Zatanna has gotten herself stuck alone in an unknown time–six billion years ago, before science believes the Earth was even created.Magic is raw in this age, and simply thinking about something–or someone–can make it real. Naturally, Zatanna starts to see a whole bunch of stuff that isn’t real.
J.M. DeMatteis does a great job of dramatizing Zatanna’s grief at the loss of her father in this issue. In team books, it’s common to see creators focus on characters like Swamp Thing and Deadman for drama, since their stories are so fraught with bizarre tragedy. Zatanna has a lot of sadness within her too, but it’s a more human kind, something that anyone who’s lost a family member can understand. It’s easier to empathize with her than a murdered guy who’s been cursed never to pass through the gates of Heaven. For all its mystical craziness, DeMatteis’ JLD is still grounded in compelling human stories. DeMatteis has said before that he has big plans for Zatanna, so it’s nice to see plenty of groundwork being laid.
Less compelling were this issue’s layouts. A book as grounded in fantasy and magic as JLD deserves some more inspired pages than simple six-panel grids. The one notable exception is a nice two-page spread of Zatanna and Zatara flying together over some of Zatara’s flashback panels. Still, though the presentation may have been pedestrian, I can’t fault guest artist Tom Derenick’s flair for the dramatic, as his wrapup in the issue’s final pages–showing Zatanna lost and alone in a barren, slowly disintegrating landscape–is wildly evocative.
Get the full review on The Raibow Hub (click here)
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