Written by Paul Dini (lead feature) & Adam Beechen (back-up feature)
Art by Cliff Chiang; Pat Brosseau; & John Kalisz (lead feature); and Jamal Igle; Robin Riggs; John Kalisz; & Pat Brosseau (back-up feature)
Cover Art by Stephane Roux
SUMMARY:
Entitled “Stringleshanks,” this issue was published by DC Comics for March 2011. An infuriated Zatanna Zatara is held captive in her hotel room by a psychotic living marionette that has escaped from a magic museum. Breaking free, Zatanna knows that ex-puppeteer Oscar Hampel had been transformed into a marionette by her late father, John Zatara, after killing a man and holding her hostage years ago.
Reluctantly, she considers Hampel’s version of these past events. Haunted by her own poor judgment (and that of her father’s), Zatanna sympathetically escorts Hampel to her Shadowcrest manor home to break her father’s curse upon him. Yet, is all what it seems?
In an eight-page flashback entitled “Brace Yourself,” a teenage Zatanna is mortified leaving the dentist’s office wearing braces. Waiting at a nearby mall, Zatanna tries to stop a gun-wielding hood who has already shot someone. Unable to speak magic, it’s up to her ingenuity to improvise another way of snaring the fleeing crook. Her incredulous father might be willing to grant Zatanna a ‘last request’ before a two-year sentence commences of wearing braces.
REVIEW:
Somewhat improbably, Zatanna’s compassion (and latent guilt over her own mind-wipes of villains) overrides her well-founded suspicions re: this vengeful marionette stalker. After being held captive by a knife-wielding puppet, could Zatanna really be that gullible?
To writer Paul Dini’s credit, he leaves enough ambiguity to make it worthwhile for readers to see this peculiar storyline play out. The art team does commendable work supporting Dini.
The back-up tale from writer Adam Beechen is an amusing treat re: young Zatanna’s magic being hampered by braces. Both well-played and well-illustrated, this tale suggests that these flashbacks would be a promising bonus to her solo series. Artist Stephane Roux’s spot-on cover image adds an extra asset to the enchanting Zatanna # 9.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Including a potential cover, there’s a six-page preview of DC Universe Online Legends # 1. Accompanied by a posed photo with DC cosplay actors, DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio pens a note to fans in the single-page “DC Nation” column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
