Zatanna
She can transform into practically any disguise, teleport herself anywhere in an instant, and even turn enemies into swine—all through casting spells by speaking words backwards. In this alternate standalone story of the mystic DC universe superheroine Zatanna, Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Skim) and Javier Rodríguez (Batgirl: Year One, Daredevil) bring a new spin on the sorceress supreme in Zatanna: Bring down the House.
This alternate story begins with a spotlight on Zatanna as a young teenager attempting to perform a classic cups and balls trick. Through sleight of hand and manipulation, she manages to make the balls vanish, but fails to bring them back, prompting jeers from a nasty bully who taunts her relentlessly. Fast forward to the present day, and Zatanna appears on stage in Las Vegas conjuring forth a series of illusions. One evening, she spies a mysterious stalker in the audience who has been attending her show consecutively for a week. This stranger identifies herself only as “Stranger.” Meanwhile, back at her apartment, Zatanna runs into another green-haired girl with bunny ears. Who are these characters and why are they appearing at every turn? As the mystery deepens, all roads lead to her late father Zatara.
Reminiscent of scenes spiraling forth from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Tamaki and Rodríguez conjure up a tale of magic and mystery ensconced in a dream-like world. While Zatanna is bereft of all supernatural powers (she continually asserts, “I do tricks, not magic”), fantastical occurrences unfold spontaneously: In the middle of one act, a monstrous demon upends the theater stage; a swarm of rabbits pops up in her apartment; even the cynical wisecracking conjuring magician John Constantine pays her a visit at a diner. Fragmented memories of her domineering father haunt her dreams, which lie at the heart of these deep-rooted mysteries. A noir-like, gothic quality mixed with surrealism and vibrant psychedelics permeate flashback sequences and liminal spaces, strategically rendered through quarter to full-page panels. Rodríguez’s artistic flair blends beautifully into plot, revealing glimpses into Zatanna’s childhood as she wrestles with demons from the past and reactivates her supernatural powers. An added bonus in the back matter features variant cover designs and a handful of character sketches to round things out in this self-contained story.
Quirky characters and a darker version of Zatanna’s father cloaked in mystery and shadows punctuated by flashbacks of Zatanna’s adolescence as a foster child add layers of complexity that expand the mythos of this longstanding mystic of magic, supplementing adult graphic novel collections with a unique foray into the supernatural.
Zatanna Bring down the House
By Mariko Tamaki
Art by Javier Rodríguez
DC Black Label, 2025
ISBN: 9781799500803
Company Age Rating: 17+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation: Japanese-Canadian,
