Batman loves Zatanna

I know, it’s shocking that a billionaire with a bodybuilder’s physique and genius intellect would have so many paramours.  But you should sit down, because I have one more to show you.  The superheroes Batman and Zatanna (real name Zatanna Zatara) didn’t officially become childhood friends until 2007.  Paul Dini redefined their relationship to go back a few extra decades, skipping all that stuff like spending twenty issues with a will-they-won’t-they-show-vulnerability-or-kiss scenario. Nope, all the awkwardness disappeared as soon as its revealed their parents were chummy.  So today, partially to answer all those curious Batman fans and partially because articles about superhero relationships tend to get more hits (and I’m shameless), we’ll take a look at their potential coupling from Detective Comics #833-834, written by Paul Dini and drawn by Don Kramer as well as Detective Comics #843-845, written by Dini and drawn by Dustin Nguyen.

First, here’s the pivotal childhood friendship thingie I mentioned earlier:

Which brings us to that panel above.  Turns out when supervillain Dr. Light learned about the Justice League’s family members, Zatanna mind-wiped him.  Batman tried to stop her and she mind-wiped him too.  So the two aren’t on great terms right now.  Unfortunately, there’s some magician causing crime in Gotham City, so Batman has to call his former buddy to help out.  Luckily, since Batman has always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve and discuss problems with his teammates in a rational and open environment — sorry, I’m thinking of Superman.  Batman continues to be a jerk:

So Zatanna can come along to stop a magician as long she uses no magic, essentially making her a liability instead of any sort of asset.  It’s like saying, Flash, we want you to stop this murderer, but please don’t run.  You know exactly how this is going to go.  Zatanna doesn’t, but that’s because she’s a wizard and not a psychic.

I’m not showing you this to build suspense.  Obviously Zatanna doesn’t die and Batman breaks free in an overly dramatic fashion.  But I have to show you this scene, if only because their friendship can’t be mended until Batman realizes that hey, it turns out everyone makes mistakes now and then. Except for Superman — he’s as perfect as he is good looking.

Batman may be a jerk, but morally he’s on the right track.  Also, this is a man who has difficulty coping with emotional trauma — y’know like how his parents died so he started an eternal quest for justice while dressed as a bat.  But at least Zatanna can take joy in Batman’s admission that, yes, occasionally he may also make a tiny, insignificant oopsie.  Like as in him not trusting her because of justified proof that he shouldn’t.  I’m Team Batman when it comes to the mind-wipe debate.  But it’s Zatanna that makes this next scene so great:

Unclasp that hand from your heart.  Y’see, while Batman needed to learn he could trust his friend again, Zatanna beat him to the punch — no matter their relationship, she never lost her trust in him. Boom, take that Batman.  So with their friendship appropriately healed, the actual romantic stuff can begin.  You’d think it’d be the slow build up a monthly serial would do, but Dini knows how busy you are.  He gets right to the issue on everyone’s mind — will these two attractive superheroes do it?  By it, I mean sex.

Flirting always get interrupted by bullets in the comic book universe.  It’s a great story involving the new Ventriloquist/Scarface that has been building for a good five or six issues now.  I’m skipping it, but as for the two dating?  It’s a simple idea, it’d be accepted by fans, and Batman could use a post-coital smile every now and then after spending every night ripping away robbers from their crying victims.  But everything comes down to Batman’s one defining trait that Zatanna has to come to terms with: he’s a mess.  A gigantic, horrific mess of a person.

Sorry, everything’s been a tease.  They don’t actually date.  But we all know Batman would eventually break her magical heart — it’s always going to be Catwoman in the end.  Because she’s also a mess.  Another gigantic, horrific mess of a person.  Those two deserve each other.  No, seriously:

Honestly?  Zatanna can do better than Batman.  She’s not broken, and deep down, Batman needs someone to fix.