Zatanna #14 & Action Comics #902

Hey, check it out, I'm reviewing DC comics from A to Z! Get it? No? Eh. Whatever. Anyway, out of the DC comics I picked up on Wednesday, these are the two I'm expecting the most out of. Of course with this being DC, I could wind up being epically disappointed, but let's hope that's not the case this time...

Zatanna #14:

Summary: This issue starts off great with Zatanna finishing up a magic show with her AWESOME cousin, Zatara. Hell, this issue is ALREADY a 7 at least! After leaving the stage, Zatanna complains about all of Zatara's botches during the show, and his all around unprofessional behavior as they enter a limo. While Zatanna is complaining, their limo pulls up to Zatara's favorite after show nightclub, where he starts flirting with anything in a dress... HA! Needless to say, Zatanna is pissed about this and tries to tell Zatara as much, but he manages to sneak away while some muscle-bound goofs hit on her. After dealing with the goofs, Zatanna finds Zatara at the bar using some cringe worthy pick-up lines on a woman. Not wanting to be around for that, Zatanna begins to leave until she hears the woman give her name, Yuki-Onna, which apparently means Japanese succubus. Zatanna tries to get back over to Zatara, but it's too late and the succubus has Zatara under her thrall. From there we get a magic throwdown between Zatanna and the succubus, which is also using Zatara as a puppet, adding his powers to it's own. Realizing the crowd in the club could be hurt during the battle, Zatanna tries a last ditch trick and tells the succubus that she was giving up the battle for the sake of her cousin and the people in the club, with her last request being that she wanted to die by her cousin's hand. The succubus, not realizing that Zatara couldn't use his powers on living things, has him cast a spell on Zatanna to kill her, which backfires and frees Zatara from the succubus's grasp. Now weakened and without Zatara's added powers, the succubus fades away. Zatara wakes up with no idea as to what happened, and picks up right where he left off, hitting on the first hot woman he sees. Infuriated by her cousin's antics, Zatanna's night gets even worse as the muscle-bound goofs from earlier on return to hit on her some more.

Thoughts: Now THIS was a great comic! It was one of the best one and done comics I've read in quite some time. Hero and loved one get into a jam, hero has to outsmart villain to save loved one, villain is defeated and loved one carries on like nothing happened. The characterizations here were great, with Zatara being totally oblivious to everything, while poor Zatanna has to clean up his messes. Add just the right amount of good storytelling, comedy and good art, and you've got yourself a winner!

Score: 9 out of 10.I love Zatara!


Action Comics #902:

Summary: Superman attacks the Doomslayer for killing the Eradicator last issue, but is merely brushed away by the ultra powerful Doomslayer. Having proven that it could easily defeat Supes and his remaining Supes family members, the Doomslayer then goes on to do what any good villain should do, it reveals it's plan to the gathered heroes! God do I love comic book super-villains! The Doomslayer is an evolved version of Doomsday that wants to eliminate all Doomsdays from the universe, since all they were good for was running around destroying stuff. To that end, the Doomslayer intends on crashing it's massive space station into the Earth to destroy the planet since there were many people on Earth with intimate knowledge of Doomsday's DNA. The Doomslayer then goes to blast the unconscious Doomsday into oblivion, but Supes, ever the boy scout, leaps in the way of the blast with a piece of wall, deflecting the blast away from comatose Doomsday... Wait, that blast was supposed to kill Doomsday, but couldn't even breech a wall?! Anyway, Steel manages to hack into the Doomslayer's space station and realizes that he can't stop the station from crashing into the Earth, but that the Supes family could try to slow the station's descent, minimizing the damage. The Supes family does manage to slow the station's descent dramatically, so the Doomslayer readjusts the station's course, sending it directly towards Metropolis. Being a glory hound, Supes tells the rest of the Supes family to head down to Earth to help with any fallout while he finishes the job with the falling station. Supes manages to redirect the station into the ocean near Metropolis, sending a massive wave towards the city, which is contained by the combined efforts of Steel, Superboy and Supergirl. With his original plan ruined, the Doomslayer decides to set loose a mess of Doomsday clones to destroy the Earth, thus assuring that the people of Earth wouldn't be able to recreate Doomsday anymore.

Thoughts: Eh, I liked this one. It's basically what the Superman comics have been missing for the past year or so, Supes dealing with a menace so big only he could stop it. It didn't star Lex Luthor, Mon-El or Nightwing and Flamebird, it didn't have Supes aimlessly wandering the country or rebuking his citizenship, it was a good, old fashioned Superman comic book, and for that, I say thank you to Paul Cornell. It's about time SOMEBODY over at DC remembered what made Supes so great...

Score: 8 out of 10.Superman actually fighting a villain? In a Superman comic book?!? What's going on here?!