Watch me pull this rapist out my hat!

[thebigapricot]

My love for Paul Dini and his writing of Zee has, to date, been boundless. But today it is bounded. Gagged and bound to be exact. Here are the first two pages of a book I was really looking forward to. But, um, this kinda ruined it for me.

Oh noes, Zee is being held captive by a homicidal maniac and a murdering rapist. Both of whom have killed and or raped people she knows. But wait!

LOL, it's just for her nightclub act. Sue Dibny was Zatanna's friend and co-worker. Dr. Light raped her. Would someone really include said person as a character in their entertainment act? The atrocities of the Joker and Dr. Light are infamous. Would an audience enjoy seeing them in a night out at the theater? Let's put it this way, would David Copperfield, say, include Ted Bundy in his act?

Tag:
creator: paul dini, character: zatanna zatara

Comments

[flidgetjerome]

Holy crap, Dini's responsible for this? Because this is really not okay.

[jaybee3]

Well, Dini was also responsible for the evil Mary Marvel Countdown storyline so I'm not totally shocked.

[seriousfic]

It's worse than that. Dr. Light's raping led directly to Zatanna brain-washing her BFF Batman. I guess when he forgave her for that, he also said "feel free to bring this up in a nightclub act someday."

[protogarrett]

Her next trick is to turn a pinata of Lian into a real girl then drop a rock on her head and let all the candy spill out to the audience.

[queendork56]

Classy.

[alienist]

I.

That.

NO.

[sailorlibra]

Blegh. I'm still looking forward to this book, but that scene was a serious miscalculation on Dini's part.

[jlroberson]

Especially when you recall the story that DINI WROTE in which Zatanna got Bruce's forgiveness. Imagine.

"Hey Bruce, wanna unwind and watch my new show?"
"Sure, why not--WHAT."

(Stalks out, muttering)
"Bitch even put the Joker in it..."

[icon_uk]

Definitely tacky, rocketing towards tasteless

[qalchemist]

Not only that, but I seem to recall that Zatanna had a 'no using real magic in her act' rule, didn't I? Maybe that's out of date, though, I haven't followed her in awhile...

[icon_uk]

Well. 1) She might NOT be using magic, and it's all stage illusion. or 2) She does what she often does and throws just a little in for fun.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

...it's not something I can really put into words, but that whole scene seems so freakin' wrong, and not in a good way.

[irrelevant]

*blinkblink* To play devil's advocate here, I think Dini was probably attempting to 'empower' her, to show that she does this to conquer her fears. It was, however, tastelessly done, and in a way pretty much guaranteed to not work for women.

On the other hand, I know women who've been victims of rape who write rape-fantasy-type fiction as part of their coping system. So... dunno. I'm unhappy with the scenario, both personally and as a woman, but...

This is the new Zatanna series, right?

[skalja]

Yeah, but women writing about something they've survived personally as catharsis is completely different than a male writer and male artist invoking rape imagery (quite apart from the use of Dr Light, that drill is ... kinda blatant) for entertainment, no matter what their intentions.

[midnightvoyager]

I... er... what.

[punishermax]

hahahahahahahahahaha HOLY SHIT


This is possibly the best thing ever. How fucking insensitive do you have to be?

"Hey Bruce check out my one woman show! ~pantomimes getting shot, stand sup, puts on pearls, screams, falls down as if shot~ FUNNY HUH!?"

[nezchan]

That's cheap. She sets herself on fire for J'onn.

[jlroberson]

Um, Zatanna, you do realize just about the only reason we'd be thinking about Light at this point, right? You should. You were there.

[mad]

What is this I don't even

[seriousfic]

And are they trying to sodomize her with a drill?

I think if Lady Gaga were in the audience, she'd be telling Zan to tone it down a notch.

[halloweenjack]

See, the drill is his penis.

[halloweenjack]

Yeah, this is a little "Diary of Anne Frank with a happy ending" for me.

[filkertom]

No. A lot.

[foxhack]

Oh boy, Dini does it again.

[stig]

Does it hurt when I say I told you so?

[cuntfucius]

Seriously.

[ravenous_raven]

Yeah, I don't think Zatanna would do this. And while the set-up is definitely meant to provide a hook for the reader, it's still not executed well.

[stig]

Also, a quibble: shouldn't that shadow be slightly different? It looks like it's being cast by a regular crucifix.

[deliandra]

Is this from her new series? I was really looking forward to that.

[big_daddy_d]

Now I know Zee is better than and ABOVE this...

[mullon]

I think Ms. Lee needs to have a talk with her husband.

[skalja]

Given that time that she said the women complaining about the Adam Hughes Mary Jane statuette were probably fat, I'm not convinced she would see anything off in this scene.

[proteus_lives]

Oh, Zee. Don't. It's so.....Vegas.

[darklorelei]

What.


*wanders off to read some soul-cleansing Yotsuba*