Zatanna #1 Review

It’s not a secret that I hate magic. There have been many attempts to get me into the magical avenues of storytelling, but even in the superhero world, I have avoided it for the most part. So my familiarity with Zatanna as a character is surface level from her time in Justice League Dark. But with Jamal Campbell taking the top hat of DC’s most magical girl in Zatanna #1, he’s made a believer out of me. I love magic when Campbell and Zatanna are involved.

We find our titular hero, Zatanna, after the events of “It’s Showtime” about to declare herself as the new Prime Magus. The Prime Magus is the one who oversees all of magic in all the planes of existence. The seat has been empty for over a millennium, so when Zatanna takes the proverbial throne, trouble awaits. Magic is changing, and there are many eyes on what’s to come.

Jamal Campbell previously wrote and drew a six-issue series for Zatanna, and, along with returning letterer Ariana Maher, this new #1 picks up from that series in a new, reader-friendly manner. It’s a plus to read that trade before this book, but it is not needed. It’s a team that makes everything pop in ways other comics just aren’t.

Jamal Campbell draws some of the best-looking comics, hands down. Every page is jam-packed with vibrancy at a new frequency. Being at the pen for both the writing and art makes so much of this issue move together as one strong narrative. The action moves so seamlessly between visuals and the dialogue because everything but the lettering is Campbell. There is one panel where a character’s body appears as a question mark, which made me so excited to see what creative spark comes from DC’s magic world.

There is a sense that Campbell is reshaping what magic can be in the DC Universe with some new ideas put forward in this issue. It’s all a fascinating exploration of the part of the DC Universe that I ultimately mostly ignore. With this being a Next Level book, I love that it has a lot of familiar elements and allusions to other characters, but feels its own thing wholly. The book has an identity that speaks for itself.

With Ariana Maher lettering the issue, they bring a unique sense of character to so much. Zatanna’s bubbles are rainbow-coded when she’s doing something more magical. It brings a unique voice to the characters’ letters and to the lead herself as well. The sound effects in the issue are stellar as well, with a smorgasbord of great sound effects throughout.

I was afraid of picking this one up to review, to be honest. I love Campbell and Maher’s work so much but Zatanna was never a character I drifted towards. With these two in charge of the magic show, I will be front row for as long as the show takes. I hope you’ll join me in checking out Zatanna #1 because I love this magic.