiding that she's not advertising she's using real magic in her stage shows? If anything appearing with the JL probably adds an air of mystique/publicity.

It's reminds me of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer who using her origin mystery to attract audiences. She posed as a Javanese princess, pretending to learn and immersed about India mythology. Long short story the air of mystery aid her publicity

[Edwin30]

I think this is more to fit JLD's vertigo-lite tone and them being seen like freaks or whatever, though imo it doesn't make much sense like in Tynion's JLD Diana and Zatanna always butted heads about the magic and superhero worlds not getting along but a lot of magicians including Zatanna herself have been part of superhero teams and the Justice League fights magical threats all the time, with or without Zee. but otherwise I agree, Zatanna needs the focus to be on her asap, I hope she gets a solo instead of being thrown in jld again.

It's like they want to write about magic but don't want to use the magical characters.
Mark Waid is doing that right now with Batman vs Robin and Lazarus pit.