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magnetgrrl's review against another edition
This comic was... bizarre. Is this just what crossovers looked like way back when? I think the writers are trying to introduce Zatanna by looping her into these mini-adventures with well-known superheroes but by the end, all we have are some really brief, half-baked, Bizzaro shorts with each JLA member and somehow Zatanna is still kind of a cipher. I get that she is close w/ her dad, and he's a magician, and so is she, and oh yeah they can both do real magic, and there's the whole 'spells = saying things backward' deal. But I also kinda already knew that about Zatanna - maybe I'm taking it for granted.
Here's the bottom line. I really WANT to like Zatanna. But her character is kinda blah, empty, boring. I can't believe someone as objectively COOL as Zatanna could be boring but it seems like we don't know anything about what she's really like. What's she into, what (other than her dad) does she care about, what does she love about magic, what does she hate about it? WHO is she into? What are her life goals? What does she really care about? How does she talk, and act? Quirks, mannerisms, foibles, etc. - People have been writing Zatanna for decades since this book, and still... it's a total mash of nothing. It's like those mashed potatoes from a box that taste like cardboard at best. I'm just, continually disappointed for such a cool character concept to be so woodenly executed. Like... fishnets just ARE NOT ENOUGH TO CREATE A PERSONALITY guys. It's a tease that never comes through. I think recent cartoons for kids (I'm looking at you, DC Super Hero Girls) have done more to characterize Zatanna into a real believable person than any previous comic. Maybe she'll get a fantastic makeover like 70% of the Bat-Family did after Batman: The Animated Series did such a great job.
But I'm jumping ahead and judging years upon years of Zatanna writers and stories when really I should just talk about this one book. Maybe it's the cause of all Zatanna's problems, that her intense search for her missing father is relegated to a hop skip jump cameo parade. Or maybe it's just that a lot of older comics weren't super heavy into any kind of plot or character development, let alone a weirdo grouping of mini-one-shots like this.
I think someone could re-write this entire story, and Zatanna's entire life, and make something really cool, if only they didn't have to fight against continuity in general and also of the 5-8 most popular DC superheroes and their own continuities.
Anyway. This is really short. And it's kinda hard to find - don't waste like $60-$400 online from some jokers trying to make a trade paperback collectible here. You can get this on a few online comic places or find .pdf scans or maybe get it at a library. Is it worth reading? Eh... how much do YOU love super old and cheesy DC stuff? I will say that the Hawkman/Hawkgirl story, the first one, is 100% the best. The split in half thing was actually pretty inventive and nifty.
Here's the bottom line. I really WANT to like Zatanna. But her character is kinda blah, empty, boring. I can't believe someone as objectively COOL as Zatanna could be boring but it seems like we don't know anything about what she's really like. What's she into, what (other than her dad) does she care about, what does she love about magic, what does she hate about it? WHO is she into? What are her life goals? What does she really care about? How does she talk, and act? Quirks, mannerisms, foibles, etc. - People have been writing Zatanna for decades since this book, and still... it's a total mash of nothing. It's like those mashed potatoes from a box that taste like cardboard at best. I'm just, continually disappointed for such a cool character concept to be so woodenly executed. Like... fishnets just ARE NOT ENOUGH TO CREATE A PERSONALITY guys. It's a tease that never comes through. I think recent cartoons for kids (I'm looking at you, DC Super Hero Girls) have done more to characterize Zatanna into a real believable person than any previous comic. Maybe she'll get a fantastic makeover like 70% of the Bat-Family did after Batman: The Animated Series did such a great job.
But I'm jumping ahead and judging years upon years of Zatanna writers and stories when really I should just talk about this one book. Maybe it's the cause of all Zatanna's problems, that her intense search for her missing father is relegated to a hop skip jump cameo parade. Or maybe it's just that a lot of older comics weren't super heavy into any kind of plot or character development, let alone a weirdo grouping of mini-one-shots like this.
I think someone could re-write this entire story, and Zatanna's entire life, and make something really cool, if only they didn't have to fight against continuity in general and also of the 5-8 most popular DC superheroes and their own continuities.
Anyway. This is really short. And it's kinda hard to find - don't waste like $60-$400 online from some jokers trying to make a trade paperback collectible here. You can get this on a few online comic places or find .pdf scans or maybe get it at a library. Is it worth reading? Eh... how much do YOU love super old and cheesy DC stuff? I will say that the Hawkman/Hawkgirl story, the first one, is 100% the best. The split in half thing was actually pretty inventive and nifty.
genmegusta's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
joeypajamas's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
miamollekin's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
themadmaiden's review against another edition
2.0
I know its old but I still think it would have been a better story if Zatanna didn't have to be saved by men the entire time.
The new stuff is so much better. But there are glimpses of it, even this early on.
The new stuff is so much better. But there are glimpses of it, even this early on.
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