From the Comics: Rebirth’s Updates to Batman and Zatanna’s Relationship

In the past, friendship and romantic tension between Batman and Zatanna has been an interesting topic of discussion within the DC Universe and among the fans of DC Comics. Earlier comics had them as enemies, close friends, and some even had them discuss the possibility of romance. However, since then, the DC Universe has been subject to multiple continuity altering events and the status of their friendship and relationship was up in the air for a while.

Luckily, the “Deus Ex Machina” story arc from the Rebirth Detective Comics series helps provide more straightforward answers about the current condition of their relationship. In this arc, Batman is struggling with the “death” of Tim Drake, a conspiracy launched by Ra’s al Ghul, and a mystery that would eventually evolve into Dark Nights: Metal (Reading Order). To figure out the answers to these questions, he seeks out Zatanna, who is possession of the Gnosis Sphere, a powerful artifact that can answer any question in the world.

After these two reconnect, the story arc details a series of flashbacks from when they spent time together as teenagers. Bruce Wayne was traveling the world learning skills that would one day help him become Batman and he had recently joined Zatanna and her father, Giovanni Zatara, in order to learn slight of hand. While with them, he expressed some doubt about his mission and stated that he was unsure if his future would work out in the way he intended. To help alleviate his doubt and frustration, Zatanna offered to lend him the Gnosis Sphere in order to discover the answers to his questions about the future. However, before this could happen, Giovanni stepped in and prevented the duo from using such a dangerously powerful artifact.

This flashback helps reestablish Batman and Zatanna’s history as childhood friends, in the post-Flashpoint DC Universe. It shows that they spent a significant period of time together while Bruce was studying under Giovanni and also shows that they grew close during this time. It also indicates that this friendship helped introduce Bruce Wayne to the world of magic. These elements of their shared past are different than what they were in the pre-Flashpoint DC Universe but are similar enough to see the common threads running through them.

It also implies that the two had a somewhat amorous relationship as teenagers, though it appears it never developed into anything significant. In the present, Zatanna admits that she offered Bruce the Gnosis Sphere in the past because she was hoping it would tell him that their “two lives would be tied together forever”. She also sidestepped the awkward tension between their meeting in the present by commenting on how nice it is for them to avoid “addressing how two teenagers felt about each other a million years ago.”

Recommended Reading

If you’re interested in reading these comic adventures for yourself, we recommend the following:

• Detective Comics #833-834–  Has Batman and Zatanna work on a case together. This brings the two closer together and helps Batman forgive Zatanna for what she did in Identity Crisis.
• Detective Comics #843-844- These issues have Batman and Zatanna address the romantic feelings between them. It also has them explain why a romance between them could not work.
• Detective Comics Vol. 4: Deus Ex Machina (Review)- Has Batman and Zatanna reconnect in the Rebirth continuity. It explains their past together and generally covers the story detailed above.

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