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Zatanna (2010-2011)
Zatanna (2010-2011) #1
Zatanna Zatara has long made her home in San Francisco, but right under her nose a sinister threat has a crime boss who dominates the criminal underworld with the dark powers of magic! The terrifying Brother Night is making his play for San Fran, and the police force turn to Zee for help!
24 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2010
6 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Paul Dini
726 books714 followersPaul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Batman Beyond and Duck Dodgers. He also developed and scripted Krypto the Superdog and contributed scripts to Animaniacs (he created Minerva Mink), Freakazoid, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. After leaving Warner Bros. In early 2004, Dini went on to write and story edit the popular ABC adventure series Lost.
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 27, 2021
Interesting first look into this world.
May 14, 2025
As part of the DC Comics Official Discord, I read this book and answered these questions for the book club:
1. We’re introduced to some of the darker corners of the DC Universe right away, including demons and dark magic. How do you feel about the tone of this book? Does it feel like it fits in with the broader DC Universe, or is it carving out its own supernatural lane?
I legit believe that anything could fit within the DC universe, it is such a vast world that any genre can play a part in it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t stand out as its own thing among the other supernatural stories. When it comes to the supernatural side of the DC universe I’ve really only branched into Moore’s Swamp Thing and the beginning of Hellblazer. Compared to my prior ventures, this offers a much light hearted tone…Zatanna even jokes about Spectre going on a rampage while standing amidst a bunch of dead gangsters. Everything is a stage for Zatanna and she remains a show woman at every turn. Her powers are also nothing to shy away from compared to other mystical users, she is able to come in with a light hearted tone even while standing against a soul trafficker because she can back it up.
2. We meet a few supporting characters, allies, and antagonists in Book One. Which new or returning character did you find most intriguing, and why? How do they complement or challenge Zatanna?
To prepare for this I actually went back and read Dini’s one shot Zatanna comic, which left me pleasantly surprised to see Numie return in a supporting fashion to Brother Night. It made it even better when the witch Zatanna described in that comic as a “parasite who perverts the very nature of magic,” was turned into a snail when Zatanna was the intended target. Zatanna’s misdirection constantly at work. But who I find the most intriguing is Brother Night and Dale Colton. Dale sets himself apart from others because of his admittance to the world they live in, he does not shy away from challenging the mystics and capes that exist in the world, which seems to be in stark contrast to the other cops he works with. This complements Zatanna extremely well, especially as he is well researched enough to know to turn to her for help. Brother Night on the other hand is already infamous enough to have his story very well known to Zatanna, and he even brings in other lackeys like Numie or Teddy that Zatanna knows a lot about already as well. Not only that, but he also knew her father who continues to act as her greatest mentor and a giant hole in her life with his passing. From his power to his connections he offers the ultimate challenge for Zatanna as something she cannot just speak away.
3. Zatanna and other characters mention her father, Zatara, frequently throughout the book. Do you think this will have a larger role in the long run? What role do you think that her father will play in this story?
No doubt in my mind, I think Zatara will have a bigger impact on the story, especially as Brother Night personally knew him. This brings so many questions by itself, did they butt heads before he turned into the ghoul we know today, or was it before? Zatanna references that they were never friends, and Night refers to that as a loss on Zatara’s end. What exactly went down between them, and now that Night is taking on Zatara’s greatest legacy and the person who has overtaken him in power…there is no doubt that will come up. I am not sure if Zatara will ever play a role from beyond the grave in this story, but I do think his effect will consistently be from the standpoint of Zatanna trying to live up to everything he taught her.
4. If you had magical abilities like Zatanna’s, how would you use them? Would you focus on helping others, protecting secrets, or exploring the mysteries of magic for personal growth?
I haven’t had the same upbringing as Zatanna, maybe if my dad was a world traveling magician I would ultimately hit the stage as well, lol. But I like to think that the moral compass I do have would keep me away from a life of crime and the desire to use others to make myself powerful, and I would instead spend my time exploring the world and helping others along the way. Especially if the Justice League came calling.
1. We’re introduced to some of the darker corners of the DC Universe right away, including demons and dark magic. How do you feel about the tone of this book? Does it feel like it fits in with the broader DC Universe, or is it carving out its own supernatural lane?
I legit believe that anything could fit within the DC universe, it is such a vast world that any genre can play a part in it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t stand out as its own thing among the other supernatural stories. When it comes to the supernatural side of the DC universe I’ve really only branched into Moore’s Swamp Thing and the beginning of Hellblazer. Compared to my prior ventures, this offers a much light hearted tone…Zatanna even jokes about Spectre going on a rampage while standing amidst a bunch of dead gangsters. Everything is a stage for Zatanna and she remains a show woman at every turn. Her powers are also nothing to shy away from compared to other mystical users, she is able to come in with a light hearted tone even while standing against a soul trafficker because she can back it up.
2. We meet a few supporting characters, allies, and antagonists in Book One. Which new or returning character did you find most intriguing, and why? How do they complement or challenge Zatanna?
To prepare for this I actually went back and read Dini’s one shot Zatanna comic, which left me pleasantly surprised to see Numie return in a supporting fashion to Brother Night. It made it even better when the witch Zatanna described in that comic as a “parasite who perverts the very nature of magic,” was turned into a snail when Zatanna was the intended target. Zatanna’s misdirection constantly at work. But who I find the most intriguing is Brother Night and Dale Colton. Dale sets himself apart from others because of his admittance to the world they live in, he does not shy away from challenging the mystics and capes that exist in the world, which seems to be in stark contrast to the other cops he works with. This complements Zatanna extremely well, especially as he is well researched enough to know to turn to her for help. Brother Night on the other hand is already infamous enough to have his story very well known to Zatanna, and he even brings in other lackeys like Numie or Teddy that Zatanna knows a lot about already as well. Not only that, but he also knew her father who continues to act as her greatest mentor and a giant hole in her life with his passing. From his power to his connections he offers the ultimate challenge for Zatanna as something she cannot just speak away.
3. Zatanna and other characters mention her father, Zatara, frequently throughout the book. Do you think this will have a larger role in the long run? What role do you think that her father will play in this story?
No doubt in my mind, I think Zatara will have a bigger impact on the story, especially as Brother Night personally knew him. This brings so many questions by itself, did they butt heads before he turned into the ghoul we know today, or was it before? Zatanna references that they were never friends, and Night refers to that as a loss on Zatara’s end. What exactly went down between them, and now that Night is taking on Zatara’s greatest legacy and the person who has overtaken him in power…there is no doubt that will come up. I am not sure if Zatara will ever play a role from beyond the grave in this story, but I do think his effect will consistently be from the standpoint of Zatanna trying to live up to everything he taught her.
4. If you had magical abilities like Zatanna’s, how would you use them? Would you focus on helping others, protecting secrets, or exploring the mysteries of magic for personal growth?
I haven’t had the same upbringing as Zatanna, maybe if my dad was a world traveling magician I would ultimately hit the stage as well, lol. But I like to think that the moral compass I do have would keep me away from a life of crime and the desire to use others to make myself powerful, and I would instead spend my time exploring the world and helping others along the way. Especially if the Justice League came calling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2020
Look, if a comic can make me forget about life for twenty minutes it gets 5 stars. Kapeesh? Zatanna by Paul Dini is truly engaging and fun stuff. It ain't gonna change or blow up the world. It's just a really pleasant read that goes by quick but is savored nonetheless.
And we have a cool adversary for Zatanna to tackle. Brother Night is basically an occult Joker and I'm fine with that. He looks scary and that's all that matters.
Zatanna herself is somehow more compelling because of her OP nature. I'm always waiting around to see what else she can do. It's a fun magical window into a crazy world. All my chips are in on this property. Zatanna's "badass" moments seal the deal. She owns her sexuality and walks around like a ticking magic bomb who at her core is still remarkably compassionate. This ain't easy, but she makes being merciful seem like a badass thing to be. In a world where revenge is good enough fuel for the fire, it helps to have heroes who can still make "being kind" as something worth kicking ass over.
AND the art... it's kinduv amazing!
And we have a cool adversary for Zatanna to tackle. Brother Night is basically an occult Joker and I'm fine with that. He looks scary and that's all that matters.
Zatanna herself is somehow more compelling because of her OP nature. I'm always waiting around to see what else she can do. It's a fun magical window into a crazy world. All my chips are in on this property. Zatanna's "badass" moments seal the deal. She owns her sexuality and walks around like a ticking magic bomb who at her core is still remarkably compassionate. This ain't easy, but she makes being merciful seem like a badass thing to be. In a world where revenge is good enough fuel for the fire, it helps to have heroes who can still make "being kind" as something worth kicking ass over.
AND the art... it's kinduv amazing!
April 10, 2021
A new comic, a new character I know nothing about. That said, she seems pretty cool and I enjoyed it. Her speaking backwards messed me up, because reading right to left is natural to me, but then the word order isn't right to left and it gets confusing xD
September 18, 2025
if zatanna has no fans im dead
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews