Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Ryan Sook
2005
Grade: C
This is an interesting four-parter to say the very least. What I wish I had been aware of (and should have taken the time to find out) is that this is not simply a four issue Zatanna story but also an introduction to the larger Seven Soldiers story arc that Morrison would springboard from within. Not knowing that as I made my way through it today, I couldn’t help but feel that the narrative was relentlessly haphazard. In retrospect it isn’t as severe as I had first thought, but I can’t deny the experience of it as a rather confounding one.
The premise opens as Zatanna and those of a more magically inclined temperament have had ominous dreams of some coming dread thing, and, in order to help stave off the onrushing doom, she enlists several friends and acquaintances to help her travel across the magical realms to find four of her fathers missing tomes of arcane knowledge which Zatanna believes will aid in that fight. However, in a moment of loneliness several days before they were to begin their journey, Zatanna tries to conjure the man of her dreams. What she inadvertently does is summon a shapeshifting demon called Gwydion who proceeds to kill everyone that Zatanna brought with her to help find her father’s books. This is a rather potent tragedy and, were the remainder of the series about Zatanna’s quest to subdue the monster her folly had conjured and deal with the repercussions of her mistake, I think there could be a really powerful story here.
However, this is when the narrative introduces the character of Misty, a mysterious runaway with magic powers of her own and ultimately what I believe to be the main line narrative for the Seven Soldiers event. Zatanna agrees to take on Misty as an apprentice, for reasons that are not immediately apparent, and their first order of business is the speedy apprehension of the demon, Gwydion. I say speedy simply in that I was expecting this creature to be the focus of the story and instead he was apprehended swiftly in issue two. I was really pleased to see the inventive ways in which Ryan Sook chose to illustrate the looming presence of the demon as it stalked Zatanna
And it does a wonderful job of building tension toward the confrontation. Unfortunately that confrontation is upon us and over before that sensation can reach a proper fever pitch. The interlude does succeed in hinting at the presence of some larger villain (the prime role for henchpersons historically).
From there, the story wanders a little bit but not in an altogether unpleasant way. There are a few minor episodes; the first with a lesser demon called Tempter and the second with the ghost of Ali-Ka-Zoom. These are largely tangential, but they are reminiscent of Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore’s occult characters and worldbuilding. Their narrative value is ultimately crashing our lead characters back into the main storyline just in time for the finale and the coincidence of it requires either a forgiving reading or a shrug and acknowledgement that magic and fate were destined to bring our heroes to the place they needed to be.
It is revealed that Misty is an escaped princess whose step-mother ordered her execution at the hands of her huntsman, Neh-Buh-Loh, who finds himself unable to follow his orders on account of Misty's innocence and beauty. A Snow White reference buys more than a little affection from me, and I was glad to see it.
One thing I have noticed from some of these limited series is the deep love of the universe that some of these writers have. They reach so deeply into the forgotten corners and bring little-known, seldom-used characters and locals back to the forefront of the comic consciousness, and this is no exception. I had not heard of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, but was excited to learn that their first appearance was as early as 1941. Morrison also taps the DC well for things like Slaughter Swamp and villains such as Zor. I feel a little insufficient as several of these references went unnoticed originally, and it was only upon further reading that I realized how widely versed Morrison is with the DC comics universe. Despite my middle of the road reaction to this tale, I wonder if it isn’t worth the effort to read the whole series. It could color this reading in a much different light.
Two more things deserve a little attention before I close; the climactic battle with Zor and the character of Zatanna herself. As I alluded to above, the appearance of Zor might have had more impact to someone more well versed than I. In fact, there might be a series of well laid narrative hints throughout the text that presaged his sudden arrival. If there are, they were lost on me, and the moment fell horribly flat. That isn’t to say that the climactic battle wasn’t interesting in its own right. Ryan Sook does an admirable job on illustrating the abstract nature of magical combat
Allowing Zor and Zatanna to play out there battle figuratively rather than literally made it all the more engaging and left me wondering if in reality it all boiled down simply to two people trying to strangle each other to death in a rainy swamp
The denouement was perhaps less successful. After her victory over Zor, Zatanna is confronted by the Unknown Men or Time Tailors who actually make the comic panels of Zatanna’s universe, ensure its orderliness, and…coincidentally look just like Grant Morisson
(This smacks of the meta-narrative/multiverse fetish that so many comic writers have and which I find so insufferable)
By way of thanking Zatanna for subduing a rogue member of their order, Zor, they allow her to see her father again, and he reveals that his missing books were not literal texts, but truths written into Zatanna’s very being. There might have been some impact in this were it not for the fact that the books had not been mentioned since the first issue, and even though I read all four issues consecutively, I had completely forgotten them as a plot point.
I will say that I enjoyed Sook’s art throughout. While not perhaps my favorite of the new school, I thought he gave a fitting air to the scenes and, though only utilized in a few frames, pulls some real emotiveness from a show business super heroine.
The last feature in need of discussion is Zatanna herself. Frankly, there is really not much character work here as I’m sure Morrison had larger fish to fry with the coming on of so large a project. There is a great moment of tragedy early on as she recounts the deaths of those who offered to help her find her father’s texts, but that moment neither lingers nor follows her through the rest of the story. I’m not sure what it is about Zatanna that draws the affection so. In both Tamaki’s work and this, Zatanna is a reluctant magic user with tragedy attached to her use of power, but she is also a performer, a person with a desire for attention and perhaps even validation. There’s meat on this bone, and I think further reading and self reflection is required.
Ultimately, there is a profound appreciation for the DC comic universe here and an honest effort to bring something new into it. While this doesn’t really land as a character study for the title hero, it does explore a little of her self doubt and the complexities of her relationship with magic. Also, it seems to set the table well for the narrative to come and, despite the heavy handed use of magic-techno speak, the dialogue is crisp and natural. A definite stop for a Zatanna fan, I imagine a must for anyone interested in the full Seven Soldiers line, and competently constructed.
Comments