So, a few weeks back, I put every single Avatar comic on my list of my favorite books that I read in 2023, primarily just to save space on the list for other entries. Well, I figured it could make for a fun article if I actually broke down my ordered ranking of the individual omnibus comics, from least favorite (but still enjoyed) to most favorite (absolutely loved). There’s 6 for the original ATLA, and then there’s 2 for Korra. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!
8) North and South
Let me reiterate: Just because North and South brings up the bottom of this list, that doesn’t mean I hated it or anything. I just didn’t feel particularly compelled by the main story, which focuses on Katara and Sokka reconnecting with their home and family, while simultaneously dealing with mistrust between the Northern and Southern tribes. Katara might be my second-favorite character from ATLA, but even she isn’t enough to elevate this comic from being anything other than just ‘okay‘. Truly, there’s nothing inherently wrong here, it’s all just ‘okay‘. I will say that the core North versus South thing feels a bit rote since it had already been done in Korra first, though.
7) The Rift
My ranking of this particular entry comes from two aspects, that being my mild disinterest in the Spirit World side of Avatar, and my slight disinterest in Toph. Similar to the above entry, it’s a solid enough story that gets into some engaging ethical debates over the value of progress versus tradition, and I like seeing the advancements of technology in the Avatar world. At the same time, Toph takes center focus here, and outside of a stellar hero moment late in the story, she just isn’t my favorite character in the series. Likewise, a core bit of the plot involves some Spirit World stuff that just doesn’t engage me like the more grounded storytelling found elsewhere. Not bad at all, but not as good as the following comics.
6) Turf Wars
Overall, I didn’t particularly think that the main plot of Turf Wars was super memorable, but everything else about it was pretty great. I absolutely adore the supporting cast of Korra (evidenced clearly by my article from the other week), and they all get some great moments to shine here, such as Zhu Li winning the election for President. There’s also quite a bit of good action sequences, and I thought the main villain was a decent threat. A few Spirit World plotlines leftover from Korra get some resolution, and it’s nice to see Korra and Asami having fun together after their pairing from the finale of the show. Another decent entry into the world of the Avatar comics, and the last one to be so before we move from ‘decent‘ to ‘quite good‘.
5) The Promise
A lot of great character work in The Promise buoys what otherwise might have been a fairly routine storyline. Though, that isn’t to say that the political and moral dilemmas at the heart of The Promise are bad, as they are actually quite engaging (and as a flash-forward bonus, hugely relevant to Season Four of Korra). This being the first of the Avatar comics, it’s a solid start that proves that these characters and scenarios work just as well on the page as they did in full-animation. Zuko’s the highlight here with his relationships with both his imprisoned father and Aang, and Aang himself has got a solid arc involving the continuation of the Air Nation culture and what should be considered respectful appreciation and what is appropriation. Also, it’s just neat to see the underlying foundation of what would become Republic City!
4) Smoke and Shadow
Honestly, all this comic needed to do was have Azula in it to get me to like it, but thankfully there’s a whole lot more going on too. It’s essentially a part-two to The Search, continuing the story of Zuko’s mother and Azula’s reign of terror on the Fire Nation. I actually adore the direction that Azula’s character takes in this storyline, as her utter determined refusal to see her dream destroyed necessitates her taking some pretty clever twists on her plans. It’s got a bit of a darker tone too, which I appreciated, and there’s some good political drama when it comes to Zuko’s struggles with ruling.
Alongside this, we get some nice focus on characters like Suki and Mai who otherwise go a bit underutilized in these comics (and even somewhat in the show itself). The aforementioned storyline with Ursa and her daughter’s newly estranged relationship builds to a good conclusion, and there’s some solid action. A very fun read!
3) The Search
This comic admittedly gets bonus ‘Azula‘ points like the one above, but it’s also just a dang good story with some great emotional beats throughout. Genuinely, speaking in terms of emotional character beats, The Search is the best of the Avatar comics. The journey to find Zuko’s mother is wrought with twists and turns, shocking revelations, and true tests of character for everyone involved. Azula’s role in the comic as a force of unpredictable chaos, a deeply hurting young girl, and the main antagonist all-in-one works wonders. Zuko really shines here too, and his mother and her backstory are awesome. Great stuff all around.
I would, however, be remiss if I didn’t mention the heavy Spirit World leanings in the second half of the story. See, I truly don’t hate the Spirit World, and I really think it can be utilized well when it’s anchored in the struggles of our grounded protagonists and not just ‘weird spirits being weird‘ (so, in my opinion, please give more stuff like Korra‘s Season Two, and not face-stealing monsters). Still, it’s a testament to how good the human-side of this story is that I still rank it so high even with a few things I don’t like.
2) Imbalance
You’ve got a great recipe for a comic that I’d love with this one, and it all comes together into a fantastic package. There’s good character work for our protagonists, with every character getting a chance to shine. There’s a lot of engrossing politicking and moral theming, and you can really see how Republic City is right on the cusp of transitioning into the Korra era we know and love. The main antagonists (a cynical mother and her two devoted daughters) are excellent as well, and each have their own mini-arcs and foils with our heroes.
The action choreography in this one felt the best out of all the comics too, and I can’t really place my finger on why. The fight scenes (especially the final one with Toph), just felt really well-drawn, paced, and framed, helping me to clearly visualize the action as if I was watching it play out on a screen before my eyes. Imbalance is just really good, telling a great story with themes that leak into Korra, and just in general setting up the sequel show wonderfully. It’s a very solid ending for the OG ATLA crew, and a highlight amongst all these comics for sure.
1) Ruins of the Empire
It was inevitable, really. You take everything that I love about Korra as a show, and then you retain that in a comic starring my absolute favorite characters from said show? Yeah, obviously I was going to end up loving it!
I actually don’t really think there’s anything in this comic that I don’t like. From the wonderful illustrations to the pitch-perfect writing, everything is top-notch. The characters (of which many have important roles) all feel wonderfully utilized and the ways in which this comic picks up on loose threads and wonderful possibilities left open after Season Four is incredible. Every scene I would have wanted (Suyin getting more closure, Opal reconciling with her adopted sister, the Earth Nation’s new democratic system) is present here. And, yet again, there’s some really good political drama stuff going on here that I just find endlessly fascinating. Also, some fun action scenes!
And, of course, there’s Kuvira and Korra, the stars of the show (er, comic). Kuvira’s got most of the spotlight, and deservedly so, as this comic dives hard into her backstory that was only previously hinted at. She’s got a wonderful journey here, and very good scenes with multiple characters she never got the chance to re-visit during the show’s finale. Korra isn’t forgotten though, and her relationships with both Asami (her lover) and Kuvira (her reflection) are really put to the test as she strives to be a balanced and compassionate Avatar. There’s a big question here about what it means to own up to your mistakes, and what measure redemption is worth, and that sort of stuff always really appeals to me.
An excellent comic, and an equally excellent send-off to the world of Avatar. For now…
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 