What a fun read!⁣⁣⁣
Zatanna is one of my favorite DC characters, so when I saw that this was available to read, I was ecstatic!⁣⁣⁣
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The writing was a bit more on the middle grade side, but that’s part of what made it so great! Pre-teens and teens everywhere can enjoy! ⁣⁣⁣
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My favorite part of this particular story were the familial aspects, which were much more complex than what we see at first glance.⁣⁣⁣
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Overall, I loved getting to experience a side to Zatanna that we haven’t seen before. Not to mention the gorgeous artwork! ⁣⁣⁣
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𝘈 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘊 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.⁣⁣⁣
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𝟒 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

Thank you to NetGalley and DC Comics for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Let me start by saying, I've never really read any DC Comics before, but the art in this book is amazing! The colors are electric, that neon pink is one of my favorites. Zatanna is a bit of a fashionista but like an alt-boho. She lives in New York so being into fashion is kind of a staple there (imo). The Golden Elephant reminded me a lot of Moulin Rouge (the movie/play) as the elephant is where she lives.. that maybe some of the
inspiration behind this comic because they are in Coney Island, her parents are performers. There is some mysteries she has to uncover and figure out throughout the story, her family may not be who she thinks they are. Also Zatanna having a boyfriend who comes from a mob family adds to the drama of everything going on in this book. There is a magic system in the book (her parents being Illusionist) it should be a no brainer that they use more than just a trick of the eye, but the system is a little hard to understand at first but very interesting. I'm interested in seeing where the next story takes us and what other mysteries will be found out.

3.5 stars rounded up. I really liked most of this graphic novel. The art is super pretty and I especially loved the color palate. I wasn't hugely impressed with the ending but it did set up future volumes. I also loved the queer friend group and want to see more of them.

Really cute, wholesome take on Zatannna. A great introduction for readers that may be new to the character. Really complimentary and pleasant art + color scheme a1

I know that teenage rendition of classic comic characters is hit or miss, but believe me when I say that this story hit so hard the ball flew over the fence.

The artwork was immaculate, the characters and diversity within was so true to what New York is truly like, Zatanna's personality was relatable.

Even as a teen, even with this new take on an origin story, the character truly felt– to me, as a long-time Zatanna fan– as a very true to form. The author took creative liberties as appropriate but kept the spirit of the character still in sight.

Major, major fan. I look forward to buying a physical copy to display on my bookshelf and read again and again.

The first thing that drew me to this graphic was of course the gorgeous color. I really enjoyed the art style and coloring. I'm not generally a DC fan - this is my first foray with Zatanna. I totally requested the others so I can compare. I liked the magical elements, girl coming into and owning her powers. Kind of reminded me a little of Romeo and Juliet - feuding fams and all. Definitely interested in the next installment.

e-arc provided by Netgalley

Beautiful artwork, I didn't really understand what was happening at first but I really enjoyed the second half

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend renewed my love of graphic novels! I’m not very familiar with DC comics or this character, but the cover captivated me!

The artwork for the cover and throughout the novel was gorgeous! It truly helped bring this story to life and kept me fully invested at every turn! There’s a lot packed into the pages of this book. If you like magic rivalries with an air of mystery; this graphic novel may be for you! Although I enjoyed this story, the ending left a little to be desired! However, there is a good setup for another installment. I would love to see what is in store for these characters next!

Thank you to Net Galley and DC Entertainment for the ARC!

Unfortunately was not able to download this book. Or else I’m sure I would have loved it. I will look be looking forward to buying this book in store.

I am a fan of this author and the many other stories she has written so I was excited to see her work in a different format. This story is so much fun and I found myself reading it with a big smile on my face. The diversity, emotions and heart that are within the pages really brightened my enjoyment. The graphics are stunning and the writing is engaging. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to more in the future. Thank you NetGalley and DC Entertainment for the opportunity to read this ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

In my opinion, every story in DC is made better by the presence of Zatanna Zatara so I knew I would enjoy this book. What I didn't know is how much I would enjoy it. The plot is a great coming of age filled with magic and family. Also THE ART WORK!!! STUNNING! I recommend to fans of YA, fantasy, and DC comics.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend is a graphic novel about Zatanna, who is the daughter of an illusionist duo, Erza and Lola Star. Set in New York City's Coney Island, Zatanna discovers there are many mysteries surrounding her and her family, and sets out to find out the truth behind the curtain. I just want to preface my review with the statement that I never read any of the comics about Zatanna. I know that she's a DC Comics hero and that she's a magician in those, but nothing beyond that. I really wanted to like this graphic novel. The premise was fascinating, the world fun, and the diverse cast. But something about it just fell flat to me. Zatanna, strangely enough, feels bland and like your everyday alternative fashion girl. Honestly, her friends were a bit more interesting than her in this. It felt forgettable, like a cheap novel you read once at the beach and never again. The magic system that Zatanna uses was very interesting, I have never heard of that system before. But again, never read the comics relating to her. The art style itself was okay; excellent use of color, but the pages had no motion. None of the panels had good page flow and it made everything feel very stilted. I have a feeling the artist has a lot of experience with illustrations and not so much with comics. A couple of panels had a wonky feeling to them with the way they were drawn, it honestly took me out of the story for a moment. There is a LOT going on in this graphic novel. I know it kind of has to be set up for the rest of the novels for what I assume to be the series. But it is a little jarring because it feels like plot point after plot point is getting chucked at your head. This was an okay read, but I doubt I'll be seeking out the next novel.

(P.S. Is "The Golden Elephant" where Zatanna lives supposed to be based on "Lucy the Elephant"? Seeing as Lucy the Elephant had been used as a restaurant, business office, cottage, and tavern in the past, and was even able to be rented out in 2020 on AirBNB, the resemblance is striking. Cute detail if it is supposed to be a little homage.)

* Format: Graphic Novel
* Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
* ARC - Net Galley and DC Entertainment provided this Advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alys Arden and Jacquelin de Leon take us on a magical and mystical journey through Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue. Zatanna is engulfed in the world of magic and illusion in this tale of mystery, mirror script, and magic.

We see Zatanna as we have never seen her before. Her father is a magician, and her mother is a magician's assistant. She enjoys her summer days on the boardwalk enjoying time with friends at Luna Park. We get a glimpse of a true friends to lovers / star-crossed relationship with her current boyfriend, Alexei. One mystic's journey to find a powerful jewel ruins Zatanna's summer of friends, fun, love, and all she knew about her life and the world around her.

I've loved seeing Zatanna in any and every story I can get my hands on, but this one was a page-turner. The illustrations and the story wove together in a way that kept me hooked. There were twists, turns, and heartache that kept me engaged on every page. The more I found out about Zatanna's life and friends the more I wanted to know. There was such a sweet side plot with her friends and their interaction with each other.

What I really loved was the interactions between Zatanna and the people in her circle. She has tension with her parents, but her long-time boyfriend, Alexei, keeps her sane. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say the twists in the story and the mystic's quest for a power jewel were unexpected. The ending to this incredible graphic novel left me gasping in shock.

I rated this five stars, and it was well worth each star I gave. Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden and  Jacquelin de Leon is expected to be released on July 26, 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dc Entertainment for this E-Arc of Zatanna:The Jewel of Gravesend.This was such an amazing graphic novel like I really enjoyed the mystery of Zatanna trying to find out about her parents and I especially loved her and Alexei love story and how much they cared for each other despite’s their parents issues I can’t wait to for this novel to come out and I look forward to reading the next volume that comes out

Thank you NetGalley and DC Comics for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review! This is the most beautiful comic I’ve ever read and the artwork and coloring were both stunning. It tells the story of Zatanna as school ends for the summer and she gets to hang out with her friends and boyfriend in Coney Island. The magical elements were really fascinating and I liked the relationships too. She starts to figure out her true powers and past, which is really fun to read about. The story was good, but the artwork definitely stole the show. I highly recommend this one!

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend is scheduled for release on July 26 of 2022. DC Entertainment allowed me an early look at the galley in exchange for an honest review.

I grew up with this character in the Silver Age and Bronze Age comics (the 60's and the 70's). That version was a confident and outgoing stage magician, dressed in top-hat, tails and fishnets. Like her father Zatara, she performed her magic using mirror-speak or backwards incantations. She was a bright star from the get-go, even as she searched for her missing father.

This latest version is very much targeted for a young adult/teen audience of today. Her hair is purple (like the author Arden), she dresses in a school uniform (which is a reminiscent nod to her original look in the comics), but she spends her summers on the boardwalk. In this version, her last name is Starr (though the story will reveal more about her true past as we go along). She has a varied set of friends, all who live in that same boardwalk community. I think today's audience, especially young girls, will easily relate to her.

For long-time comic fans like myself, there are some nice Easter eggs or references to the Zatanna story from decades before. However, new fans will easily be able to get into this reinterpretation and find it very enjoyable. The story builds well and sets itself up for a potential sequel.

One thing that stuck with me is the artwork, which is gorgeous. The colors are vibrant oranges and purples, giving the whole thing a warm summertime feel. It works very well to set the mood for the piece and to reflect the summer-on-the-boardwalk setting of the piece.

(This review will appear on my blog close to the time of publication, per the publisher's request.)

Thank you to DC Comics and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that Alys Arden had a new book coming out, I knew that I needed to add it to my TBR right away! Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden and Jacquelin de Leon is an absolutely stunning YA graphic novel that will appeal to fans of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Charmed. The story revolves around Zatanna, an ordinary high school girl, except she has magic powers! I am a huge fan of Alys Arden's The Casquette Girls series, and I am happy to say that I loved reading this book just as much.

One highlight of this book is the artwork. I loved Zatanna's design in this book. I've seen her in comics and on TV (shout-out to Young Justice on HBO Max) before, but I've never seen her with purple hair before. And don't get me started on Zatara's design, which you have to see to believe. Also, the pinks, purples, and oranges in the backgrounds are just lovely. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're a fan of fantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in July!

Zantanna: The Jewel of Gravesend is the latest DC graphic novel aimed at teen readers. With colorful and cute art, the book tells the story of a teenage Zantanna, happy to be out of school for the summer and hanging with her friends on Coney Island. The daughter of a master illusionist and girlfriend to the mob boss’s son, Zantanna leads an interesting life. A traveling magic show unlocks Zantanna’s magic and her true history. Zantanna is a magical story of family, friends, and loss for another addicting read in the DC universe. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

This was a banger! I really enjoyed the whole thing. The artwork and colouring was absolutely fabulous and just an aesthetic I vibe with. Getting an earlier plot line of Zantanna's story is great, yay for context. And I adore that there is casual queer representation and that everything witchy is just expected. The Coney Island setting feels really well done and I appreciated the New York references throughout. All in all, super fun time, can't wait to see more about it.

This was kind of great! It was definitely a very different Zatanna story, as she's adopted and doesn't know the truth about her magic until now. I loved her and Alexei and how they had been friends since they were kids and how strong the foundation of their relationship was. I loved how he tried to protect her from his mother. These two were adorable, and I completely died over the ending. I liked watching Zatanna discover her magic and how she found out the truth about what happened to her birth parents (though, I still have so. many. questions). I loved her adoptive parents and how the three of them were such a close-knit family. I loved Izzy and Kenia and their friendship with Zatanna and I was totally shipping them. There were definitely some aspects of this story that needed more development, and it felt like there needs to be a sequel to answer all the questions left at the end, which leaves me a little disappointed, because I was expecting a standalone.