Zatanna #12I have very much enjoyed the work of Paul Dini in DC Comics. I think he’s one of the best writers they have these days. Now, while I don’t think that means what it once did, as I believe DC has had a lot of issues with their writers of late, in this case I don’t mean that to be a diminishment of Paul Dini. He created Harley Quinn, and did a great job when he started Gotham City Sirens. But, he’s been off that book for some time now, despite his statement that he was returning to it “soon.” I also really think he’s done a great job with Zatanna. However, in addition to his vanishing from Sirens, Zatanna #12 is also the second issue with a fill in writer in just a year. I don’t know if his tv work is keeping him too busy, or if he’s got other projects on tap, but the overall effect is less of his work on “his” books.
Matthew Sturges is the writer on “Symmetry,” a one shot story with a thoroughly unlikable villain who calls himself Backslash. He has a magic sword that can rewind time for a moment, long enough to undo whatever someone’s most recent action was. It makes him hard to beat, when he can erase your attack. Backslash has a captured fairy he tows around with him for no real good reason, and he opens the issue by slaughtering some mer-folk who are using San Francisco’s Sutro Baths to relax in. One of the several points I will give Mr. Sturges in this issue is that he has a scene of Zee with her stagehand Mikey, practicing saying words backwards, so she isn’t at a loss for how to say something in combat. It’s a great idea, and I like it. About the only thing here that really doesn’t make sense to me is Zee changes into street clothes afterwards to go on patrol, which she does by flying. Think about this, if you want to occasionally be able to maintain a low profile, wouldn’t you do flashy things like flying in costume, and do your regular stuff in street clothes? Just a thought.
Zee finds the dead mer-folk ,and of course ends up fighting Backslash, who proves to be even more annoying be revealing he’s a wannabe rapper. The little Tinkerbelle-ish fairy proves to hold the key to this fight after Zee loses the first part, waking up tied to the Grant statue. The fae drops enough hints, and Zee starts speaking in palindromes. Since those are the same frontwards and backwards, Backslash’s rewind doesn’t undo anything, and she wins after several truly odd incantations. There are two funny bits at the end, where Zee keeps using palindromes and drives her friend, Detective Colton, away, shaking his head in disgust. She also frees the fairy, who tells Zee her name- in a story based on palindromes, what else would it be but Hannah?
I must admit, I liked this more than I thought I would. It was an enjoyable issue, and while I still hope Dini doesn’t fade off this book as he has Sirens, if he does, I nominate Mr. Sturges here to replace him. Sturges seems to have a good grasp of the character, used some clever bits in the story, and did something Dini hasn’t. This story had many small references to the sites in San Francisco itself. While I’ve enjoyed Dini’s stories, the city could have been any city, New York, Gotham, whatever.
What I like and what I didn’t:
The references to the city were well done, and the practice scene was brilliant. Zee, in my view, is a character best written with some humor, and that is done well here. We know she’s good with wordplay to cast her spells, and the palindromes were amusing, if verging on silly toward the end.
There were few things I didn’t like, really. I don’t like the trend of the Disappearing Dini, but as I said, Sturges more than made up for it. We get no back story on Backslash, where he got the sword, how it works, why he has Hannah the fairy. And the costume/street clothes thing really didn’t make sense. But it was a really well done issue, especially for a fill in.
A COMIC BOOK BLOG RATINGProsConsthe practice, the city refsthe costume change, no back story Rating90% You might also like...
Gotham City Sirens #18 Review
Gotham City Sirens # 17 Review
Zatanna #1 Review
Zatanna #11 ReviewBy BlogsdnaTagged with: Mathew Sturges Stephane Roux ZatannaLeave a ReplyClick here to cancel replyYour name (Required)
Your e-mail (Your email won't be published) (Required)
Your website
-->The Author
This post was added on 20 Apr 2011, 22:12 by Wayland who has contributed 291 posts to this blog.
InformationPosted in DC Comics, DC Comics BlogThis post has no comments yet. Write your own comment.114 views on this postSubscriptionSubscribe by RSS feed or by e-mail address to receive latest news and updates.
Subscribe by RSS feed
Hot topicsRecent TopicsMost ViewedMost DiscussedSmallville “Booster” ReviewDungeons And Dragons #6 ReviewUncanny X-Force #8 ReviewSupergirl #63 ReviewTeen Titans #94 ReviewGotham City Sirens #22 ReviewDeadpool Max #7 ReviewThunderbolts #156 ReviewThe Legion Of Super-Heroes #12 ReviewJustice League of America #56 ReivewBlake Lively Cast As Carol Ferris In Green Lantern viewed 62,508 timesTop 10 Best Superhero Movies Ever viewed 51,327 timesGreen Lantern Movie News: 5 Candidates For Carol Ferris viewed 38,875 timesTop 10 Hottest Marvel Heroines viewed 18,096 timesWonder Woman Movie: Brent Strickland Interview viewed 14,932 timesTop 10 Comic Book Girls I’ve Crushed On viewed 14,395 timesTop 10 Worst Marvel Superhero and Villain Costumes viewed 12,325 timesStar Sapphire Corps: Corps Profile viewed 11,487 times10 Non-Obvious Batman 3 Villains viewed 10,948 timesTop 10 Lamest DC Comics Villains viewed 10,585 timesGenecy #1 Review discussed 49 timesTop 10 Best Superhero Movies Ever discussed 36 times10 Non-Obvious Batman 3 Villains discussed 24 timesWhy There Can Never Be a Successful Batman and Robin Movie discussed 21 timesTop 10 Worst Marvel Superhero and Villain Costumes discussed 14 timesUncanny X-Force #5 Review discussed 14 timesTop 10 Lamest DC Comics Villains discussed 13 timesTop 10 Hottest Marvel Heroines discussed 12 timesRundown On Blackest Night Ring Promo discussed 12 times10 Needs For Smallville Season 10 discussed 12 timesAll Our Fear Itself Coverage
Fantasy Battle Tournament
See All Our Favorites From 2010!
Follow us on Twitter
All Our Comic Book Reviews
All Our Top 10s Lists
A COMIC BOOK BLOG wants to know…Are you sold on digital comics yet? Yes NoView ResultsMost Recent CommentsTommy on Wolverine #8 ReviewAziz on Favorite Comic Book Writers of 2010Victor Kutsenok on Dungeons And Dragons #5 ReviewJW on Dungeons And Dragons #5 Reviewbobcat on Top 10 Best Superhero Movies EverPopular TagsAvengersBatmanBlackest NightBrian Michael BendisCover of the WeekDeadpoolGail SimoneGeoff JohnsGreen LanternIron ManMarvelMatt FractionPreviewsreviewReviewsSiegeSmallvilleSupermanThorTVWolverineX-MenArchivesApril 2011March 2011February 2011January 2011December 2010November 2010October 2010September 2010August 2010July 2010June 2010May 2010Copyright © 2011 A COMIC BOOK BLOG. All rights reserved.
Powered by WordPress. Developed by Deluxe Themes
0 comments:
Post a Comment