My Rating
“Zatanna the Magician!”
Sometimes you hurt the ones you love. Zatanna and her talent agent, Jeffery Sloane, had just returned to her father’s mansion after a grueling magic show audition, when they were attacked by one man they counted on the most. Zatara, once a loving father and respected crime fighter, did not seem to recognize his own daughter. Deadly conjuration spells begin flying towards Zatanna and Jeff as they dodged around inside the great hall of Shadowcrest.
His eyes! Zatanna had never seen her father’s eyes look so crazy. It was as if the world’s greatest magician had seen the devil himself. Before the mistress of the mystic arts could counter any of Zatara’s magic, both Jeff and Zatanna began fading from the mortal plain. A teleportation spell! But where was her father sending them? In the next few minutes they would find out just how much trouble the mad magician had put them in.
What demonic forces have corrupted the mind of the Earth’s most famous magical crime fighter? Will Hollywood talent manager and part-time comedian, Jeffery Sloane, be able to handle his own with a sword? Just how powerful is the daughter of Zatara?
“The Great Houdini”
Writer Carl Gafford pens this half-page profile feature about the most famous stage magician to ever escape from a straight jacket, Harry Houdini. From his early years as an up-and-comer stage performer, to his ongoing battle to expose fake mediums and fortune-tellers, this was an interesting elevator pitch about the man who brought illusionists into the mainstream. It’s definitely worth reading.
“Conjuring Through The Ages”
Here is another wonderful article on the history of Conjuring. Carl Gafford provides the readers with several details on the evolution of “Natural Magic”. Those of you who are interested in the subject of stage magic will love this article.
“The Case Of The Real Gone Flash!”
The future holds no bounds, but the present has all the spectacle. This is one lesson the time-traveling magician named Abra Kadabra would learn after leaving the high-tech world of the 64th century for current day Central City. Why will no one pay attention to him or his miracles?
It’s as if the criminals get all the media coverage in this archaic society. And who is this crime fighter named Flash? He seems to attract a lot of attention to himself. Abra Kadabra formulates a plan to boost his recognition. Time to steal some stuff!
Is Barry Allen prepared to deal with forces outside his time and comprehension? Will Abra Kadabra find a day for his big magic show that doesn’t conflict with popular events? Can Flash break the speed of light? Collect the series to find out!
“Magic Tricks You Can Do”
DC Comics provides the readers with three fully illustrated sleight-of-hand tricks that anyone can master. So roll down your sleeves kids and DC will show you how to hide a coin or two. This is fun for all ages.
Reviewer Notes
In my opinion, DC Comics began to focus on their hokey, over-simplified comic book scripts around the mid 1970s. I don’t know if the change was due to the very popular “Super Friends” television show, which premiered in 1973, or something else entirely. Whatever it was, I never found the core characters very engaging. So, when I began reading DC Super-Stars #11 this week, I had no real expectations other than I wanted to find out more about the Zatanna character.
I’m a fan of DC horror titles, so characters like Madame Xanadu of “Doorway to Nightmares” fame, Baron Winters and his Night Force, and fringe weirdos like Ragman have held my interest over the years. After reading this book, can I say the Zatanna story is comparable to those darker titles? Not exactly. However, this was not written specifically for children either. With Jeffery Sloane’s quick wit, Hollywood references, and dad jokes, I would say it lies somewhere in between. I did find the magic world of Zatara and Zatanna very intriguing.
In the realm of sorcery of such giants as Doctor Fate and Black Adam, it would be interesting to find out just where Zatanna falls on the power scale. For now, I will have to settle on this fun little side event. I give Zatanna and Barry Allen’s Flash four out of five stars. This book should be mandatory for every classic DC fan out there. Go get it if you can!
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