Zatanna's Dark Turn in DC's Absolute Universe: What to Ex...

Zatanna Goes Dark: Everything We Know About DC’s New Villain Makeover

Zatanna magic cover

By TJ Mills Published 18 minutes ago TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Those who have been keeping up with DC’s new Darkseid-created Absolute Universe know that Zatanna is joining this hardcore world in Absolute Wonder Woman, receiving a badass redesign as well as an updated and likely darker origin story. Here’s everything we know so far, along with Zatanna’s first in-narrative appearance.

A four-issue preview for Kelly Thompson and Matías Bergara’s Absolute Wonder Woman #14 dropped this past Friday, picking up where the last issue left off with Diana battling a mysterious and exceptionally powerful entity that is matching her blow for blow.

This preview stands out, though, as it gives fans their first in-narrative glimpse of Zatanna, who appears via some sort of astral projection as she studies a downed Wonder Woman. Her first words to the exhausted Amazon warrior? “Wow. Those eyes hit like a mack truck, huh?”

The Preview Cuts Off, But DC’s Synopses Reveal What’s Really Going On

Absolute Wonder Woman Teases Zatanna's Role in Darkseid-Created Universe

Right now, fans don’t exactly know what to make of Zatanna’s first words to Wonder Woman, given that the preview cuts off at this moment. Hence, fans will have to wait until the full release of the issue on November 26, 2025, to find out more. However, thanks to previous teases from Thompson and DC, we already know slightly more than the preview reveals.

First and foremost, the synopsis for issue #14 teases, “In the midst of this struggle, a new player makes their presence known, but are they friend or foe?” and thanks to the preview, it is now reasonable to assume that this “new player” is Zatanna. However, it is actually the synopsis for issue #16 that proves to be even more revealing.

Is Zatanna a Villain or a Hero in the Absolute Universe?

Why Zatanna’s “Villain” Role May Be a Lie, and What Her Muzzle Really Reveals

The synopsis for Absolute Wonder Woman #16 reads: “The Season of the Witch arc begins here! After her exploits in the Area 41 maze, Diana has resolved not to let her personal mission overwhelm the one she was sent to the surface world to fulfill. But a new threat has emerged in Gateway City, and it turns out the best thing to send to kill Wonder Woman is... another witch! Zatanna is here, and Diana's life will never be the same!”

Based on this teaser, it is clear that Zatanna will be serving in the role of antagonist in this story arc of Absolute Wonder Woman. However, despite the confirmation that Zatanna has been sent to kill Wonder Woman, Screen Rant’s gut feeling is that Zatanna won’t stay a villain in the series. This belief is based on several pieces of reasoning that point toward a different long-term direction.

Absolute Wonder Woman #16 Zatanna

Firstly, Diana has already proven herself capable of seeing the best in people and empathizing with them, often leading her to find the most direct path to a peaceful resolution. Hence, it is likely she will also take this approach with Zatanna, which might make her an ally rather than a foe. Secondly, Zatanna’s first appearance feels more curious than malicious, suggesting her mission to kill Diana may not be what it seems.

What further suggests that all might not be what it seems is the fact that one of the official character design sketches of Zatanna shows her wearing a muzzle. This implies she might be being forced, coerced, or blackmailed into fighting Diana. Therefore, there is a strong likelihood that Zatanna, possibly with Diana’s help, will eventually find her way to the side of the angels by the arc’s conclusion.

Zatanna Goes Punk for the Absolute Universe

The Surprising 1993 Inspiration Behind Zatanna’s New Look

While fans only get a glimpse of Zatanna in her astral projection form in the preview, cover art by Hayden Sherman for Absolute Wonder Woman #16, along with character design sketches, has revealed Zatanna’s revamped look for the Absolute Universe, one that is far more punk than her main universe counterpart. This immediately sets the tone for how distinct her role in this story arc will be.

This look sees Zatanna sporting short, curly hair and wearing skintight black pants, platform boots, and a bralette layered under a fishnet shirt. Replacing her tuxedo-style jacket is a cropped, high-collared blue jacket adorned with gold chains and shoulder spikes, further adding to the punk aesthetic. Altogether, it’s a bold and epic departure from her traditional style, visually reflecting her edgier role.

Thanks to details shared from the Absolute Wonder Woman creative team, fans also know that this redesign was partially inspired by the hero’s look in Lee Marrs’ Zatanna: Come Together (1993) mini-series. Thanks to discussion boards where talk about the new Zatanna is trending, we know this design has been received exceptionally positively, giving even more confidence in DC’s updated vision for her.

DC Teases What Fans Can Expect From Absolute Wonder Woman’s Zatanna-Centric Arc

Circe, Aphrodite, Untouchable Magic, and More

Other details concerning Zatanna and the upcoming Season of the Witch arc in Absolute Wonder Woman reveal that this will be an emotionally and physically grueling arc for Diana. The narrative will also see Circe indirectly involved, with Aphrodite finally making her debut among the growing cast of gods, further raising the stakes within Diana’s already escalating and mythologically dense story.

Furthermore, we have confirmation that Zatanna will be able to tap into magic that Diana can’t access, which is a tantalizing detail in itself as it raises questions such as what kind of magic Zatanna will be tapping into and why Diana can’t access it. Perhaps the most exciting bit of teased information, though, is that Thompson is open to doing an Absolute Zatanna solo series.

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