Summary

• The Phantom Stranger is back in Zatanna: Bring Down the House, appearing as a mysterious stalker known as "the Stranger."
• The Stranger aids Zatanna against an evil creature, invoking memories of Zatara and hinting at deep ties to her family and magic.
• The Phantom Stranger's arrival is timely for Zatanna, offering deeper knowledge of demons and magic to combat the sinister presence.

Warning: contains spoilers for Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1!

The mysterious, and ultra-powerful, Phantom Stranger has returned in a surprising new form. A fixture of the supernatural corner of the DC Universe, the Phantom Stranger weaves his way in and out of the lives of Superman, Batman and the rest of Earth’s heroes. Now, in Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1, the titular heroine has a run-in with a mysterious stalker, one who calls themselves “the Stranger.”

Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1 is written by Mariko Tamaki and drawn by Javier Rodriguez. Zatanna is a struggling magician on the Las Vegas strip, playing shows at a local casino. She notices the same woman coming to her shows time and again. The sunglasses-wearing woman sits and watches, saying nothing and hardly reacting. Zatanna confronts the woman, and she removes her sunglasses, revealing her all-white eyes. Zatanna asks “what is your name, stranger?” The woman replies that it is her name, before aiding Zatanna against an evil creature.

The “Stranger” then invokes the memory of Zatanna’s father, Zatara.

The Phantom Stranger Is DC's Most Mysterious Character

The Phantom Stranger is a Visually Compelling Character

The Phantom Stranger has been a part of the DC Universe for over 70 years, and during that time, he remains as mysterious as ever. The ghostly Phantom Stranger, with his glowing eyes and dark cape, is one of DC’s most fascinating characters. He has had multiple, seemingly contradictory origin stories and no creator has ever put an upper limit on his powers. For all of his great power and magic, the Phantom Stranger rarely gets involved in the lives of the heroes, except in dire cosmic or supernatural situations.

While the issue does not make it specifically clear the woman Zatanna confronts is the Phantom Stranger, the clues are there. The woman refers to herself point-blank as a “Stranger.” Furthermore, she possesses the Phantom Stranger’s trademark white eyes. The Phantom Stranger uses his fedora to obscure these eyes, much like the Stranger Zatanna encounters uses sunglasses. The Stranger seems to have highly advanced knowledge of Zatanna’s life and family, as well as magic in general. Why the Phantom Stranger assumed the form of a woman is unknown at this point.

The Phantom Stranger Is Teaming Up With Zatanna

Why Has the Phantom Stranger Assumed a New Form?

Assuming the mysterious woman is in fact the Phantom Stranger, then this is a massive boon to Zatanna. The Phantom Stranger’s knowledge of demons, magic and other assorted topics is infinitely deeper than Zatanna’s. A sinister presence is stalking Zatanna, one that may have ties to childhood trauma as well as her father. The Phantom Stranger has a habit of going where they are needed, and Zatanna is clearly out of her league. The Phantom Stranger’s arrival is timely, and given how powerful they are, quite welcome.

Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!