The Promise

Avatar: The Last Airbender Comics #1

by Gene Luen Yang (Writer), Michael Dante DiMartino (Writer), Bryan Konietzko (Writer)

The Avatar's adventures continue right where the TV series left off, in this beautiful, oversized hardcover of The Promise, from Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko! Aang and friends must join together once again as the four nations' tenuous peace is threatened in an impasse between Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei! As the world heads toward another devastating war, Aang's friendship with Zuko throws him into the middle of the conflict! Featuring annotations by Eisner Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and artist Gurihiru (Thor and the Warriors Four), and a brand-new sketchbook, this is a story that Avatar fans need in an edition they will love!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Graphic Novels Comics, Manga

240 pages, Hardcover

First published February 19, 2013

About the author

Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. As the Library of Congress’ fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, he advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. American Born Chinese, his first graphic novel from First Second Books, was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the winner of the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the L.A. Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award Finalist. His other works include Secret Coders (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), Superman from DC Comics (with various artists), and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). In 2016, he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. His most recent books are Dragon Hoops from First Second Books and Superman Smashes the Klan from DC Comics.

Reviews

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.) The Promise ★★★★.5
2.) The Search ★★★★.5
3.) The Rift ★★★★
4.) Smoke and Shadow ★★★★.5
5.) North and South ★★★★.5

-----------------------------------------------

4.5 stars

This is so great - it really tackles a lot of things that we can really relate to in our world too. It mainly deals with colonialism and the aftermath of a city that is not fire nation and not earth kingdom, but both, and what this means for the future of this world. I also really liked how they included something similar to the whole 'my culture is not a costume' movement that happened a few years ago (and that some people still need to learn about tbh).

That being said, if Aang and Katara call each other sweetie one more time, I'm gonna puke.

Original review - Avatar is everything and if you don't think so, bite me.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

December Tierlist Vlog is up! Click the link to see the video review of all the books read in December!

The Written Review

Imagine my surprise when I wake up Christmas Morning to this GORGEOUS book.

I've been a fan of avatar for about a decade now and have always been curious about the comics for the series.

For those not in the know, the comics pick up where the cartoon's series ends and provides cannon adventures for the Gaang.

However, I've always been uncertain where to start or what to buy to get into the series.

The Promise contains volumes 1-3 of the Avatar comics, and chronicles what happens right after the series ends.

Toph begins her metal-bending school, Aang and Katara are lovey-dovey, Sokka is Sokka and Zuko struggles with being a ruler.

I loved the illustrations and the tone of the comics. It truly felt like the story was being continued opposed to the comics re-interpreting the series.

I also liked that within the 3-volume collection, we get little notes from the creators about why and how they made the comics. From artistic choices to plot direction analyses. It was so cool to see all of that!

All in all, I highly recommend this for the Avatar fan!!

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY BABIES 😍😍😍😍

This was exactly as precious and adorable and nostalgic as I expected it to be, and I'm just sad that I didn't read it a long time ago. As someone who has been a diehard A:TLA fan since literally the world premiere of s01e01, I was a little bit apprehensive about finally picking this up, but it holds up the values and humor of the show SO WELL and it was just so delightful to see my little bendy babies growing up a little. Plus, Zuko was his usual conflicted cinnamon roll self 😍

If you'll all excuse me, I'm pretty sure the next few days are just going to consist of me binge-watching my DVDs of the show (for the eighteenth time).

[may ➹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

even beyond the show Zuko’s arc is still 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

[Mrinmayi · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you guys see continuous Avatar updates....don't think I have gone crazy!!!*laughs Azula style*

I am OFFICIALYY ADDICTED to this series..and I will be bingeing it
Will write the memes reviews later😅
Till then..enjoy these memes!!


Sokka is my soul twin bro(?) or is it twin soul bro(?) *confused Mrin*!!




Update 1
HELP!!!! HELP!!!! This comic illiterate aka Mrin needs help
I am so confused how to start this series

Do I directly start with "THE PROMISE" ???!!
Or do I need to read any other comic before it??!!
Because each book has 3 parts right??!
But they are one book(?)

Someone mind helping me understand the reading order???!!
GR list doesn't help!!
It got me even more confused!!
Cause it has added some single volumes *confusion level increased 284734*

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great continuation of Avatar! The characters all felt the same and the storyline was interesting enough. I loved the themes present, but the only reason why I’m not giving it 5 stars is because it didn’t quite feel as impactful as it should have. Maybe I’m spoiled by the show but I almost wanted to see the conflict drawn out longer so we could get even more nuance. But it’s still a great read, definitely worth it if you love the show!

[✨ jami ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaaaahh I love my babies so much I MISS THE GAANG EVERYDAY

Avatar is ?? the highest quality tv show of All Time and thats the tea

Anyway this was super fun and I just loved getting back in the world even if it's only in a small way. I definitely think this tackles an important and massive problem within the Avatar verse to the concept and theming were great. I also think the character voices were so well written it felt very in character and I could hear the characters voices

Aang is my son I'd protect him with my life

GOD they all make me so emo

[shi ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

January 2022

i'm currently rewatching ATLA and now i want to reread this, too.

October 2020

Aaargh the ending was not very satisfying to me but it was still so good!! But seriously. My Zuko deserves better than this. Hmpf.

Here's a few Zuko appreciation GIFs just because.





(Also I’m a fire sign (Aries) and my Chinese zodiac sign is a dragon 🐉 - just sayin’ that maybe that’s what this is partially coming from 😂)





I mean...



And now, the best for last.

People explaining to me that Zuko is a fictional character.
Zuko to me:

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Video Review:

https://youtu.be/kH_vuaoXI2A


I definitely think this is the edition that people should read these comics out of with all of the extra behind the scenes notes. I already wrote out my notes to do a video on this, so it'll be posted here when it's done. I love Avatar though, so expect some mild gushing.

[chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!! ❤️️

I finished watching ATLA on Sunday, and I'm SO glad I had the comics to dive straight into because I needed (and still need) more.

This was PERFECT! It feels exactly like the show (the vibe, the humour, the characters, everything).

All ATLA fans must read this!!

So flippin' excited to get to The Search

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid continuation of the cartoon. The Promise starts out with the Fire Nation relocating all of the colonies they established in the Earth Nation. But problems arise when the older colonies do not want to leave. They've lived there for over a hundred years now and members of Fire and Earth Nation have combined into new families consisting of both. Yang does a good job of capturing the characters from the show. Gurihiru's art is very anime influenced. It's pretty good most of the time but can get overly hammy in places.

Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Zahra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished re-watching the show. And instead of dealing with the sadness that threatened to consume me whole I ignored my feelings and immediately went in search of more Avatar content because that's a totally healthy way to deal with things.

[Delores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was well written and the illustrations were spectacular. I loved the Avatar and all the characters. I liked the message of peace and I can't wait to read more!

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Анімацію «Аватар: Останній маг повітря» створену Браяном Конієцко та Майклом Данте ДіМартіно я переглядав кілька разів. Мені було відомо, що є також комікси в цьому світі, але ніяк не виходило познайомитися з ними. Та видавництво Lantsuta вирішило мою долю без мене, видавши перший том коміксу «Аватар: Останній маг повітря», яка має назву «Обіцянка», сценарієм якого займався Джин Леунь Янґ.

Комікс є прямим продовженням мультсеріалу, який починається після перемоги над лордом Вогню Озая, після чого спадкоємець Зука сідає на трон замість батька. Новоспечений лорд стає на шлях відновлення миру або, якщо говорити словами із коміксу, його метою є відновлення гармонії у світі. Далі Джин Леунь Янґ перемотує події на один рік уперед, де відбувається нова криза у світі на фоні кризи ідентичності лорда Вогню Зука. Першочерговий план відновлення гармонії, який передбачав переселення всіх громадян країни Вогню із колоній на території країни Землі назад на рідні землі, летить шкереберть. Не всі громадяни вогненної держави хочуть цих змін, адже за той довгий період існування старих колоній, більшість людей із країни вогню вже мають там сім’ї, які складаються із громадян різних націй, а діти вважають себе громадянами вогню, але володіють магією землі, чи навспак. Це колонії, де побут чи стосунки із сусідами і друзями не обмежується тільки людьми однієї нації. Та лорди Вогню й Землі, Зука й Куей, не розбираючись у нюансах, мають власні плани щодо цього. Через це, ці країни знову опинилися на межі війни.

Майже на початку коміксу мене вибісив дуже награний момент. Аанґ, який прилетів до свого друга Зука, щоби розібратися в складній ситуації, не міг потрапити до нього взагалі, через те, що місто повністю перекрили й навіть Аанґу не можна туди. Та все ж таки, це ж Аанґ, останній маг повітря, звісно, що він надає на горіхи воїнам країни Вогню. І після цього Зука погоджується з ним поговорити. Що це взагалі відбулося? Цей конфлікт виглядає занадто награно, як для мене.

Та все інше мені сподобалося, читалося легко та весело, а найголовніше комікс підіймає соціологічні наслідки новоствореного ладу в світі. Замість нового лиходія, сценарист Джин Луень Янґ рухає сюжет зовсім в іншому руслі. Він використав цю арку, як можливість дослідити культурну неоднорідність, яка значною мірою побудована на догмі про те, що мир і спокій досягається лише завдяки культурній однорідності нації. Цей комікс також показує руйнівну природу колоніалізму та запитує, як ми можемо впоратися з її наслідками в сьогоденні. І в особі Аватара, викривається расизм та сегрегація, припускаючи, що змішування культур може створити більше краси, ніж політика ізоляції певної нації. У цьому коміксі, можна відчути різного роду емоції та спробувати знайти щось більше, аніж веселу пригодницьку історії про Аанґа.

Малюнок створений студією Gurihiru без сумніву переносить нас знову в атмосферу мультсеріалу, просто на сторінках мальованої історії. Кожен кадр чистий, послідовний і привертає увагу від початку до кінця. Динамічні сцени, розмови, інтер’єр, вулиці міст чи красиві пейзажі — усе виглядає якісно й чудово. Тут взагалі в мене ніяких претензій немає, бо малюнок, справді, приємний оку, гарно розповідає історію та створює ту атмосферу, до якої я звик у анімації.

Я не знаю чи арка «Обіцянка» заслуговує великої похвали. Але мені сподобалося, що замість нового грізного лиходія, тут сценарист має намір делікатно дослідити культурні та суспільні проблеми сьогодення за допомогою простих сюжетів у коміксі. Та все ж, думаю цей мальопис підійде якнайкраще фанатам оригінального мультсеріалу, щоби дізнатися продовження однієї з улюблених історій. Новим читачам, які просто хочуть взяти і прочитати якийсь комікс про Аанґа теж можна спробувати ознайомитися із ним, просто потрібно знати кілька речей, які принципі розповідають на самому початку. Єдиним мінусом буде те, що всі деталі, становлення вже нинішніх стосунків між Аанґом і його друзями, пройдуть повз. А так, беріть і читайте.

[LW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ADORED this graphic novel! I love seeing Aang's and Katara's relationship, and I love knowing that the story goes on.

This series is everything.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one never struck the right chord. The characters acted exaggeratedly and out of line based on how they would have acted in the show itself, and almost the entire conflict would have ceased to be if they'd just calmed down and talked about it. Also, Katara is reduced to a fawning and largely useless girlfriend.

[Umairah (Sereadipity) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Team Avatar is back! But I can't handle Katara and Aang calling each other 'sweetie' it's unbearable!

[n* · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great return to the atla world. it balances humour and drama perfectly, creating an enjoyable and engaging read.

[Tina Rafii➹ lives in Fandoms · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Silver Stars
with Golden sparks

I enjoyed it, of course I did. seeing my favourite characters again & new material in my favourite world? why not?
(I'm feeling a little guilty here, so that's why I wrote a review)
but
1) they talked a lot! (& politics... mehhhh)
2) there was this maddening (stupid) prejudice that I didn't like & made me mad. which was the whole plot based on it, & I knew the result (it was obvious if you saw the Legend of Korra, the future society of this world)
& plot has the main role in my rating system, so....
yep
(also I don't see a possibility of ever rereading it, which is one of my factors for being a 4)

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the TV series. When it ended, I was left with a gaping hole in my heart because I had to bid farewell to the Avatar universe, the diverse characters which had captivated me so and to the wise words of General Iroh. I was so glad when I found out that there were graphic novels of the series. The Promise picks up right after the end of the TV series finale.

The book serves as an extended epilogue, following the events that occurred after the war. Zuko faces his first great task as a Fire Lord, which may lead to another war. Kudos to the team behind this graphic novel to have pulled this off. Both the writing and art are similar to that of the TV series. The characters also retain their trait and attributes, which is a relief as adaptations really tend to mess that up.

The book is far from being epic, but it is lots of fun and captures the essence of the TV series perfectly.

[fatherofdragons113 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy these graphic novels exist. They perfectly continue the story of the show and capture each character flawlessly. I forget I'm reading a graphic novel and feel like I'm still watching the show. Plus, Azula comes back too and she's one of my favorite villains ever!!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story

There are several story arcs going throughout the book; the main plot is the story of Yu Dao, but there's also the stories of Toph's academy and the Avatar Fan Club, all of which have further events on a more personal level which relate to characters' development. All in all, quite a lot goes in this book. That much is indeed, true, but the pacing of the story flows amazingly well and doesn't lag too much. Even if Part 2 is basically filler, sub-plot and set-up for Part 3, it still feels part of the greater narrative and the time it takes for characterisation is great to go through and doesn't feel like detracting anything from the main plot. The presentation of all three Parts in one hardcover definitely helps in this regard, as they read much better together as a single book.

As for the story itself, one major theme presented is colonialism and its effects, which Yang deals with very realistically. This is an issue particularly close to my heart due to my country’s history. After about 170 years under British rule, most Maltese were indeed afraid of being separated from their colonisers due to their daily interaction with them and the fact that their livelihood often depended on the British services stationed here. Yu Dao is a great reflection of the human realities long-term colonisation and inter-cultural integration result in, which should be there considering the length of the War. Having Kunyo in there was also a great way of symbolising the residual resentment at anti-colonialism common Fire Nation citizens may feel. After a hundred years of war and colonialism, it makes not to have everyone suddenly change overnight.

While on the issue of inter-cultural relations, it was also interesting to see Yang tackling the issue of cultural appropriation within the framework of the Avatar world. The fan club is shown to be well-meaning and genuinely interested in Air Nomad culture, but their enthusiasm as fans gets the better of them and they offend Aang with their lack of understanding. I also like the fact that the issue makes Aang reflect on his role as the last Airbender. He takes on the responsibility of guardian of his people’s culture and takes it upon himself to ensure it survives by founding the Air Acolytes through the fan club.

I also like the way The Promise deals with the conflict between one’s ideals and their relationships. In the post-war Avatar world, the ideal would mean a separation of the nations as they were before the War, but the human reality of the people of Yu Dao has to result in compromise. Sneers starts out trying to live up to his ideals, but when faced with the choice of living with his loved one, he has to give it up for the sake of his human relationship with Kori. Kuei likewise decides not to retake Yu Dao when seeing how people live there together. This point is further beautifully illustrated by paralleling the potential fate of Yu Dao with Aang and Katara’s own future. It was a smart move which raised the stakes by making the issue more personal.

Moreover, I like how Yang manages to intertwine and collect all story threads and sub-plots together, even the most seemingly divergent ones. Kunyo is emboldened to re-take his dojo from Toph due to Zuko retracting his support from the HRM. Even the Avatar Fan Club plot, whose origin does not owe anything to the main plot, becomes the catalyst for further reflection by Aang on inter-cultural relations and integration and the larger inter-nation scale. The way Aang perceived stronger nations just taking on some aspects of weaker nations’ culture as a costume was a great way to tie in the issues of colonialism and integration.

In interviews Yang explains that he was chosen to pen the sequel/s to the original show because he is a fan – referring his webcomic criticising the live-action film in particular - and it shows. Despite Nick perhaps wanting to target a younger demographic, Yang tries to imbue it with the same complexity of the original, and he does succeed (with help from Mike and Bryan, of course), as seen above. He also manages to get in some in-continuity jokes only fans would know, such as Sokka lamenting the loss of his space sword or commenting how Toph’s touchy about normal-sighted people complaining about the dark. Even Toph’s meteorite bracelet is brought back and becomes an interesting (though minor) plot device. Yang clearly reveres the original show enough to want to make a worthy successor.

In fact, the only major plot point which admittedly disappointed me was the climax. More than anything else, it’s not the actual story point per se, but the execution which irked me a bit. In two and a half books we were being told a battle was coming, but when it came, I was rather unimpressed. It just ended too soon before I was given a chance to take it in and get the sense of loss and destruction such a battle should have. The whole sequence just a felt a bit rushed and headed to a peaceful conclusion – which happens off-screen - too quickly. I get it that 'The Promise' is about the eponymous promise, but I would have also liked to see the actual meeting between Kuei and Zuko to see how much the two have learned from the experience. My first impression upon reading the ending was that I had basically gone through an inflated prelude to 'The Search'. While it makes sense that Yu Dao does not instantly become the Republic City we know of in 'The Legend of Korra' (and it will continue to evolve in that direction in future installments of the graphic novel series), it would have been better to get a holistic sense of closure with just a hint of things to come. This in no way takes away from the other merits of the story, but it leaves me hoping some threads are picked up again in future.

Characters

First of all, I’d like to point out that all returning characters’ voices are written such that they really do capture those of the original series. I had no problem projecting the original voice actors’ performances onto their respective character’s dialogue in my head.

While all characters get the same treatment in that regard, The Promise is squarely focused on Aang and Zuko dealing with and moving on from the legacies of their respective predecessors (I’m sure you’ve deduced it already from the cover). Aang tries to live up to his responsibilities as the Avatar in the post-War world and avoid Roku’s regrets and mistakes, thus accepting to make the promise to Zuko. In the end, however, he chooses not to live up to his promise because of their friendship, and to go on his own path. His relationship with Roku also changes in parallel with this realisation, which is just a pleasure to watch. Roku was marked by the fact that his leniency towards Sozin as a friend was not returned in kind and led to the War. I don’t know how Aang initially expected Roku to go past that, considering how he already had told him to kill Ozai and saw Zuko’s promise as a moment of clarity. Seeing Aang realise this and decide to break off his link to Roku was heart-wrenching, as it should have been with the loss of a mentor and friend. Aang has already shown himself to favour his relationships to the traditional detachment expected of the Avatar in 'The Guru', so it’s great to see that trend continue here. He actually goes further when he comes to accept this fact about himself and that he doesn’t want to change it, even if future (and past) Avatars may want to. Aang first missing his culture and then realising he’s responsible for its survival was also a great step forward for his character (as has been discussed above).

Here we also get to see Aang as Katara’s boyfriend; well, I have to agree with Sokka about the oogies on that one. They’re naturally still going through the initial lovey-dovey phase of their relationship, something I’ve seen quite often with my own friends. I’m quite willing to let it pass as it is realistic, just as long as we see them move on in future to a point where they don’t have to call each other ‘sweetie’ so often.

Zuko is in a similar situation, trying to live up to his newfound responsibilities as Fire Lord without turning into his father. Much like Aang, the pressures of the throne and the expectations it carries lead him to search the advice of his predecessor. I’ve seen some fans criticise this development as a regression of the character, but I couldn’t disagree more. Being the leader of the Fire Nation places Zuko in a situation where he must protect the interests of his people against the interests of other sovereigns. Irrespective of his ideals – and here I remember Iroh calling him an idealist in the show’s finale - he must fulfil his duties as a statesman. The only person who can really understand this is his father, Ozai, who really does have some “wisdom of experience” (note that he was right about the Earth King’s intentions not to show weakness, for instance).

While on the issue of Ozai, I have to say I like the fact that he is somewhat humanised and calmed down in the story. His behaviour and words confirm something that wasn’t delved into in the show: his political thought is Realist. Ozai believes that sovereignty requires amorality for the sake of safeguarding the interests of the state. Whereas the original series showed him to be a more evil character in other aspects of his life to be sure, at least here we get to see some more motivation and understanding for his decisions as Fire Lord apart from his just wanting to ‘take over the world’. These represent much more complex issues of what is right and wrong, which is seen in Zuko’s decision not to ignore his father’s advice completely. Much like Aang begins to see Roku as not completely good, Zuko begins to see his father as not completely evil. Aang moves away from Roku’s absolutes, but Zuko does decide not to let the Avatar decide right and wrong for him, as Ozai told him to do. It’s the intention behind this decision that distances him from his father, as he does have a good moral compass and does want to judge his actions as morally correct.

Indeed, Iroh does represent a better mentor for him, as his behaviour and words of encouragement at the end of 'The Promise' are a lot less stifling than Ozai’s and show a lot more faith in Zuko. In fact, it left me asking why Zuko didn’t contact his uncle sooner. I can understand his intentions to give him his well-deserved peace, but Zuko’s stubbornness in the face of his previous respective experiences with his father and uncle is, perhaps, a bit too convenient.

With Aang and Zuko being the focus of the story and get fantastic character development, the other main characters are, admittedly, more static. Sokka remains just the same meat and sarcasm guy we all know and love. He cracks jokes, invents names for things, comes up with ideas, and his bickering with his sister is just as fun for us to watch as ever. His interactions with Toph are also fun as the two form an great duo in Part 2. Katara doesn’t do anything of real consequence other than being Aang’s counsel until Part 3, in which she shows his and Zuko’s flawed approaches to Yu Dao. Suki doesn’t get much to do either, apart from that one panel which had so many of us thinking we were going to see something between her and Zuko. Supporters of the strong female characters of the series may not like them being relegated to supporting their male counterparts, but the scope and size of the story couldn’t really leave room for other options. Mai in particular suffered most, as she’s written off rather quickly in what was, in my opinion, a rather out-of-character moment (considering all she went through for the sake of her love for Zuko).

Toph, on the other hand, gets the most attention of the remaining main cast. We see her take on the role of teacher as a calling – while still being, well, Toph - and have her first doubts about her teaching methods. Toph was always great for not only being such a fun character, but also for occasionally demonstrating great self-awareness and a human fragility. We get to see more of that here when she doubts if her treatment of the students is simply her inflicting her own pain onto others. It was a great touch to see her visibly moved when everything seemed to work out, even if she had to show her students the affection behind her tough exterior unintentionally to get results.

Other minor returning characters’ development varies. Smellerbee and Longshot remain understandably hardened adversaries of the Fire Nation, considering the War recently cost them their leader, Jet. (While on this topic, I would have loved an actual comment from them on Jet’s fate and how they escaped!) Sneers goes through the most development as he comes to terms with the fact that he values his relationship with Kori more than his ideals, gaining a more nuanced vision of the world like other Freedom Fighters before him. Earth King Kuei is shown to have learned from his experiences during the events of the show, and now understandably seems determined not to show the same weakness as before. However, befitting his greatly sheltered life, he is still afraid to lead the troops personally. I find it strange, though, that he did not encounter other towns like Yu Dao during his travels around the world while in exile.

So where does this leave the new characters introduced in The Promise? Well, for the most part, are pretty one-dimensional and serve more as agents of the story than actual characters to be developed. Kori remains the same until the end, her most defining feature being her will to protect her home and way of life. In his commentary Yang says he thinks of Toph’s students as personifications of certain vices and compared them to the different Lanterns from Geoff Johns’s 'Green Lantern', which you may agree with. (However, I don’t this comparison does the latter justice as at least all Johns’s characters do develop.) Sure, the students learn to see something else in themselves other than their stereotypes, but we don’t see their newfound self-confidence go much further than allowing them to metalbend.

Art

I admit that my fist impression of the art was that it is too childish and bright. I had already seen Gurihiru’s art in 'The Lost Adventures', and couldn’t help but feel that others artists featured there would have been better-suited. However, the art grew on me and I came to appreciate it on many points. The covers are brilliant, and can be seen in all their glory in the Library Edition as all lettering and titles are removed. The facial expressions are spot-on, the panels are for the most part arranged with certain dynamism, and I liked the new designs both for returning characters and new ones. There is also a certain attention to detail which could be found in the original series. For instance, Aang subtly ages and becomes taller than Katara over the course of the story, and the metal boar used in Sokka and Toph’s scheme is not discarded but later adorns the entrance of Toph’s school.

My only complaint on the art is that I can’t help but feel that the fight scenes and choreography from the show didn’t translate well to graphic novel form. I actually do not blame Gurihiru at all on this count; bending is a fighting style which inspired awe due to a combination of precise movements and sound. Managing to achieve the same style in comic book panels and without the use of sound would be a great challenge for any artist.

Library Edition Additions

The most obvious addition given the Library Edition is, of course, the actual presentation. Like all similar Dark Horse books, the hardcover is great quality and feels durable. Additionally, the page size presented here is larger then the original paperbacks. Unfortunately I don’t currently have the regular edition of the three separate Parts, so I can’t compare sizes or the images properly. However, it should be noted that, despite the larger size of the page, the actual graphic novel panels are surrounded by a rather wide margin for annotations, so I’d calculate the images being only around 20-25% larger.

With regard to the annotations themselves, they’re a great addition to the actual story. They often give insight into the inspiration behind certain concepts, themes and/or the creative process behind certain visual elements. They can give certain trivia, like Yu Dao’s inspiration being partly based on Japanese islands previously under German rule which still produce beer to this day. At other points, the details provided help the reader read into the details of the story more appreciatively, like the place of euthanasia by consent and prayer in Buddhism and the theme of colonialism. Sometimes, Yang includes comments which exude his fan’s glee, like his weirdness at having to revisit the crucial final scene between Zuko and Ozai and his love of all things Toph.

The hardcover edition also features some minor edits, often to correct mistakes or goofs found in the original. For instance, the Zukos’s scar from his confrontation with Azula is added to Part 3, among others.

The concept art at the end of the book is good, even if nothing ground-breaking. We get to see the character models of the main cast (whose initial designs, it turns out, were actually improved upon), the initial sketches of the covers, and other minor tid-bits of information. While all fascinating, I think they could be improved upon. My guess is that with all the information given in the annotations throughout the book, not much was actually left for the final pages.

Verdict

Even if with The Promise is not a perfect return to form for 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', it is most definitely a welcome one. Despite its flaws, it gets a definite recommendation from me. Avatar fans will love getting to see their favourite characters again. To non-Avatar fans, I'd recommend seeing the series first to enjoy the book as much as possible.

[Md. Rahat Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

কিছু কিছু জিনিসের স্বাদ আমরা আসলে যখন পাই তার যথার্থ মহত্ব ঠিক তখনই টের পাই না, টের পাই ভবিষ্যতে, যখন সেই জিনিসগুলোর অভাব বোধ করি। অ্যাভাটার দ্য লাস্ট এয়ারবেন্ডার সিরিজটা ছিল আমার জন্য তেমনই এক জিনিস। একুশ শতকে এর চেয়ে ভালো অ্যানিমেটেড সিরিজ আর তৈরি হয় নি। চমৎকার রাইটিং, দুর্দান্ত অ্যানিমেশন, সলিড ক্যারেকটার বিল্ডিং কী ছিল না এই সিরিজে। ২০০০ এর দশকে আমার মতো টিভির পর্দায় চোখ রেখে যারা বড় হয়ে উঠেছে কিন্তু নিকেলডিয়ানের এই অ্যানিমেটেড সিরিজটা স্কিপ করে গেছে তাদের মত চরম দুর্ভাগা আর নেই। ২০০৮ সালের সিরিজ ফিনালের পর ১৩ বছর পাড় হয়ে গেছে, আজও লোকজন এই শো নিয়ে কথা বলে। নেটফ্লিক্সে ২০১৩ সালে রিলিজ পাওয়ার পর টানা ষাট সপ্তাহ টপ চার্টে থাকার রেকর্ডও ধরে রেখেছে এই শো। আইএমডিবির অল টাইম হাইয়েস্ট রেটেড সিরিজের তালিকায় স্থান চতুর্থ, ব্রেকিং ব্যাড এর ঠিক পরেই। রেটিং ১০ এ ৯.৩! দুঃখের কথা হল মাত্র তিন সিজন পরই শেষ হয়ে যায় এই শো। শো এর ক্রিয়েটররা যখন ফোর্থ সিজন করার চিন্তা-ভাবনা করছিলেন তখনই বাধ সাধেন এম. নাইট শ্যামালান, দ্য সিক্সথ সেন্সের ডিরেক্টর, ওয়ান টাইম ওয়ান্ডার। এই লোকের কারণে ফোর্থ সিজনের প্ল্যান বানচাল হল, তার বদলে একটা লাইভ অ্যাকশন রিমেক নিয়ে কাজ শুরু হল। শ্যামালান মুভিখানা বানালেন। এবং এম. নাইট শ্যামালান বানালেন ইতিহাসের সর্বকালের সবেচেয়ে বাজে মুভির একটা। তারপর সিদ্ধান্ত হল ফোর্থ সিজন কন্টিনিউ করা হবে কমিকস এর মাধ্যমে। অ্যাভাটার: দ্য লাস্ট এয়ারবেন্ডার: দ্য প্রমিস কমিকের কাহিনী শুরু অরিজিনাল সিরিজের কাহিনীর পর থেকে। সবাই ভয়ে ভয়ে ছিল, অরিজিনাল সিরিজের উচ্চতায় যেতে পারবে কী না তা ভেবে। রাইটার ভিন্ন, একটা সম্পূর্ণ আলাদা মিডিয়ামে ট্রাঞ্জিশন, ব্যাপারটা কেমন হবে? কমিকসটা আসলে হতাশ করে না। স্টোরি খুবই ভালো। আসলে অরিজিনাল সিরিজটা যেভাবে পুরো ইউনিভার্সটাকে সেট করেছে কমিকসের মাধ্যমে ভালো কিছু অর্জন করা সহজ বই কী। কমিকসের কাহিনী সিরিজের আসল এসেন্স যা, তাকেই ফাউন্ডেশন বানিয়ে লেখা— মানবতা, শান্তি, বন্ধুত্ব। তার উপর চমৎকার ইলাস্ট্রেশন চোখের আরাম। পরের ইস্যুগুলোও পড়ার জন্য মুখিয়ে থাকব।

[Bárbara Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the beginning of the season 4 we'll never get from A:TLA. The series already had a perfectly satisfying ending, but that doesn't mean there aren't new obstacles to overcome. Taking place right after the end of the series, it deals with some heavy themes, especially colonialism and the lingering effects of an incredibly long war, while maintaining the light humor that characterizes the show.
I guess the only flaw I could pinpoint is Roku's advice, who goes from "listen to your heart, Aang" in the series, to "follow my teachings and KILL THAT DUDE" in the comics (and even that can be more understandable if you consider his own feelings of guilt for not putting the world's interests above his own, which resulted in massive destruction for the four nations).
Regardless, The Promise is not just a fluffy filler (while I enjoyed the Pirate comic, it didn't add much to the main story, unlike this one). It takes its role as a continuation seriously, and for me, it is a worthy successor. Even the art subtly reflects the passage of time, as the characters seems a bit more mature, and they continue growing throughout these 3 volumes (I feel like a mom, so proud of her babies).
Last but not least, dear Uncle Iroh invented bubble tea. A man truly ahead of his time.

[Sabe Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Promise is the first in what appears to be an ongoing series of graphic novels continuing the adventures of the characters from the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series. It's a worthy continuation of the story, though some of the characterization lacks the vibrancy of the original series.

The story of The Promise centers on the "Harmony Restoration Movement," an effort to remove the Fire Nations' colonies from the territory of the other Nations after the end of the Fire Nation's war of conquest. The Movement quickly runs into difficulty when it turns out that these colonies, having existed for more than a century, have put down hard-to-dislodge roots. Generations of people have lived and died with these cities as their homes, and the boundaries between Nations have blurred by intermarriage and assimilation. The themes are more complex and mature than those found in the TV show. It's also clear how the events depicted here help bridge the gap between Last Airbender and its sequel animated series, Legend of Korra, with its cosmopolitan multinational locales. There are of course kung fu battles and element-bending stunts, but there are no clear Evil Overlord style villains like in the shows.

If the macro-scale story is subtle and well imagined, the micro level is the opposite. The artwork does a great job of depicting the characters a few years older than we saw them in the cartoon, but their personalities are written with flat, one-note repetition. Toph's habit of giving out nicknames, Sokka's discomfort with his sister's newfound romance, and the Katara-Aang relationship itself show no nuance or variety. The writers pick a word or phrase to represent each topic--"lily livers," "oogie," and "sweetie" respectively--and insert it repeatedly into scenes, as if by main force new beloved in-jokes will be born. It never feels natural enough to come together, though. The characters' wit vanishes beneath these overused scripts.

I enjoyed the comics, and would certainly recommend them to anyone who liked the show. But I hope the next comic, The Search, gets more creative editorial attention to its dialogue.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this! If you’re a fan of the tv series then there’s a good chance that you’ll love this too. It was really fun to read, but also tackled some bigger issues (much like the tv show does).

I read the Hardcover/library edition which included commentary along some of the pages and I really loved the inclusion of these comments. They explained why certain layouts/colour schemes were chosen, how they decided on dialogue/names, and where they referenced A:TLA or TLoK. There were also sketches showing the process of the characters’ designs which was really cool to see!

Overall, I loved it and can’t wait to read the next one!

[Raghav Bhatia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like the show you'll like this. It's got all the standard heart, conflict and charm of the show. Feels like a natural continuation in every way. I went into this with some trepidation but the characters all act and feel like themselves. I could hear their voices in my head even though it's been ages since I last watched ATLA. The color gradient is mouth-wateringly good. And, for something that kids and adults can enjoy alike, Avatar as always puts forth some cool questions and cooler answers. Good theme. Good dynamics. A mighty good time.

[ray ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

-zuko is huzz
-katara and aang are so cute but the “sweetie” nickname is not it…
-toph is THE character

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a refreshing dive back into the world I love. And while I wish this would have been an animated follow-up to the trilogy, I could still hear the character's voices and see their expressions in my head almost as well as if it was animated . . . so really didn't lose with this one. EXCEPT IT ISN'T A COMPLETE STORY and now I gotta scramble to get my hands on the rest of this follow-up tale.

[Elif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harikaydı başından sonuna dek gülümseyerek okudum