#seven soldiers zatanna

[aboutzatanna]

I noticed that Zatanna described herself as having a flaw that makes her “fall for losers.”

Notice that “loser” isn’t the same as “bad boy.”

She doesn’t like Bad Boys, she likes Losers. (According to Grant Morrison, anyway.)

But if we take this self-description as accurate, I feel like this can contextualize what she sees in the likes of Barry Allen, John Constantine, Bruce Wayne, her former manager, and that one guy from the Detroit Era Justice League of America.

How do you think she may understand “loser” in way that makes sense of these seemingly disparate attractions?

What do you think could be the source of this “flaw” based on her history?

I think it’s possible that to Zatanna, “loser” isn’t about being generally unsuccessful in life, it’s about striving despite a lack of success.

You have to actually try and fail at something to be a loser.

I think it’s a deep respect for men who can live in the space of being knocked down.

A respect for tripping and falling and rebounding with grace.

Might come from a the fact that it’s a kind of strength doesn’t allow for herself as a perfectionist stage performer.

Well, the panel itself is from Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison where Zatanna is attending therapy after royally screwing up by accidentally summoning an other-dimensional entity and also getting a group of fellow magicians killed whilst on an excursion to another dimension leaving her as the only survivor.

I don't think anyone has the best assessment of themselves when they are feeling extremely depressed and guilty.

You're correct in that if you look at her romantic history that most of the guys aren't losers (Batman, Barry Allen, Jeffery Sloan, Dale Gunn) but it is also obvious she has dated plenty of guys off screen and likely many she regretted dating:

Source: Zatanna: Everyday Magic

And also guys who couldn't handle her lifestyle:

Source: Zatanna: Everyday Magic

Maybe Hal Cook

And while she clearly craves a happy, fulfilling stable relationship, its also elusive because the world of magic is dangerous and has already taken away so many of her loved ones:

Source: Zatanna: Everyday Magic

If you look at her life; her mom disappeared when she was a baby, her dad went missing when she was barely out of her teen and she had to search for him herself, then she found out her mom was live only for said mom to die and her dad also died later on sacrificing herself for her.

It makes sense that someone like that would suffer from abandonment issues, be afraid of getting too close to someone, maybe even isolate herself from good people in life to keep them from getting hurt.

I remember there was a character named Ron in the Zatanna: Come Together mini series. I remember initially not liking the Ron character but upon re-reads realized that he is an okay dude, just not compatible with Zee and the relationship fell apart because Zatanna did not want to open up:

She hooks up with Joshua, the son of her mentor, Marsha in the series.

Marsha died whilst working with her coven and Zatanna to stop the Eldritch Abomination. And although the above panels show that Joshua still had affection for Zee and did not blame her, Zatanna's response "but it can be good with time" comes off as if she has already begun to push him away. Because of her guilt over Marsha plus not wanting to hurt him. Joshua didn't appear after this series which is a shame because I think he's one of the better love interests she's had. Plus his mom was a witch so there is an opportunity for him to have learned magic on his own. No good reason for him to be in limbo other than writers not remembering his existence.

[brainrotgoverner]

EZEKIEL MENTION!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a VERY obvious favorite <3

Best step-father in fiction I don't care they tried to make him his uncle or whatever <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[countdhracula]

Sideways Issue 7

[kitzatara]

Which aspect of Zatanna's power do you think is underutilized?

TBH almost every aspect of Zatanna’s power is underutilized. Consistently, all the time, always and forever. For starters every time Zatanna gets a significant power boost or realizes her true potential, it’s walked back, retconned, or just ignored a few months later without fail. Back when she left the Justice League in the detroit era after traversing the collective unconscious of all humanity and seeing “the godhead” it was revealed in the Spectre that it had been a trick by Wotan? Iirc he says it was an illusion he created with Zatara’s magic?

During JLA Black Baptism in the 90s? Early 2000s? She begins to lose her mind and transmutates the entire moon. The whole moon. Giving it wings, a giant eyeball, etc. a couple years later in the JLA run where she defeats Amazo the moon is headed for earth, Diana asks if she can stop it and she states she doesn’t have nearly that much power…. Despite the aforementioned ability to transmutate it. Even her defeat of Amazo she on panel states is red tornado’s victory despite her doing literally all the work.

In both JLD runs Zatanna is responsible for defeating the big bad’s of the series. Pralaya and the Upside Down Man respectively. (Technically Hecate too but) As soon as she defeated Pralaya and restored all of creation the damn continuity rebooted. Making it so it never happened. With the latest run, after she beat upside down man it’s revealed part of his power resides in her and potentially could lead to his return only for the death of the justice league event to completely scrap that plot line, restore the USDM and then nothing was ever done with that story again. (To date).

It literally happened this month where in Wonder Woman 9 Zatanna says she can’t help the super sons who’ve been turned into dogs by Circe because she states Circe is so powerful with magic going back to the gods despite literally having beaten and ubdone Circe’s magic in the past and also defeated gods in the aforementioned JLD runs.

The only really big one that hasn’t technically had a walk back is her 7 Soldier of Victory story and her defeat of Zor the reality warping time tailor, who she defeats by literally breaking the fourth wall and manipulating comic panels. However flashpoint happens right after that story. So for the New 52, it was like that story had never happened. It has since been referenced in the current rebirth continuity at least twice in the sideways comic and the knight terrors event of last year so we knownit is now canon. But it wasn’t for a couple years. And it’s a bitter sweet thing because while it hasn’t been retconned, it also is ignored and has not been expanded on. It’s never brought up how she can just casually reach past the fabric of her fictional universe and manipulate panels of the comics.

Reading all her stories you start to notice this frustrating pattern that is at this point almost a cycle. Zatanna starts off in a new story or continuity significantly weaker than previously shown, she gains a confidence boost and starts to come into her power, she then does a crazy mind bending powerful feat of magic. And then boom. Retcon, continuity shift, new event that erases the previous growth and lands her solidly back to square one.

like I mentioned in previous asks, Zatanna can do anything, not just because of her backwards magic, but she has the power to back it up. And she suffers not only from lack of creativity, and continuous attempts to nerf her so that she doesn’t outshine the more popular characters, but also from these continuous reboots and whatnot. And again power is not everything, her struggles to accept herself and grow into her confidence and deal with making mistakes is so fascinating and makes her victories all the more satisfying. But her power is literally disrespected at all levels. From scale, to the borderline fetishistic binding and gagging of her (despite doing magic without speaking multiple times in literally every continuity), and the constant resetting her back to square one.

it’s hard to pick one aspect of her powers that are underutilized because it’s all underutilized. And only in imaginative stories like 7 soldiers or JLD do we really get to see writers cut loose with her and their imagination, and they’re wonderful and so fun. I need DC to stop being afraid of letting her be an A-lister and treat her with the respect she deserves. Status quo be damned.

so yeah. Thanks for the ask!

[sailorsunnyfun101]

How would you react if DC made a series about the seven soldiers of victory??? 🤨

[dailydccomics]

kinda obsessed with her bodysuit and boots, very casual look to do crazy magic shit in Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #4

[viaov]

Stephanie Hans, Zatanna

[donnatroyprincessofthemyscira]

Art Credit to ?

[momachan]

"You want guilt? My name's Zatanna Zatara. I'm a spellaholic."

Seven Soldiers Of Victory; Book One. "Zatanna. Talking Backwards."

[radroller]

Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #2 “A Book in the Beginning”

Written by Grant Morrison, Illustrated by Ryan Sook and Mick Gray

[zatannasexywomancomp]

✨The Winner is...Future State !!🎩

The winners podium!! Future State in First, Young Justice in Second, and Seven Soldiers in Third!! Congrats to Future State Zatanna for being the sexiest Zatanna of 2023!!

Honourable Mention to BTAS for biggest comeback!

[aboutzatanna]

More Zatanna reprints on the way!

Buy 'em all! Vote with your dollar! Show our girl some love so that she may get a solo ongoing again!

[thevindicativevordan]

Similar to your analysis on Wonder Woman, what are your thoughts on Zatanna ? What should be her goal in life, her creed, her home base, etc... ?

erodA annataZ, ylisae ym dnoces etirovaf CD eniorehrepus retfa rednoW namoW.

Her greatest strength as a character is that she is at home among both the superheroes and the grittier Vertigo magical side. Magic in general at DC runs the spectrum from pure hearted Billy Batson serving as the Champion of Magic, to John Constantine sending a girl to Hell after a botched exorcism. That Zatanna can show up in either character's book and not feel out of place is a testament to her flexibility. You want to write a lighthearted Zatanna story with a comedic tone, have the Justice League poke their heads in, and generally show the playful/joyous side of magic? Zatanna works for that. You want to write a horror story that is all about exploring the dangers of magic, keeps the capes at a distance, and muddies up the morality of what is the right thing to do? Zatanna works for those stories also.

Thanks to her job as a travelling magician I don't think she needs a base, but if I were to give her a home city it would have to be Las Vegas. Too perfect of a place to put her, a city of casinos and theaters built up solely to serve as a tourist attraction that was funded in part by the Mafia? Even if Zee wasn't a performer herself, you could easily give Vegas a secret history as a hot spot for dark magic. With "Sin City" for a nickname would anyone even consider that a stretch to believe? Plus it fits her personality perfectly, a glitzy glamorous place that shines brightly, but has a hidden inner darkness.

Her personality is a key part of her appeal. Other than Harley, Zatanna is the highest-profile DC heroine with a "quirky" personality. Usually Zee delights in her magic, which differentiates her from her superhero peers. Superman doesn't go flying for the thrill of it, Batman isn't one to enjoy being a billionaire ninja, but Zatanna doesn't deprive herself of casting the odd bit of magic for fun. That makes her relatable, because let's face it: despite countless stories that bang on about the costs of magic, given the choice most people would rather have magic than be without it. Yes we get stories with sad sack Zatanna but that's not her default. She's a performer, a showwoman, she loves being in the spotlight and wowing the crowd. Can't do that if you're depressed all the time. Hell in my favorite "depressed Zatanna" story, Seven Soldiers, she's sad because her personal life is a mess not because she failed as a hero or because she's "cursed" with magic. Speaking of her personal life...

Yes it's toxic, yes Constantine is a bastard, and that's exactly why I like the two of them together. Mentioned how her strength as a character is she can operate with DC and Vertigo characters? That extends to her relationships too. You can give Zatanna the normal wholesome romance that every DC superhero usually gets, or you can give her the messy, drama filled romance with two toxic people that typically only exists in Vertigo books. My preference for Zatanna is that as a heroine she is on par with the Trinity. Call her the Sorceress Supreme or the Mistress of Magic, whatever the DC equivalent is, Zatanna is the top magic user of the current era. No magical threat is beyond her ability to handle, there's not a demon she can't bind or banish, a spell she can't unravel, given enough time. As a superheroine and magician, Zatanna is the greatest. In her personal life? She's a complete disaster. Suffers from an incurable case of broken wing syndrome where she has the worst taste in men imaginable. All her boyfriends are damaged beyond repair, yet she cannot ever stop picking up new ones and trying to fix them. No matter how many times you want her to get her act together and find someone who would be good for her, who wouldn't break her heart, Zatanna simply is incapable of that. When Constantine shows up again at her door, all you can do is groan, because no matter what those two are going to end up in bed together yet again.

Having said that, I should perhaps hypocritically clarify I don't want Zatanna to be defined solely by her relationships with men. Writers do her a disservice by constantly rehashing her daddy issues, as if that's the only possible story she can be a lead in. I've been vocally pro killing the Kents for Superman, but if someone wanted to bring Zatara back to life I would support that wholeheartedly. Why can't we get stories about her on the road touring, performing in magic shows, dealing with magical threats around the DCU Earth? Or a companion book to Batman/Superman that pairs Wonder Woman and Zatanna together? Seeing the friendship between Diana and Zatanna was one of my favorite parts of Tynion and Ram V's JLD runs. I want MORE stories of Zatanna and Diana working together.

Outside of the Leaguers I believe Zatanna is the character with the biggest potential to find a larger fanbase amongst the general public. Her depth and complexity as a character, the ability to tell stories with her you couldn't tell with other heroes, and the popularity of her closest Marvel equivalent in the Scarlet Witch, are what I point at to support my belief. All she needs is someone with the ability and willingness at WB/DC to give her a push.

[parajedesierto]

Ryan Sook, Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #2, 2005

[static-martini]

If you have an explanation for your preference, I'd love to hear it! Either in tags or reblogs <3

[venus-of-the-hrdsell]

I want to get into Zatanna comics but I’m not sure where to start. What series do you recommend?

Hello! Don't worry, I can give you a short starting guide + some recommendations on this post so you can read without having to dive fully into thousands of issues (unless you want a detailed guide of more appearances).

The usual go to for any beginner is Zatanna (2010) by Paul Dini. It's her longest solo comic (16 issues) and it fits as a stand alone.

If you are interested, I'm currently working in a masterlist reading guide of her appearances. Zatanna is a very old character, so a lot of her appearances are scattered as cameo and team books, so often finding what to read is hard. If you want to get a little further into her character, these options I'm about to mention are good as well. More under the cut because this is a long post.

- Secret Origins (1988) (volume 2) #27

Offers a summary about of Zatanna's origin in the DC universe. A bit old, so the scans can be blurry, but still a nice read.

- Zatanna Special (1987) by Gerry Conway & Gray Morrow

Zatanna gets contacted by the ghost of her mother Sindella, which leads her to travel to secret city of the Homo Magi with her manager. A lot of details about her background are revealed her, it's one of my favourite comics for her.

Zatanna: Come Together (1993) by Lee Mars & Esteban Maroto

Four issue mini in which Zatanna tries to get a fresh new start in San Francisco, temporally retiring from her superhero career. Unfortunately, she doesn't expect to find her stay disrupted by a supernatural threat infesting the city. Still one of my favourite comics of her and the art is amazing too. It also explores her background from her mother's side of the family, which is always good and underrated.

Zatanna: Everyday Magic (2003) by Paul Dini & Rick Mays (one shot)

We see Zatanna in her best moment as a famous stage magician in a long tour. She seems to be doing great, but she still fights to have an ordinary personal life. Things get complicated when her former partner, John Constantine, shows up on her life once again.

This is a fun story! It's Zatanna only Vertigo solo book. There are some poorly aged jokes and the art is not everyone's cup of tea, but it's a fun light hearted read for everyone.

Zatanna: Seven Soldiers (2007) by Grant Morrison & Ryan Sook

Zatanna attends a superhero support group. Her powers are weak and she finds herself in a low spot in her life, but the arrival of a mysterious girl pushes her to go on a tripe to find her father's missing journals.

This mini series is part of a bigger event written by Morrison called Seven Soldiers of Victory, but it can be read as a stand alone. If you want further context, I recommend reading the event, though.

I really like this comic, though. I wish we got to see more of Zatanna's mentorship role.

Black Canary & Zatanna: Bloodspell (2015) by Paul Dini & Joe Quinones.

A fun team up comic! It's an original graphic novel. I love Zee and Dinah's friendship.

Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace (2020) #15

A fun team up issue with Diana and Zee spending quality time together.

Justice League Dark (2011) (New52) & Justice League Dark (2018) (Rebirth)

Now, to clarify. I don't necessarily recommend the Justice League Dark books, but I'm incluiding them since most of Zee post new 52 appearances are in these two books which are...a mixed bag. Justice League Dark (new 52) wasn't of my liking with the exception of the last third of the whole book (Dematteis did a good job, probably the best out of the three writers heading the book). Earlier writers didn't know how to handle Zatanna, her personality is very watered down just as well as her abilities, and she isn't really given spotlight, leadership and full potential of her abilities until Dematteis takes the pen. I also don't enjoy how off was the characterisation of other characters of the book and the overall writing quality and pace, but that's a story for another post.

Justice League Dark (Rebirth) is a step up in quality from New52, but unfortunately it continues with the weird personality shift in Zatanna's personality and the a lackuster character design. As much as I love Diana, who is part of this team line up, I think Zatanna should have been given the leader role and the spotlight. Out of this book, I sincerely enjoyed Ram V's stage on the later half on this run, who deserved to stay longer on this title.

That said, you can take a look on these titles, but you know, at least you know what to expect.

Bonus: Graphic novels, webtoons and stand alone stories

DC's new talent showcase (2018)

Truth and Justice (2020) #7 - 9

Zatannna & the Ripper (Available for Free in Webtoon, still ongoing)

Zatannna & House of Secrets (Kids graphic novel)

Batman: Urban Legends (#11-16)

Johnny Constantine & Mystery of the Meanest Teacher (she's a co protagonist here)