Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: Smoke and Shadow

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Smoke and Shadow
By Gene Luen Yang (Script), Gurihiru (Art)
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: After reuniting with his mother, Ursa, Zuko and his family return to the Fire Nation. It’s a very bittersweet homecoming for Ursa; although she’s happy to be with her son again, she’s still very much haunted by the past she left behind there. Meanwhile, Zuko must deal with a growing threat from the New Ozai Society, an organization determined to show how weak and unfit to rule the current Fire Lord is. Their cause gains even more momentum when Zuko can’t seem to stop a spate of kidnappings, allegedly by spirits known as the Kemurikage, and he has no choice but to call on an old friend for help.

Review: I’ve been rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender on and off lately, so I was totally in the mood to read Smoke and Shadow, the fourth graphic novel that follows the continuing adventures of the gAang, post-TV series. I was especially looking forward to this installment because HELLO—ZUKO! He was absent from the previous volume, The Rift, and he makes a most welcome return in Smoke and Shadow. Returns are a bit of a theme here, as Zuko’s mother, Ursa, sets foot in the Fire Nation’s Capital City for the first time since viewers of the show watched her leave a young Zuko and Azula behind and disappear. Mai is back for this story as well and features prominently in it, while Katara and Sokka head home to the Southern Water Tribe for the first time since the end of the war.

I know I’ve lavished heaps of praise on these graphic novels in previous reviews, but it’s because every bit of praise is absolutely well-deserved. What I continue to adore about these comics is how extremely well-crafted the stories are and the care that’s taken to keep the characters consistent with the characters we originally met in the TV series. The continuity not only between the show and the comics but also between the graphic novels is simply stellar. Thanks to Gene Luen Yang’s superb writing and artists Gurihiru’s lush, beautifully rendered illustrations, it’s like the TV series never signed off.

Although I love every member of Team Avatar, Zuko is my favorite. The transformation of his character is one of the best written arcs EVER. I love that he’s not perfect, and in Smoke and Shadow, we glimpse some of the impulsiveness that was especially prevalent during the first season of the show. To be fair, though, the New Ozai Society, a group trying to undermine Zuko’s authority and restore his father to power, often puts Zuko in a position where he’s forced to react to their plotting. AtLA story lines can be pretty intense, as is this one. Creepy spirits are kidnapping Fire Nation children, and the New Ozai Society capitalizes on the ensuing panic to bolster their claim that Zuko is too weak to be Fire Lord. Meanwhile, a subplot finds Zuko’s mother, Ursa, struggling with facing the past life she didn’t think she’d ever see again. There’s also a brilliant plot twist that’s bound to feature in future graphic novels.

As always happens when reviewing these AtLA comics, I could go on and on about how phenomenal they are. Before wrapping up, I just have to say how badass Mai is in Smoke and Shadow. I really liked seeing her in the spotlight here, and like everyone else in the Avatar-verse, she’s a wonderfully complex character.

Yet again, Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru have produced a homerun of a collaboration set in a world that I love so much. There’s typically a bit of a wait between graphic novels, but I’d wait forever as long as I knew there’d be another one eventually because they are just. So. Amazing.

All in All: I pretty much know these are going to be 5 star reads from the moment a new title is announced. They haven’t disappointed me yet, and I doubt they ever could.

Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift
By Gene Luen Yang (Script), Gurihiru (Art)
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Aang, Katara, and Sokka are reunited with Toph, who heads up her own successful metalbending school. The friends are all set to celebrate a festival founded by Avatar Yangchen, the last airbender before Aang to bear the title of Avatar. Instead of finding the peaceful meadow where the festival was traditionally held, however, Aang and his companions discover an industrial town now standing in its place. Aang also begins seeing the spirit of Yangchen, and she seems to be trying to convey a warning about this place to him. Meanwhile, Toph’s past unexpectedly catches up with her, and the time may finally have arrived for her to face it.

Review: Talk about timing—according to Goodreads, I finished reading The Promise, the first Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novel, on the exact same day in 2015 that I finished reading The Rift in 2016. This was completely unplanned, but I think it’s really interesting how that worked out, like maybe the dates were destined to coincide? Or maybe I’m just overanalyzing this like I do everything else in life.

The Rift is my third Avatar graphic novel read, and I have to say, it had a tough standard to measure up to: the stellar second graphic novel, The Search. The latter resolved what was arguably the AtLA TV show’s biggest cliffhanger AND featured lots and lots of my dear Zuko. He sits this one out while Toph, who last appeared in The Promise, returns. I was a mite wary of the total lack of Zuko in this one, but that quickly proved not to be a hindrance to loving The Rift (although I still missed Zuko, just on principle).

Yet again, writer Gene Luen Yang and artists Gurihiru team up to tell a deep, visually stunning story. The fluid continuity between the show and these graphic novels continues to impress me. It’s like the gAang never left TV at all.

The characters look a little more grown up here, and we also see the world of The Legend of Korra start to fall into place, especially when Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph come across an industrial town. When I first started watching Korra, I had a bit of difficulty reconciling the world of AtLA with the more modern Republic City of Korra, and it looks like we may get to see that development filled in with the graphic novels.

You can always count on AtLA for thought-provoking story lines, and The Rift focuses on Aang’s attempt to revive the past and Toph’s attempt to continue leaving hers behind. The two plotlines tie into each other seamlessly, as both Aang and Toph learn to find a place for the past in the present. Like its predecessors, The Rift achieves the perfect balance in tone; I loved the depth of the main story and the impeccably timed comedic moments, usually courtesy of Sokka. I was also happy to see Toph’s lily livers, er, metalbending students, from The Promise again.

With each graphic novel, The Rift included, AtLA continues to demonstrate just how successful its jump from one format to another has been. I savored every page of The Rift and every second I got to spend with the gAang again.

All in All: Despite Zuko’s absence, The Rift totally rocked, and I really liked the bridge building between where the end of the Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series left off and where The Legend of Korra picked up.

Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search

* This review contains spoilers if you haven't watched the complete Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search
By Gene Luen Yang (Script), Gurihiru (Art)
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Haunted by the mystery of what happened to his mother, Zuko sets out on a mission to find her at last. Aang, Katara, and Sokka are by their friend’s side as he delves into his mother’s past, but they’re also there to keep a watchful eye on the other member of their traveling party—Azula. Her troubled mind causes her to see her mother everywhere, and while Zuko hopes that this quest will somehow help him connect with his family, Azula has other ideas.

Review: If, like me, you yelled “NOOOOOO!!!!” during the series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender when Zuko questioned his father, Ozai, about the whereabouts of his mother only to have the scene cut away, then The Search is for you. Finally, finally, finally, here is the desperately needed closure to one of AtLA’s biggest unresolved story lines.

As a Zuko fan of infinite degree, I loved the Zuko-centered plot of The Search. I was also hugely invested in his quest because I wanted to know what had happened to his mother, Ursa, following the events in the TV series. The show left her fate dangling on one gigantic question mark, and I was really surprised that it was never revisited during the series’ run. The Search, however, does a fantastic job of filling in those gaps through an impressive, compelling employment of flashbacks. We learn about Ursa’s life before her marriage to Ozai, which she really didn’t have much choice but to accept or risk the wrath of both Ozai and his father, Fire Lord Azulon. The heartbreak commences early in The Search, as Ursa must leave her loved ones behind.

As The Search focuses not only on Zuko but on his whole family, Azula also figures prominently in the graphic novel. Her descent into madness is so sad to behold, and Zuko very much wants to set things to right for her as well as try to mend their fractured relationship. Azula, however, is so wrapped up in the maelstrom of thoughts that is her mind right now that she imagines seeing Ursa everywhere and feels she’s constantly being judged by her mother. I’m not the biggest Azula fan, but I do feel really, really sorry for her here, especially since Zuko makes such an effort to help his sister.

Although there’s an overall somber tone to The Search, Sokka lightens the mood with every page that he’s on. Alas, Toph is not part of this quest; she’s presently occupied running her metalbending school. But we’ve still got Aang and Katara (and Appa and Momo!), and seeing the gaang assembled and off on another journey together brought all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings to my heart, which helped balance out all of the times it shattered over some utterly gut-wrenching scenes. Yeah—I almost cried a few times.

Once again, script writer Gene Luen Yang and artists Gurihiru have collaborated to produce an amazing piece of work. While I still would have loved to have seen this story developed into an episode of the show, fans won’t be let down in any way by all that The Search delivers. It constantly surprised me with plot twist after plot twist right until the very end. This is absolutely essential reading if you love AtLA and have been wondering about Zuko and Azula’s mother ever since the TV series ended.

All in All: The Search is AtLA storytelling at its finest—brilliant writing, gorgeous artwork, and plenty of Zuko scenes. Every page is a mini-masterpiece.

Anything Saturday (1): Adventures in Binge Watching Avatar: The Last Airbender

It's been a loooong while since I wrote a random-ish post; so much for consistency, lol. I've had a couple of ideas, but you know how it goes: not enough time to turn them into posts. The few posts I did churn out went up on Sundays, but Saturday now works out better schedule-wise, hence the name change to "Anything Saturday." XD Now let me quit rambling and talk about my latest obsession: Avatar: The Last Airbender!

I am a big, big kid at heart, and I think I always will be. I still love watching animated shows and movies, even though it’s been a long time since I was part of the target age group for most of them, lol. I’d wanted to check out Avatar: The Last Airbender for ages; I know that a couple of my bloggy friends loved it, and it was one of Ally’s childhood faves, too. Ally kept reminding me over and over and over again that I needed to watch it. It’s a good thing that she’s so persistent, otherwise I probably wouldn’t be sitting here writing this ode to AtLA. And believe me when I say: I FREAKING LOVE THIS SHOW!

Where to start with the fangirling? How about with the animation itself? It is absolutely gorgeous, from the way each kind of bending is brought to life to the scenery. One of my favorite visuals from the series was the first time the gaang laid eyes on Ba Sing Se. That was a breathtaking tableau, as you witnessed the city in all its vast glory. And then there’s the bending—what I wouldn’t give to be able to bend any element. There’s such beauty and grace in each type of bending, and I got the chills whenever there were multiple benders, bending in unison. It was like watching the most mesmerizing of dances.

My mind is still in complete awe of the depth of the story lines and the incredible development of the characters throughout the series. A good number of episodes don’t wrap up neatly by the end of the twenty-two minutes or so; major plotlines span multiple episodes, and in some cases, an entire season. The storytelling is epic and compelling; the problem with binge watching a series like this is that there’s NEVER a good place to leave it for the night. I went to work quite bleary-eyed a few times due to ditching sleep in order to watch just one more episode of Avatar. And the bleary eyes were totally worth it!

Aang is one phenomenal hero. His destiny is to save the world—not a small burden by any means. For all of his youth (and he is still young, despite really being much older in actual years), he shoulders that weight with an awe-inspiring strength. Aang’s airbending skills are insane, and later, once he masters all forms of bending, he’s unstoppable as the Avatar, but he also possesses a gentle spirit that reveres life. I wish that I were more Zen like Aang; if I’m being completely honest with myself, I most resemble Azula in temperament when I get really stressed, lol.

Accompanying Aang on his journeys are some equally amazing friends. I LOVED the camaraderie between the core gaang: Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph (and, of course, Appa and Momo!). If not for Sokka’s jokes and quips, the series would not have been the same. He’s also a great leader in his own right and is simply spectacular in the final episodes of the last season. I adored the sibling bond between Sokka and Katara. Sure, they sometimes razz each other and get on each other’s nerves, but they’re also fiercely protective of one another. Katara is kind of the overall motherly presence within the gaang in addition to being one powerful waterbender. As the self-proclaimed greatest earthbender in the world, you just don’t mess with Toph. She’s not exaggerating, either—her skills are uh-mazing. While I never had a least favorite type of bending, I gained a whole new respect for earthbending once I saw Toph in action. This girl is a badass!

You may have been wondering when Zuko was going to show up in this post; obviously, I’ve saved my favorite character for last! I. LOVE. HIM. It’s as simple as that. The transformation that his character undergoes is astounding. ASTOUNDING! Okay, I confess that when I first began watching Avatar with Ally and she proclaimed her love for Zuko I was a tad skeptical. My response was something along the lines of, you love how obsessed this guy is with capturing Aang? But, as in almost all things, Ally was right, especially about me eventually loving Zuko too because I love broody boys. As more of Zuko’s backstory was revealed, I got it. Restoring his honor and being allowed to return home meant everything to him. As much as I loved all of the Avatar characters, it was Zuko’s arc that had me counting down the seconds until I could sit down and watch the next Avatar episode. I waited with rapt attention for the episode(s) when Zuko would reach the potential that his very wise uncle Iroh saw in him all along. Without going into spoiler-y detail, we’ll leave it at this: Zuko made me extremely proud by the end of the series.

I’m going to stop myself here because I could go on about Zuko indefinitely. I can’t promise that I won’t go ahead and write a post entirely about him someday. For now, though, I’ll wrap up all the Avatar/Zuko gushing by dedicating this post to Ally, who absolutely called 1) how much I would love the show and 2) how much I would love Zuko. Ally typically makes customized birthday cards for everyone in the family, and I’ve already put in my request: I’d like the front of the card to have the “Hello, Zuko here” scene on it. When this happens (and notice I said “when,” not “if.” Because this is happening.) next year, I’ll be sure to post a pic!

Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise

* This review contains spoilers if you haven't watched the complete Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise
By Gene Luen Yang (Script), Gurihiru (Art)
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: With the help of his friends, Avatar Aang finally brought an end to the war. But there’s growing unrest in the Earth Kingdom, where Fire Nation colonists who have been ordered to return to the Fire Nation are prepared to defend their homes and their way of life. Newly crowned Fire Lord Zuko wages a fierce internal battle with himself on how to handle the situation and is ever fearful of becoming like his father. As conflict between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation seems inevitable, it’s up to Aang to find a peaceful solution once more.

Review: WARNING: lots and lots of fangirling ahead! I can’t help it—Avatar: The Last Airbender is my current obsession, and said obsession knows no satiety. So it’s very, very fortunate that graphic novels like The Promise exist, because I’ve now seen all of the Avatar episodes but still need more, more, MORE!

The Promise picks up where the TV series left off. Aang and Zuko (my absolute FAVORITE character. LOVE. HIM.) are working together to restore peace throughout the nations, but there’s trouble a-brewing in the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. To the colonists, they are home, and when they’re ordered to leave the Earth Kingdom to go “home” to the Fire Nation, they are not receptive to the plan. While watching the TV series, I was constantly in awe of the depth and complexity of the story lines, and the main plot of The Promise is every bit as profound as any you’ll find in an Avatar episode. Just because Aang defeated Zuko’s father, Ozai, at the end of the TV series doesn’t mean that the Avatar crew’s work is finished. Undoing all the years of the Fire Nation’s rule isn’t accomplished overnight, and it presents an especially heavy burden for the new Fire Lord, Zuko, on both a political and personal level.

Ah, my poor Zuko. Just when you think he might have found a bit of peace at last, his damn father messes with his head. To say the scenes between the two are tense is like saying Aang’s airbending skills are just average. Zuko so badly wants to do the right thing, for his people and for peace between the nations, but if often seems as though he’ll be forced to choose one over the other. The thought of turning into a ruler like his father also figures largely in Zuko’s story arc, and it haunts him so much that you just want to give the guy a hug and assure him that all will turn out well in the end.

Although The Promise explores some pretty weighty themes, much like the TV series did, there are also plenty of bright spots. First, the gaang is together again! Toph is as badass as ever and has opened her own metalbending school (and refers to her students as lily livers, lol). Sokka is his lovably hilarious self; he made me laugh out loud a couple of times with his Sokka-isms. Aang and Katara are officially a couple, which is very sweet, even though poor Sokka complains about getting the “oogies” every time Aang and Katara call each other “sweetie.”

The artwork throughout The Promise is absolutely stunning and effectively captures the element bending. All of the characters look amazing, and as I read, I could hear their voices from the show in my head. It’s so easy to imagine that you’re in an extended episode of the TV series, back among the characters you love, just like old times (or in my case, like two weeks ago). This particular hardcover edition collects all three parts of The Promise, originally published separately, in one volume and also features margin notes from writer Gene Luen Yang and artists Gurihiru; I totally loved reading their insights. Avatar fans: this is a MUST-READ if you haven’t picked it up already!

All in All: Once I started reading The Promise, I could. Not. STOP. It is absolutely worth reading if you loved the show and long for more adventures with the gaang.