This review contains spoilers for Zatanna: Bring Down the House!
As Zatanna: Bring Down the House passes the halfway mark, she has gone through quite a few steps of a heroes’ journey thus far. As of this point, Zatanna, or Z, has introduced us to her ordinary world, (begrudgingly) had her call to adventure, and continuously refused this call. Next, Z is introduced to her mentor, of sorts. At this point, Z has still refused to accept even the possibility that she can perform real magic. She does tricks. Not magic! But that’s going to be pushed to the test here.
DC Comics
Zatanna has been pushed to her limits; She will not do magic! But, the Order of the Rabbits says otherwise! Yes, you read that correctly. Naturally, in a book about arguably the most powerful magicians, the rabbits are organized. Sort of. But anyways, the story focuses on Zatanna’s internal refusal to embrace the full depth of her powers. With the help of a friend with pointy ears, not him, this identity crisis is going to be challenged if she’s going to become a hero. This push/pull makes for an engaging internal conflict that inevitably ends up exploring not just the parts of Zatanna’s past she wants to ignore, but her father’s as well.
DC Comics
Mariko Tamaki’s exploration of Zatanna’s identity, as a person, a daughter, and as a magician have all been foundational to this mini-series. It has gone from slightly curt, to slightly curious, to downright ominous. Clearly, there are forces far beyond Zatanna’s wildest dreams controlling things she didn’t even know could be controlled. But all of these parts of her life have interweaved throughout the story because of Tamaki’s masterful storytelling. This book continues the trend of overlapping all of Zatanna’s mysteries and questions until it becomes clear to both her and the reader that these are all connected. Through this, the book’s pacing continues at a great pace thanks to the Black Label format, as Tamaki is able to add depth that otherwise she might not have had the page space for.
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This issue’s art is another masterwork from Javier Rodríguez. As both the book’s artist and colorist, Rodríguez does a brilliant job bringing the story to life to the best of its ability. This issue takes a bit of a psychedelic turn at one point, and Rodríguez’s use of brilliant line work makes this a treat like no other. This is only further elevated through his vibrant color palette, which helps to make some magical moments really pop off the page. One of the best moments that depict this is when Zatanna is introduced to the Destroyer of Souls. Wow. What a moment. This reveal is something, thanks to the spectacular art, feels and looks absolutely terrifying. Altogether, Rodríguez’s work does a spectacular job bringing the story to life and creates an enthralling environment from cover to cover.
DC Comics
Zatanna: Bring Down the House #3 is another slam dunk of an issue. If you’re not reading this story or have been on the fence about it, let this issue be the one to sell you on it! Tamaki and Rodríguez are creating something appealing truly special in this reimagination of Zatanna’s origin, and it’s a must-read for old and new fans alike. This issue continues to have brilliant storytelling and spectacular artwork which helps to further commemorate this book as a love letter to Zatanna. Moreover, this miniseries has been a joy from the very beginning, and the creative team behind it is delivering something magical.
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