If you were as obsessed with Jamal Campbell’s previous Zatanna miniseries as I was, you already knew this new ongoing was going to be something special. Issue #1 absolutely set the stage on fire, introducing the mind-blowing “Prime Magus” status quo where Zatanna Zatara takes her show to a dimensional stage, placing every magical realm under her personal protection. It was fantastic. Issue #2 keeps that exact same blockbuster momentum going, throwing our favorite magical girl right back into the spotlight while introducing a whole new crop of players to her ever-expanding world.
Title: Zatanna #2
Creatives: Jamal Campbell (Writer/Artist), Ariana Maher (Letterer)
Characters: Zatanna Zatara, Agent Di Manes, Papa Midnite, Elodie Arnette, Director Bones
Villain: The Plague Spirit, Agent Di Manes
Format: Ongoing Series
Our Rating: 9.1/10 Stars
The Brutal Truth Behind the “Prime Magus” Upgrade
We open in the Serpentes Shrine inside the Sea of Dreams, where shadow tides are threatening to take over. Snake-like monks are losing their minds worrying if Zee can conjure a spell in time. Naturally, with a little prep and some patience, she completely handles business: but not without leaving those snake monks with a stern warning.
I’ve gotta say, I continue to absolutely love Campbell’s design work for Zatanna. Even the Prime Magus look, which I initially thought was a bit over-designed, has totally won me over after seeing it in action for a few panels. I completely see the vision now.
But the coolest part of this sequence is how Campbell visualizes magic. He uses this awesome analogy where magicians see spells as a locked door, and the spells themselves are keys. If you have the right key, you open the door and cast the spell. If you don’t, you can pick the lock like Zatanna and other elite magicians do. But there’s always a consequence for messing with locked things. We see this firsthand when Zatanna has to purge herself of the toxic magic she just used. It’s a fascinating, gritty sight: like inviting vile bile inside yourself whenever you force open certain doors. Even with all the muckiness of that image, Campbell makes it look stunning.
Rocking Regular Clothes and Creepy Federal Agents
We get reintroduced to Agent Di Manes and his squad at the Department of Occult Affairs, and they are a complete trip. They look like the weird kids in middle school who listened to death metal and willingly called themselves satanists: really creepy and giving zero shits about it. But, with a leader like Director Bones in charge of the DOE, they don’t even look that out of place.
Flash forward to Memphis, and the cameos start hitting. We get Papa Midnite looking dapper, trading perfect jabs with Zee, and laughing like an absolute creep while musing about evil things. We also meet a new ally, the illustrious Elodie Arnette, who seems to be a ghost with a voice that reaches straight back into history. I also loved Campbell’s subtle nod to Preacher Boy from Sinners here.
The biggest takeaway is learning that the entity from issue #1 wasn’t just a random monster; it was actually a muse spirit that became heartbroken and turned into a plague spirit after its human muse passed away. Now, it’s turning musicians into monsters and killing them. What I love about Campbell’s writing here is that even as the Prime Magus, Zatanna doesn’t know everything. Music magic isn’t her forte, so she actively seeks out guidance from specialists like Elodie. It keeps her incredibly powerful without making her an all-powerful Mary Sue.
Visual Chaos and Lettering Triumphs
The art throughout this book continues to impress. I’m not going to undersell how gorgeous Campbell’s work is. He constantly wows you with these magical realms, bringing them to life with dashing, stylish colors that radiate awe and power.
There is a double splash page featuring Zatanna, Agent Di Manes, Papa Midnite, and Elodie Arnette that’s a total knockout. It’s messy, chaotic, and lush with blues, reds, pinks, music, gore, and magic. If I have to take points away, it’s only because a ton of the words are literally erased or obscured on the page, leaving you guessing at half of what’s actually being said.
And again, major props to letterer Ariana Maher for matching Campbell’s insane level of creativity. There are so many subtle touches that add to the book’s wealth of creativity, like the location effects in the top left of the pages, the vibrant pink used for Zatanna’s backward signature magic, the slanted singing text of the plague spirit, and Elodie’s ghostly blue speech bubbles.
Verdict: Should you Buy Zatanna #2?
Following up on the perfection of the previous miniseries and the stellar launch of issue #1, Zatanna #2 is another absolute knockout. I thought the plague spirit was going to be a quick one-and-done crisis, but giving him this much depth is a testament to Campbell’s incredible vision for what Zatanna means to the DC magical universe. I can’t wait to see what he pulls out of his bag of tricks next!
‘Zatanna’ #2 Review: Jamal Campbell’s Magical Masterpiece Keeps Soaring
Following up on the perfection of the previous miniseries and the stellar launch of issue #1, Zatanna #2 is another absolute knockout. I thought the plague spirit was going to be a quick one-and-done crisis, but giving him this much depth is a testament to Campbell’s incredible vision for what Zatanna means to the DC magical universe. I can’t wait to see what he pulls out of his bag of tricks next!
