Review by Frank Plowright

Until now Zatanna has been a relatively minor character in DC Super Hero Girls. She’s always there as part of the crowd, especially when a last minute piece of magic is needed, but she’s never been a story’s motivating force. Amanda Deibert changes that with Weird Science.

The girls are told that this years science project will be special, as the winner will earn an internship at Cadmus, whose representative encourages them to push the boundaries. Able to call on magic, Zatanna doesn’t have much affinity or use for science, but is willing to learn a little by accompanying each of her friends as they prepare their projects. Chapter by chapter she teams with a different friend, which accounts for there being far more artists than usual working on Weird Science.

Regular DC Super Hero Girls superstar Yancey Labat draws more pages than anyone else, but most of the extra names will be familiar from other DC titles aimed at younger readers. Erich Owen supplies Zatanna with Bumblebee on the sample art, and every artist captures the essential joyous DC Super Hero Girl vibe. Emma Kubert is the new kid on the block, but you’d not know that from her pages.

Given the space to focus on individuals, Deibert introduces nice character touches such as Kara being seen as a bit of dweeb by Smallville’s cool crowd, and Diana’s confidence evaporating in the presence of Steve Trevor. The assorted science projects she introduces are suitable also, although somehow all seem to go wrong in Zatanna’s presence. Can it be coincidence? Everything leads to a revelation and a clever ending tying the various calamities together, and there’s some fun dialogue along the way.

Weird Science ends with a few pages previewing next DC Super Hero Girls outing Midterms.