Who Should Be In DC’s New Occult Club?

Magic, mystery and occult are some of my favorite aspects in the DC/Vertigo universe and in the 80's/90's the pages of their comics were smothered in essential (occult) titles like Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Sandman along with the creation of the famed Trenchcoat Brigade. Sadly, times have changed for these mystic beings and tales… With a large amount of iconic occult characters like Deadman who isn't so dead, John Constantine is recently wed and others simply stopped appearing in print like Timothy Hunter (last seen in '06), a void has been created in the roster of magical heavy hitters. Below, is a list of characters that would be great to see as DC/Vertigo's newest occult club line-up:

 

5) Lucifer Morningstar

Similar to Constantine, Mike Carey's Lucifer is a smarmy smooth talker that has a penchant for vice and incalculable powers to boast. If he found his way onto this team I'm sure a large part of his time would be spent attempting to woo his new female teammates (listed below) or he would otherwise lose interest in any club affiliated outing while remaining a difficult and fickle member of the team – yet when needed most would prove to be a key asset. While the conclusion of Mike Carey's Lucifer would make it near impossible for a reprisal of this character, he still gets my vote.

Recommended Reads with character: Mike Carey's Lucifer, Neil Gaiman's Sandman

 

4) Traci Thirteen

While a minor character in the greater DC universe, she has been seen along side some pretty big names. For starters, she is companion of Jamie Reyes, the Blue Beetle, daughter of scientist Dr. Terry Thirteen and former member of the short-lived detective team The Croatoans that included such members as the Elongated Man and Tim Trench. Most importantly, she is part of the Homo Magi race through her mother's blood line giving her magical capabilities, in particular "urban magic" that allows her to use the magic of cities to cast spells. As a character she is young, spunky, strong and, of course, street smart  along with being a skilled detective – all of which are attributes that would make her a valuable member to her much older teammates.

Recommended Reads: Brian Azzarello's Doctor 13: Architecture & Morality, Bill Willingham's Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special (one-shot)

 

3) Jason Blood/Etrigan 

 Jason Blood is a man that's skilled in combat, detective practices and magic while remaining nearly immortal due to the fact that he is connected to Etrigan the demon. While Etrigan is from hell, it is Jason's connection to humanity that often persuades his hellish counterpart to work with the heroes which have included Batman, Green Arrow and fought alongside Swamp Thing in Alan Moore's "American Gothic" arc while helping John Constantine in a battle against 'The Great Evil Beast'. With the genius and magic of Jason Blood paired with the extreme powers of Etrigan, it would be very interesting to see this complex character work further with others, especially in a developed team setting. 

Recommended Reads: Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, John Byrne's Blood of the Demon.

2) Zatanna Zatara 

Everyone's favorite DC magician! She is the sultry and somewhat distraught daughter of Giovanni Zatara, who died in the aforementioned Moore arc of Swamp Thing, and is part Homo Magi – similar to Traci and Xanadu. What separates her from the other h. magi in the DC universe is her magical abilities that are verbally cast from speaking spell words backwards (or written in her blood), while also being a talented illusionist with an affinity for theatrics and spectacle. Another appealing facet to her character is that she is extremely well connected through out the universe as she was worked with many big names (good and bad), has been romantically involved with the recently wed Constantine and is a somewhat familial figure to Timothy Hunter.

Recommended Reads: Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers of Victory, Paul Dini's Zatanna: The Mistress of Magic and Dini's one-shot Zatanna: Everyday Magic

 

1) Madame Xanadu 

Nimue Inwudu – a descendant of the Elder Folk and Homo Magi, sister to Morgana Le Fey and Vivienne and one long lived mystic being. Having played a rather minor role in the DC universe from her debut in the late 70's to the mid 2000's, she got her titular title in 2008 from writer Matt Wagner, with art by Amy Reeder Hadly, as it detailed her origin and famed her shop's epithet, "enter freely – unafraid." Through the telling of her origin, we see her history, and challenges, with  Wizard Merlin, the Phantom Stranger, Death, Wesley Dodds and many more as she displayed nothing short of great magical abilities, personal strength and a compassionate moral compass.

Recommended Reads: Madame Xanadu Vol. 1-3 (currently available). 

 

While various threats continue to hurdle towards earth, not all of them will need to be tended to by superheroes – sometimes they need a touch of magic. And as the arcane and occult themes continue to be created in the DC/Vertigo universe, this list has proven one thing – magic isn't just for dudes in trenchcoats anymore. 

 

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Austin Hartman wishes he was more like John Constantine. He once had a friend bring him back Silk Cut cigarettes from England just because it's Constantine's brand. You can follow him on twitter under the not-so-magical handle arhartman

Comments

  1. I would buy a Detective Chimp ongoing in a heartbeat and would put him on any occult DC team.

  2. Old timers like me will insist that such a team be lead by Baron Winters, from Marv Wolfman’s NIGHT FORCE (1982-1983). He’s due for a revival, which may be on the horizon as DC just solicited a TPB of the first several issues (although I’m sure you can find back issues easily enough). Illustrated by the legendary Gene Colan.

  3. I would read this book.

  4. I’ve always loved the magic corner of the DCU.  Zatanna is incredible in 7 Soldiers.  I’ve also been interested in Traci 13.  Wasn’t she in the Coven as well?  I think it was a co-feature somewhere.

  5. I’d add one more: The Shade. He’s classy although maybe too much in the mold of lucifer.

  6. It would be nice to see a new Shadowpact comic with some of the occult characters together; led by Detective Chimp of course.

  7. No thoughts on a new line up, but will say that I would buy the book every month without missing.

  8. And here I thought all along the company was named after Bobo (DC) The company’s greatest detective (human or beast)… Just don’t call him that to his face until you’ve bought at least four rounds! More, if you’re a lightweight.

    Just sayin’.

    P.S. Isn’t Baron Winters showing up soon?

  9. I like Zauriel.

  10. Anything with Etrigan I’m all over.

  11. timothy hunter is gone? i allways said id eventually get to the books of magic. i cant believe their gone.rats!

  12. a couple of years ago we got four or five “Helmet of Fate” one shots with the promise of a Doctor Fate ongoing that never happened.  Fate’s just not used that much, only on occasion in Justice Society, and rarely well.  There are so many great magic characters in the DCU that are underused or not used at all.
    I’m enjoying Black Alice on Secret Six, and I really enjoyed her in Coven of Three.  We need a good magic team book… Gail Simone could make it really fun if she could take on a third book each month.

  13. a couple of years ago we got four thomas sabo or five “Helmet of Fate” one shots with the promise of a Doctor Fate ongoing that never happened. Fate’s just not used that much, only on occasion in Justice Society, tiffanys and rarely well. There are links of london on sale so many great magic characters in the DCU that are underused or not used at all. I’m enjoying Black Alice on Secret Six, and I really enjoyed her in Coven of Three. We need a good magic team book… Gail Simone styler ghd could make it really fun if she could take thomas sabo necklaces on a third book each month.