Is there any real reason why backwards magic is still a thing in the DCU? From what I can tell, Zatanna uses backwards magic as a reminder of her dead father. She apparently doesn't need to speak backwards to use magic (although every alternative to this that I've seen her use involved writing things backwards so I'm not sure how that's established) but she always does anyway. The only real explanation I can find for why backwards magic was even a thing in the first place was from the CV page on Zatara: "Through the diaries one of his ancestors, he found the key to his magic was of course to speak his spells backwards."

Can someone explain to me why this works for him and Zatanna and why every other magic user in the DCU is able to cast spells without an incredibly annoying gimmick?

I personally have never found it annoying. It makes her stand out, and it was fun to decode her spells. Also, it shows a level of concentration and a catch to her not accidentally doing magic from just talking.

I have not seen this fact about Zatara or Zatanna. Where is the source where it is stated that she does not have to say things backwards?

@sinisteri: Zatanna if you look under "Powers & Abilities: Magic" it's like the first paragraph. And there have been a couple of instances when she's been unable to speak and just ended up writing out "laeH eM" as a healing spell.

Honestly I don't feel it really adds anything to her character, it just feels like a gimmick which may have been cool or interesting when it first came out decades ago (much like Etrigan's rhyming speech) but has gone stale long ago. It also just bugs me a bit that it's not even truly backwards, the words are in the same order they would have been if you spoke them normally.

Historically, Etrigan did not always use rhymes and it has been attributed to a curse.

Re: Zatanna. Is there an official DC source stating the backwards magic is just a tribute?

@sinisteri: Nope, I'm going based off of what I've come across here (and every other wiki page for Zatanna is indicating the same) hoping someone can explain this to me.

Ok. Maybe something will turn up. I've been following Zatanna for decades and never saw anything from official DC sources that said the backwards magic was just for show or tribute. As a magic wielder and possessor of magical items, I am sure she can perform some feats without speaking as well as by writing backwards. I have always considered the backwards words like her wand, an object or method of focusing the magic energy.

There was an older story where a villain was forcing her to kill her father, and she said "Die, Zatara" Zatara faked his death to defeat the enemy pointing out the spell did not work because she did not say the words backwords.

Also, as for how the backwards words are positioned, it was designed so that if you put the page up to a mirror-- you saw the sentences correctly.

Again, never frustrated me. Sometimes I just skipped reading the spell as the action plays out telegraphing what was desired. To each their own though.