Scribble #154

Writing Exercises

Kaira was tying up the twine of her next package. She was in her kitchen, her small boxed delivery on the table, dappled by the morning sun streaming in from the window, and she leapt up just as she put the last touches to her pretty twine bow.

    She picked up the package and rushed to the door, where there were hooks nailed to the side, and there hung her sandy leather satchel, and her straw boater hat, with a sky blue ribbon tied around it, in an even bouncier, bonnier bow than the twined package. Kaira put the latter in the satchel, which she then slung over her shoulder, and glibly lifted the hat from its hook and stepped out into the sunshine.

    Judging the day to be a good, breezy one, she put on her hat, and skipped to her derby riverboat, in the calm, sparkling, trickling river just across from her cottage. She jumped on board with the practised, careless grace of a dancer, and once she regained her balance, she breathed in the fresh river air, and looked at the lush, verdant trees by the bank.

    Time to deliver a present, she thought.

    After working ceaselessly to turn on the engine, its loud, rumbling vibrations music to her ears, skin, muscles and heart, she ran back on to the deck, and held on to her straw hat. Feeling the full power of the sun and the sky, she prepared to set off, the wind and boat both her friends.

Linda bolted out of her dressing room, breathing hard and frantically, blood dripping from her pale, porcelain hand. It cut deep, in so many ways.

    She shut the door behind her and leaned against it, shaking, shuddering, shattering.

    What have I done, what have I done? I can't go on.

    These thoughts raced and fought in her mind.

    I can't go on.

    But it was her last curtain, her last performance at the opera, and she couldn't be late. Not now. Especially not now.

    So, taking a final, deep, long breath, she wrapped her soaking red hand in her black dress, and composing herself, with a straight, stiff back, she set off for the stage.

    The bright, hot, overhead lights silently judged her, condemned her.

The little child just realised that her mum wasn't holding her hand. Mum wasn't next to her either. Or in front of her, or behind her. Everywhere she turned, everywhere she looked, there were strangers' legs, coming and going, pushing her about, not seeing her, or not caring she was right in front of them. She was so small, and they were so big. She couldn't see or hear her mum anywhere. People were all around her and too close, and she had never felt so alone. She was sure her mum was with her a second ago. She was sure - she hoped - she was still in the mall. The crowd full of strange people was so close, and she could hardly breathe. For the first time in her short life, she began to panic. She wanted to cry and scream, hoping her mum will find her again. Should she stay put, or move to a space with less people, and be easily spotted? She didn't know. She was rooted to the spot, ready to burst into tears, and demand that reality return to normality, and her mum appear and hug her, soothe her, make her safe again. Make life familiar again.

    There is nothing worse for a child than being lost.

    Marooned. Helpless. Alone. Unseen. Unknown. Unsafe.

Unfinished Stories

Public Service Announcement 2026

You know "woke"?

There's no such thing. It's never been a thing. It's made up. It doesn't mean anything. It's a formless, vacuous idea - a buzzword used desperately and exhaustively by arsehole haters who don't want to grow up, learn and accept that the world does not revolve around them. And in forcing a fabricated, easy-to-say "evil, no-no" word on everyone, to their own end, they will try to bend reality to their will and make the world revolve around them; make everything about them.

It's an inexplicably lazy go-to word invented and thoughtlessly spearheaded by people who stubbornly don't want to change their biases and prejudices, and their limited, stagnant, complacent and "safe" worldview, because of their own egos. They are scared of being wrong - for nothing is more important to these narcissists than winning and being right - and of having to sincerely apologise, and change and adapt - improve themselves - to fit into the modern, progressive world.

"Woke", in the negative, is a sinister, reactionary political device and agenda, coined by liars, fraudsters and conmen - and by anti-intellectual philistines and po-authoritarians - who profit from not accepting reality as it is. Who rely on people not being decent and having common sense (and not receiving proper education) in order to thrive and survive.

The idea of decrying something as "woke", and other terms of its ilk, was purposefully created for societal regression, and the encouragement of bigotry and violence, that should have lessened, gone out of fashion, and ended decades ago.

"Woke" is just like "feminist" and "political correctness" and "social justice warrior" before it - ideas that by their very concept have nothing bad about them at all - they all represent human truths, freedoms, and improvements - but they have been twisted into aversive, adverse words - like the plague, or actual slurs, which of course the hateful right wing would not object to so vehemently as "woke ideas and agendas" - by arseholes who like being arseholes and who want to stay arseholes.

And I will keep on saying this, loudly and forever if I have to:

Everything is political. Everything has always been political - you just didn't pay attention before, and you didn't think "progressive politics" and trying to make life better for everyone (oh the horror), and "wokeness" inconvenienced you before, even though it doesn't and it never did. You're just being selfish, narrowminded, uncaring and unempathetic, and are stuck in your head in your dangerous and unhealthy hate spiral. And you are being political in affiliating yourself with the hateful, harmful side of it, or if you are indifferent to it, you are condoning the crimes and atrocities against humanity that that side is wilfully committing, heedless of the consequences.

In a dangerous and damaging "us vs them" mentality and culture, and in "picking sides", think about who is profiting from this division:

It's the hateful, fascistic party, the bad faith tools and pundits, and the capitalist multibillion dollar corporations, who do not care for humanity and the world; they only care about themselves and continuously filling their own pockets with money, at everyone else's expense. Even at the cost of millions of lives.

But according to the the hateful, the selfish, the greedy, the deceptive, the cowardly, the bigoted - the worst of the right wing politically minded - that doesn't matter, as long as the 1% is happy and content, right? Keep brownnosing for those who literally do not care whether you live or die!

Though the carefully crafted illusion of the rich and privileged being happy and content is just that: an illusion, a lie. For they are paranoid and distrustful, without end and respite. They are always afraid of the bubble bursting, and losing their money and security - their ill-gotten gains granted them by a corrupt, unfair and biased system. Everything they do is a financial risk to themselves and others. Such is the fragile and unreliable capitalist system, that relies on the stubborn, egotistical, thoughtless and dangerous will of narcissists, sociopaths and criminals to keep functioning. But that bubble will burst eventually; it's in its nature.

It's these people who try to make equality look like a bad, dirty word. Because inequality benefits them and their privilege, and they know it.

Isn't politics supposed to be about caring for, aiding and helping others? Regardless of privilege? What happened to that? It got corrupted, like everything else, in an "ever-growing" capitalist society.

Partisan politics are arbitrary. At worst they are petty and childish. They are not and never have been helpful to anyone, and they still continue to tear our society apart, with propaganda, lies, hate and fear, at the expense of love, caring for other human beings, and empathy.

People are people. Individuals who are trying to live their lives, just like you.

All this is to say: Remember to be kind.

Remember you are human, and so are other people - your fellow humans; your fellow, different individuals (and that's a good, natural thing!). Be kind to them. Be kind to yourself.

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, for who they are.

Remember you are important; you matter, and you are worth it. You are loved.

Love will always exist, even if our current society cannot find ways to exploit and profit off it, and thus forcibly render it obsolete - render humanity itself obsolete.

I will always rather be "woke" than an angry, bitter, narrowminded, cowardly, and violent bigot, who refuses to listen, learn, and improve and help oneself and others.

Never be afraid to do the right thing.

Whatever the bad-faith say, your voice matters, and you will be heard and listened to.

Therapy is a healthy and happy alternative to a violent, reactionary lifestyle choice, too.

It is better to create than destroy. This has always been the way of human progress in history.

As has unification, unionisation, and togetherness, and not division and segregation.

Read links here, here, here, and here for more.

Graphic Novel Review - 'Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy' by Jadzia Axelrod (Writer), Amancay Nahuelpan (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colourist), Alex Guimarães (Colourist), Carrie Strachan (Colourist), Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Letterer)

I'm glad I gave 'Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy' another chance, after a library read a couple years ago.

Sure, it is rather scattered, messy and confusing. But all its LBGTQ+ and POC rep in a DC comic cannot be overstated enough. Its humour and banter are on point and freaking hilarious. Its action scenes are stunning, and they help to build and develop the characters as much as the narration, inner monologues, and dialogue. Furthermore, its artwork is absolutely brilliant and fabulous, reminiscent of classic, old school DC comics - now with progressive themes and characters!

I knew next to nothing about Hawkgirl/Kendra Saunders before reading 'Once Upon a Galaxy', but I commend Jadzia Axelrod for writing her as cool, stubborn, sympathetic, three-dimensional, and a badass (as well as every other aspect of the author's writing in this comic).

Kendra Saunders is a Cuban American human being given godlike, dimension-defying wings and powers - not to mention the memories of thousands (more?!) of past Hawkgirls before her, and their haunting ghosts - to contend with, along with her own complicated and tragic past. She is also written to be assessable to new readers of her character, despite some confusion and gaps about her origin and the (now dead?) characters whose loss she is dealing with.

Hawkgirl is a reincarnated goddess - often compared to an angel, like her previous lives lived- who is very much human, in her past and her present. She has a galaxy's swirl of identity crises. She is not Thanagarian ('Aren't you Thanagarian?' 'I'm Cuban.' - one of the many funny exchanges in the comic). As if repeatedly dying and saving the universe isn't hard enough on her.

However, through socialising and healing, as her individual self, Kendra - the girl with a kettle around her heart, the whipping girl (these two are what the villain calls her), the Morningstar mace girl, the Daughter of Hawks, the Knight of Nth World - will form bonds and connections again, and be her own person, with a group of queer women, both superhero and civilian.

However however, the main draw - the reason I wanted to reread 'Once Upon a Galaxy' - is Galaxy.

Human name Taylor Barzelay, she has come a long way from her awkward and troubled beginnings in 'Galaxy: The Prettiest Star' and later 'Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story' (Dreamer is mentioned once here). This is Galaxy's best appearance so far. She is a young, optimistic, slightly naïve, adorable, preppy, peppy and successful superhero, partnering herself up with (and buttering up) Hawkgirl, to contrast with the latter's more morose and cynical loner persona.

Galaxy, a comic relief girl made of stars who befriends a hawk, is synchronously smart, brave, determined, and never gives up. She is like a purple, turquoise-haired trans lesbian Starfire. With a talking robot corgi sidekick, Argus, who is the Skeets to her Booster Gold.

It is in 'Once Upon a Galaxy' where I found out that Galaxy is in fact trans. In her origin, it was not merely that she had to disguise herself as a human boy on earth, before she "came out", but she was assigned male at birth on her doomed home planet Cyandii, and she apparently came out before it was destroyed. I'm fairly certain this is a retcon by Axelrod to counteract the criticisms of the flimsiness of the trans metaphor in 'The Prettiest Star', and to correct the realised mistake, by making Galaxy/Taylor actually trans, for more sincerity in representation. Whatever the reason it happened, it was a good call.

Galaxy is transgender, gay, and an alien in every sense - everything we as a society have been taught to hate and fear since birth. Yet she is in DC comics, and is a fully qualified superhero, with a full personality and happy personal life.

Well done, DC. Now include her more and make her more mainstream, for wider rep and visibility.

Also featured are Black Canary, Power Girl, Superman, Batman, the Talons of the Court of Owls, Supergirl, and Steel/Natasha Irons.

And Galaxy/Taylor's girlfriend Kat, and Kendra's queer AF civilian friend/potential love interest Abilene. And Alysia, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl's trans best friend, who's a head chef, and her wife Jo!

Such pleasant, colourful queer surprises in 'Once Upon a Galaxy'! Nearly everyone is female and LBGTQ+.

Sapphics rule!

And they make the best of friends.

What a revelation. And how revolutionary.

'Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy' - it's weird, queer, campy, colourful, kinetic, cataclysmic, spotty, and all over the place, and it's a darn entertaining, funny, hopeful and life-affirming superhero comic.

It's also framed and themed around fairy tales of non-western cultures, religion, angels, birds, and the Nth world and metal. There's a shapeshifting, timeline/life-stream-travelling fox/vixen villain, a dragon that attacks Metropolis, an owl monster in Gotham, and dancing with the girls in a gay nightclub in Metropolis.

Now this is what comics should be all about!

Finally, there are these pieces of dialogue from Hawkgirl, slightly tweaked:


'You don't know me! I am so tired of men telling me who they think I am! [...] I had a literal angel look me in the eye and tell me I'm someone else! That I don't know myself! And I was dumb enough to believe them! Dumb enough to believe every last one of them! As if their opinion mattered! You think because you've got a pair of wings and a mace you know things?!? You know me?! You going to tell me who I am and then leave? Go off on some glorious destiny with a white version of me you like better?! You dare think your vision of me, your opinion, is more important than who I think I am?! I. AM. HAWKGIRL! I earned that title! It's mine! I get to say what it means, not you! You don't know me! You never did! You only saw what you wanted to see! I've saved the damn world! Without you!'


'The world is always ending. It's when I do my best work.'


Friend group dialogue exchange: 'We hold up a light in the darkness as an act of defiance against injustice. Nothing you haven't done before.' 'But first, a toast! To new beginnings!' 'How about just to good friends?' 'And to bright futures!'


Click on the links below to read my other reviews concerning my thoughts on Galaxy/Taylor:


'Galaxy: The Prettiest Star'

'Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story'


Final Score: 3.5/5

The Three-headed Daisy

This isn't fake. Look what I found in my back garden today.

Artemis's three-headed daisy, founded by chance and a close encounter.

A May-pole daisy!

⚘⚘⚘⁕⁕⁕🏵🏵🏵❁❁❁✾✾✾💮💮💮

Graphic Novel Review - 'Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story' by Nicole Maines (Writer), Rye Hickman (Artist), Bex Glendining (Colourist), Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Letterer)

Reviewed in bullet points:



• I really like 'Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story', and I truly believe it is important that it and comics and stories like it exist. Never take any representation of a minority group for granted, especially right now, in the real world, where people are being politically, societally and deliberately targeted, scapegoated, silenced, and erased and made more and more vulnerable. These stories should be told ubiquitously. That being said, 'Bad Dream' still has its issues, and unfortunate implications, for all its good intentions.

• It contains the same problems I had with 'Galaxy: The Prettiest Star', which is its predecessor: notably, the meanspirited and depressing marginalised-victim-blaming, and pro-fearmongering and paranoia. I know this is unintentional, but it's present nonetheless. Further thought and care in stories about frequently dehumanised, scapegoated and erased groups of people need to be implemented; further hurt and harm need not be done (and this can happen even in #ownvoices stories).

• Also like in 'Galaxy', the bullies and abusers of the minority main character are never really called out on, if at all. It is very important that they are shown to be held accountable for their words and actions - and properly shown to be in the wrong. When they say and do terrible and abhorrent things, the reaction and consequences of such should be morally appropriate, not ignored, glossed over and brushed aside, like its "normal", when it isn't, and shouldn't be. This point is especially vital in a story aimed at younger audiences.

• But 'Bad Dream' does surpass and transcend 'Galaxy' in that its protagonist actually is transgender, as well as a space alien; no disingenuous, airy-fairy metaphor here (though from what I remember from reading 'Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy', it is retconned that Galaxy/Taylor really is transgender, in that she was assigned male at birth and it wasn't just a disguise on earth...I need to reread 'Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy'). 'Bad Dream' is the real deal in trans representation in superheroes in a DC comic. It makes for much stronger and more solid and effective characterisation, coming from a real and relatable place, and the undeniable and inescapable visibility and voice! Metaphors, allegories and subtexts are only used by cowardly and capitalist writers.

• I like Nia Nal, the trans half-alien teen protagonist. I liked following her on her journey - her story - of self-acceptance. She is just like an insecure, isolated, lonely, scared teenage girl. That she is treated like a burden for existing by her own birth community and family is heartbreaking. (I'm always down for brown-haired heroines, too.) However, she is rather too full of self-hatred and self-pity, and apologises far too much to people when she is the victim 100% of the time and she did nothing wrong. I wish that aspect of her character got explored, along with her serious self-esteem issues.

• I absolutely hate Maeve, Nia's sister. She fills in the role of Taylor's shitty male "friend" from 'Galaxy'. She is the textbook definition of a fake ally and fair-weather family member; she is never there for Nia when it matters, and is no better than Nia's bigoted bullies, in making everything about her, and how situations that directly effect Nia effect her. Maeve secretly despises her trans sister with a passion; she makes it clear she sees Nia as a burden and inconvenience, wishing she would disappear, all while pretending (very poorly) to care for her. I understand that Maeve has insecurities of her own, and is under a lot of pressure, with an alien legacy to uphold that she's pinned her whole identity and sense of self on. She fears failure and inadequacy more than anything. But it doesn't excuse her taking her problems out on Nia, who, again, never did anything wrong. Maeve is a selfish, self-absorbed cow, and honestly I'm glad she isn't in the comic much.

• Nia's alien species, from her mother Isabel's side, are called the Naltorians. The females experience prophetic dreams, and possess precognition and foresight...yet this power, belonging to Nia, Isabel and other female characters, isn't utilised or effective when it would be most useful, because there wouldn't be a plot or any danger in the comic otherwise. Visions and dreams are conveniently limited.

• The backstory of Isabel is a bit inconsistent and muddled, and why isn't Nia hyped at all that her mother was apparently an alien superhero, the leader of the Seers? Her teammates and adventures are literally presented in comic books. Who made them? Did Isabel create those comics herself, solely to inspire her daughters? Were they only widely distributed on her planet of origin, Naltor? What about on earth? It isn't clear. Nia fangirls over the comics, and why wouldn't she, when they are "true stories" about her alien superhero mum? She has a poster of the Seers - of her superhero mum - on her bedroom wall! Where did that come from? Why is this never brought up?

• Isabel, unlike certain other characters, is held accountable for her shortcomings concerning Nia, and she receives proper redemption. She apologises to Nia, profusely, and assures her daughter that nothing that's happened is her fault. Isabel is a good mother, who acknowledges her mistakes and is willing to improve herself for her children's sake. It's too bad in the end...no, sorry, spoilers. Moving on.

• Nia's human father, Paul, is practically a nonentity who's barely around, but in the little he does appear he is shown to be like Isabel: supportive, if flawed, and always trying.

• I like the found family aspect of 'Bad Dream', and Nia's new queer friend group that she stumbles upon when she runs away to Metropolis. This group has Galaxy, aka Taylor, from 'Galaxy: The Prettiest Star', and her girlfriend from that comic, Kat, and Yvette, a trans Black girl (oh, and Argus, Galaxy's talking robot dog). They, and their unapologetic queer home and community, are the best part of the comic. So colourful, and so much joy! A respite and breath of fresh air from Nia's miserable life!

• Queer sanctuaries, parties, and fashion shows are the best - those scenes brim with positivity, love, community, and shining and sparkling colours in 'Bad Dream'. Sparkling starshine on! A-Town (aka Gay-Town) is a comfy and friendly safe space.

• I deeply appreciate the depiction of angry, bigoted, ham-fisted, hatemongering talk show and radio personalities, and politicians and propagandists (there is no difference, really), who are inexplicably given a platform and position of power and influence. It's not just LBGTQ+ prejudice and themes in 'Bad Dream' - racism and xenophobia are touched on as well. All bigotry is connected, after all, and a result of white male supremacy and the hierarchical, capitalist patriarchy. Diversity, diverse people, they exist - deal with it, fascists.

• Speaking of, I love that, during a talk between Nia, Taylor, Kat and Yvette, it is suggested that one of the reasons why transphobia, homophobia, and general queerphobia and queer hatred exist is because of jealousy. Bigots, fascists and conservatives (again, no difference between them) are cowards who resent people who are bravely, expressly themselves, and who dare to be happy and love themselves, in a world ruled by conformity and fear. By "purity" and "order" and a rigid, limited and boring idea of what is "normal". By, yes, if the self-loathing fascists and right wing politically minded had their way, eugenics, anti-individualism, anti-humanity, and capitalism.

• Yvette's backstory about being sent to a conversion therapy camp by her parents is another tragically realistic detail that needed to be spoken. Parents who do that to their own children are abusers - it is never done out of "love", that is a lie. Conversion therapy is a deadly scam, and the states that legalise it are hands down legalising abuse, child abuse. Abuse is not love. PSA: No sexual orientation is a disease, no gender identity is a disease - there is nothing to "cure", nothing that can be changed.

• Nia has anxiety, and panic attacks. The rep there is not that great, and is demonstrated like an afterschool special add-on, but it's a believable touch for her character. It's suitable, realistic and necessary, given the dark, symbolic prophetic dreams, and other surprise powers, of the young, confused and overwhelmed Nia.

• Galaxy/Taylor is a purple, trans alien princess and superhero with a talking robot dog. Like Nia/Dreamer, she deserves to be an icon, and she deserves to be happy. Her girlfriend Kat is Black and has a prosthetic leg. You can't fault 'Bad Dream' for its awesome diversity and representation.

• Finally, for the record: I was unfamiliar with Nicole Maines and her character Nia Nal, aka Dreamer, from the 'Supergirl' TV series, before reading 'Bad Dream', as I have only watched the first season. I probably should have led the review with that info. But absolutely good on Nicole Maines for all that she does, and for her work on 'Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story', which is #ownvoices, and I wish her all the best. Dreamer - the first transgender superhero on TV FTW!



Overall, an enjoyable yet bittersweet YA coming-of-age trans superheroine comic, containing truths that must be told.

Oh, and one last message, delivered to aid future LBGTQ+ stories, in light (not dark!) of the flaws of both 'Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story' and 'Galaxy: The Prettiest Star': Just let the queers be happy already!

And as I pointed out in my 'Galaxy: The Prettiest Star' review, paraphrased: Stories should not only reflect reality, but show how reality can be better.

Final Score (for 'Bad Dream'): 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Zatanna: It's Showtime!' by Jamal Campbell, Ariana Maher (Letterer)

I wasn't so sure about this comic, on reaching the middle and practically skydiving and sky-hopping towards the end, in what seemed like a confusing, haphazard and harpsichord storyline.

But at the denouement - the crescent crescendo - and on looking back and paying more attention to the comic's many elements, I found to appreciate and revere 'Zatanna: It's Showtime!' as the epic, magical, marvellous, multilayered and clever crystal of a DC comic it is.

It is, on the whole, a jewel. A diamond in the rough and rouge. Extraordinary, transcendent, intricate, fun and action-packed, it is like a dark enchantress's kaleidoscope.

Talk about misdirection - a real magician's sneaky, clandestine trick that blew me away at the grand finis!

I've got to write about its star before anything else:

Zatanna - what a hero! She is a DC superheroine I had trouble connecting to for years - which is strange in of itself as, conceptionally, her character represents nearly everything I love - and finally, thanks to recent good writing, she has successfully grown on me. And 'Zatanna: It's Showtime!' is one of my new favourite comics of hers.

She's a badass magic woman with a tragic past (everchanging depending on who's writing her continuity), a great sense of humour, a quick-witted brain, and a gold treasure chest of a heart - a heart she keeps up her sleeve, along with her cards and other tricks. She is one of the most powerful people in the DCU, and 'It's Showtime!' showcases this wonderfully and beautifully. Writer and artist Jamal Campbell understands and respects her - humanely, and as an idol, and not idly.

Zatanna Zatara - Mistress of Magic, Princess of Prestidigitation, Weaver of Wonders - shines in mirror/musical fugues here!

'It's Showtime!' contains, to its cauldron's brim and top hat's rim: fairy tales, film stars, invisible cursed swords, outer and inner demons of various kinds, personal outer and inner hells, an intelligent talking chimp, ghosts, vampires, tarot cards, cute little rabbits, breaking the fourth wall - the whole fantasy play!

Other than Zatanna, the recognisable DC characters who costar in this grandiose event are Madame Xanadu, Clayface, Etrigan, Doctor Fate, Ragman, and members of the Justice League, including Wonder Woman!

The comic also deals with themes of grief, guilt, self-esteem, undoing oneself, the nature of lies and illusions, abusive relationships, the price for losing patience, compassion and empathy (the true powerful magic), and found family.

I love that Zatanna has two (three if you count the barely-there Justice League) differentiating groups of friends - one consists of mystical/supernatural superheroes, and the other her "normal", civilian stagehands for her magician performances - who support and care for her, and who always have her back. Whatever her personal, family, superhero, and/or supernatural life and problems, she is never alone.

And oh, you can't bring up 'Zatanna: It's Showtime!' anywhere without mentioning the artwork. In short, it is utterly gorgeous. Magnificent and fully realised. There is so much depth, soul, creativity, and raw passion and emotion that leaps off every page. The attention to detail is stunning. The variant cover gallery at the end of the trade volume is to die for.

Art, in every sense - and that includes storytelling - has its own magic in 'Zatanna: It's Showtime!'.

Its main flaws are that it suffers from having too many villains, and it serves as a sequel to a previous 'Zatanna' comic storyline I am unfamiliar with, so I had trouble getting to know who most of the characters - Zatanna's friends - are. It's a bit confusing, and hard to wrap my head around without knowing the wider context, but like I alluded to at the start, in the end it's worth it.

Just let it wash over you, and entertain, enchant and entrance you!

'Zatanna: It's Showtime!' - and what a show it is! It's like DC's answer to Marvel's 'Angela: Queen of Hel: Journey to the Funderworld' (but without the overt LBGTQ+ theme, sadly, and here any queer content is vague (I think the stagehands, Andre and Arnie, are a couple, with how close and touchy-feely they are drawn together)). To get even an inkling of its wild, psychological, orphic, deep plot by a maestro, go and read it for yourself - I won't reveal this magician's secrets!

Jamal Campbell is certainly an artist to watch out for. Highly and soaring-ly recommended.

Additional recommended 'Zatanna' comics:


'Zatanna and the House of Secrets'

'Zatanna: Bring Down the House'


Definitely not recommended:


'Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend'


Final Score (for 'It's Showtime!'): 3.5/5

EDIT: Oh, and for once, there's no romance for Zatanna! Abracadabra! Make pointless love interests disappear! There's your showtime! Hooray!

Happy May Flower Moon everyone!

The next full moon - the Flower Moon - in the UK is tonight.

Keep watching the skies.

Keep watching the beautiful night skies.