Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

From his original co-creation of Harley Quinn for Batman: The Animated Series to the other fabulous females he developed throughout the DC Animated Universe—including Harley’s paramour Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Batgirl, Lois Lane, Supergirl and, of course, Roxy Rocket—no DC writer has so perfectly captured the essence of so many of the DCU’s iconic ladies. Fortunately, Dini has brought that same talent to chronicling the comic adventures of these characters on titles like The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, Gotham City Sirens and Zatanna, my suggestion for anyone who read the debut issue of Jamal Campbell’s new ongoing and is looking for a little more magic in their life.

DC’s resident real-magician-turned-stage-performer, Zatanna Zatara, or Zee (as she’s best known to friends), has captivated readers since her first appearance back in 1964’s Hawkman #4. But few share the love for the character as much as Dini, who scripted her in the 1993 B:TAS episode “Zatanna” before writing the 2003 one-shot Zatanna: Everyday Magic and launching her first ongoing series in 2010.
 

The Premise:

The 16-issue run of Zatanna—the majority of which was written by Dini and is collected in a trade paperback called Zatanna by Paul Dini—finds the charming Zee juggling the life of a stage magician with that of a superhero. As always, she casts her spells by saying them backwards. (Not every schoolkid can have Superman’s physique, so Zatanna’s talent has long made her a favorite of younger fans.) The run falls squarely within the horror genre, as the Mistress of Magic battles all manner of otherworldly threats. Things kick off in her hometown of San Francisco, when Brother Night decides he wants to control the city’s human and supernatural underworld. He’s assisted by Fuseli, a demon with the power to turn people’s dreams into nightmares. In the tales that follow, Zee faces a playboy sorcerer determined to marry her and a plethora of terrifying puppets, among other chilling foes. As she explains, “There’s no police these creatures fear, no law they obey, and no jail that holds them.”

That’s where Zatanna comes in.
 

Let’s Talk Talent:

On Zatanna: Everyday Magic, Dini found the perfect artist for Zee in penciler/inker Rick Mays. In his ongoing Zatanna, Dini was equally fortunate to collaborate with some of DC’s then top artists, each of whom is famous for their work on other superheroines. Harley Quinn and Power Girl artist Stephane Roux illustrates the first three issues. Roux is followed by New 52 Harley Quinn artist Chad Hardin, New 52 Wonder Woman and Catwoman: Lonely City’s Cliff Chiang and Supergirl artist supreme Jamal Igle. All of them—backed by a variety of inkers and colorists—bring out the mirth of the character while offering a smorgasbord of grotesque imagery sure to please horror fans of every persuasion.
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

  • To this day, there’s no better intro to Zatanna than Dini’s run. And there’s no better way to maximize your enjoyment of it than kicking things off with the Zatanna: Everyday Magic one-shot, which is included in the Zatanna by Paul Dini collection. Looking for even more of Dini’s Zee? Then you’re in luck, as his 2014 follow-up graphic novel Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell, with artist Joe Quinones, is also a lot of fun.
     
  • At a time when many comics scribes were starting to play the long game, Dini’s longest story arc is only four issues, making for an easily digestible binge. Things never get overloaded with the weight of backstory.
     
  • Are you a comics aficionado who prefers your comics in print in impressive hardcover collections? You’re discovering Dini’s Zatanna at just the right time. Zatanna by Paul Dini Omnibus, a 720-page hardcover collection that includes even more of Dini’s Zatanna comics than the currently available edition, lands in stores next week.
     

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

Everyone loves a kickass heroine, especially one with magical powers who doesn’t take herself too seriously. As he’s done throughout his career, Dini provides the perfect blend of humor, heart and heroism and creates a Zatanna Zatara that all students of the dark arts can enjoy. Daer ti won!
 

Zatanna by Paul Dini, also featuring the work of Adam Beechen, Stephane Roux, Jamal Igle, Chad Hardin, Cliff Chiang and more, is available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers as a softcover graphic novel. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Look for the new Zatanna by Paul Dini Omnibus in stores on May 5th!

Joseph McCabe writes about comics, film and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Instagram at @joe_mccabe_editor.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joseph McCabe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.