If you're anything like me, you've been waiting for Paul Dini's Zatanna for quite some time now. We know that Dini has an affection for the character that is unmatched, and thankfully, it shines through here with Zatanna's debut in her own ongoing monthly series.
What Dini sets out to do here is noble; right away he begins building up Zatanna's supporting cast with stagehands and magician's assistants. The opening splash page is delightfully misleading and likely sets the stage for the run that is forthcoming. Instead of focusing on the version of Zatanna we typically see embroiled in JLA drama, Dini approaches her on a personal level and gets her involved in a strange murder mystery that we wouldn't typically associate with the character.
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Overall, that's exactly why Zatanna #1 works so well. Yeah, Dini's got his typical spot-on dialog for the character, but it's his establishing of tone that really makes this feel like something brand new for Zatanna. The feel I got from this book is much like the one I got from Gail Simone's Secret Six or the short-lived Simon Dark: it's most definitely occurring in our beloved DCU, yet there's a certain quality to it that pushes it beyond a typical superhero comic in terms of content and voice.
Stephane Roux (Birds of Prey) gets a stab at another ongoing series, and makes his mark. His work is a stellar fit for Zatanna's madcap world. His basic cartooning skills are adequate, his penchant for the kooky and bizarre magical creatures that populate Zatanna's every day life are perfect, and he can sure draw one sexy lady in a top hat. My one complaint with Roux's work in the first issue is that some pages are just too populated. Sometimes it's too many panels and other times it's simply a matter of poor composition, but Zatanna #1 could have benefit from a bit of restraint on Roux's part.
For a book with so much personal hype behind it, I'm overjoyed that it truly delivered. Too often do I amp myself up on a book only to find myself enjoying it by sheer willpower. This time around, Paul Dini and Stephane Roux pulled the rabbit out of the hat.
