Summary
- Zatanna's rich lore gets a twisted update in the new DC Black Label miniseries Bring Down the House.
- The first issue explores Zatanna's troubled childhood, including her relationship with her father.
- Zatanna: Bring Down the House gives fans an unprecedented look into her past.
Warning: contains spoilers for Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1!
Zatanna: Bring Down the House from DC Black Label. A fixture of the DC Universe for 60 years, Zatanna is a powerful sorcerer and one of the publisher’s most compelling characters. Now, Zatanna’s backstory, including her troubled childhood, are explored in the new series, giving fans new insight into her life.
Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1 is written by Mariko Tamaki and drawn by Javier Rodriguez. The issue is split between two time periods: her childhood and the present day. Young Zatanna had been told by her father to never use magic. When she does, she causes the death of one of her classmates. In the present day, a mysterious person who may or may not be the Phantom Stranger is watching Zatanna.
Something bad is coming for Zatanna, and it may have ties to the childhood incident as well as her father, Zatara.
2024 Is Zatanna's 60th Anniversary--And DC Is Celebrating in Style
Bring Down the House Will Redefine Zatanna's Backstory
Created by the team of Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, Zatanna is a second-generation hero, and a member of the Justice League. The daughter of the Golden Age hero Zatara, Zatanna has proven herself a formidable hero in her own right. She occupies a unique position in the DC Universe: not only is she a superhero, but also a highly-sought after entertainer. Zatanna: Bring Down the House explores her early years as a struggling stage magician, as well as her younger years, which have only been hinted at prior.
Zatana’s relationship with her father has been a hallmark of her character since her debut, and Tamaki and Rodriguez subvert this as well, hinting that she may have had a hand in killing him.
Bring Down the House reshapes Zatanna’s lore, taking advantage of Black Label’s “mature readers” label. In the DC Universe, magic has been portrayed as something not to trifle with, and carries serious repercussions. Bring Down the House’s first issue shows readers just how deadly it can be when a young Zatanna seemingly kills a friend. Zatana’s relationship with her father has been a hallmark of her character since her debut, and Tamaki and Rodriguez subvert this as well, hinting that she may have had a hand in killing him.
Bring Down the House Is a Great Introduction to Zatanna
Zatanna Remains a Compelling Character Six Decades Later
Zatanna: Bring Down the House is one of DC’s best first issues of the year, offering readers a never-before-seen glimpse into her formative years. Tamaki mines the depths of Zatanna’s psyche, showing the guilt that drives her and shapes her into a hero. Rodriguez’s art, which shone in Marvel's recent Defenders books, pops off the page here, showing the dark and dangerous world that Zatanna lives in. There is still a lot to explore about Zatanna and her lore, and Bring Down the House is shining a light on these dark corners.
Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!
Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1 (2024) |
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