It’s all led to this! When push comes to shove, what will Zatanna Zatara do? Will she face her demons, even if they’re her dad? Well, yes, she is a hero after all. Does that mean she has a plan? Nope! In the final issue of this miniseries, writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Javier Rodríguez lay their heart on the line and deliver one magical series finale. Although their time with one of DC’s most powerful magicians comes to an end, this story ends on a wonderful note that closes the book on one of the most successful DC Black Label books thus far.
DC
So much happens in the story, but to be fair, there are a few loose ends to tie up. Tamaki spends a lot of the issue focusing on Zatanna realizing her true power. And you might be thinking, “Hasn’t that been the point of the story?” And, well yes, but two-fold. In full, Zatanna: Bring Down the House has been about identity and the power within we all have. This is reflected well as we see Zatanna face her father.
While she and The Stranger take a trip down memory lane to when the story began, a few things become clear to Zatanna. First, she is incredibly powerful and always has been. Also, when she feels comfortable in her own skin, when she isn’t made to feel small, she’s at her best. What I really appreciate about this is that it’s a message many can resonate with. We might not all be prodigal magicians who can change the world with a few words, but we all have something unique to ourselves that’s ours. If that’s the message of the story (and I hope I’m understanding it correctly!), then Tamaki has done a brilliant job delivering a powerful story about people understanding what true potential lies within.
DC
While this issue doesn’t have a big bombastic battle between Zatanna and Zatara, it’s one of Javier Rodríguez’s best works yet. His manipulation of paneling gives it a psychedelic effect. One of the best examples of this is when some creepy monsters literally crawl onto the page, taking up its entire space. It’s so gross in all the right ways. This ends up making for a great contrast with a moment at the end of the issue, where Zatanna is making her grand entrance on stage. This moment is so lovely. In the best way possible, this page feels like a perfect emulation of Darwyn Cooke’s work, which feels very fitting to depict a moment such as this which feels a classic comic book awesome.
While we’ve seen Zatanna be put through the wringer throughout the series, these softer moments are perfectly placed to contrast that and emphasize her ability to bounce back. The colors help, naturally, to make the story pop. Rodríguez’s colors have done a great job in the book’s more eerie moments to shade the comic in with a more dark and ominous tone or to illuminate the page with vibrance. Altogether, this issue is a beautiful story that should captivate readers from start to finish.
Zatanna: Bring Down the House #5 is a perfect conclusion to this mini-series. While it’s sad to see a wonderful book such as this end, Tamaki and Rodríguez end it on a perfect note. I mentioned before I felt this story was a perfect encapsulation of A Hero’s Journey, and it’s safe to say that was the case. As Zatanna returns to the world, we once saw her in, things are different yet the same. She’s far more comfortable with her powers and it shows. By the end, it’s clear that she’s no longer in a league of her own and has decided to move past a life of solitude. Altogether, this book wraps up various loose ends well and works fantastically to be a modern origin story for the character.
You must be logged in to post a comment.