The Avatar the Last Airbender comics are so good that they make me want to black out, lose control, and destroy my living room with the awesome combined power of my ancestors in celebration.
They make me wanna go on a spirit quest with talking turtles. They make me wanna paint my face like a wolf and swing a sword around in a solar eclipse. You get the idea. These are the best Avatar comics, ranked.
10. Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy
Ever wonder how literally every earth bender (but Bolin) can metalbend in The Legend of Korra? They had to learn somewhere! Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy is where it all began. After successfully tutoring Twinkletoes into become a rock-slinging full-fledged Avatar, Toph decides to spread her metalbending gospel and take up teaching again … to predictably mixed results. Toph is many things, but patient is not one of them—a simple but surprisingly mature tale, like the original series itself.
9. North and South
Wonder what happened to the Southern Water Tribe while Sokka and Katara were gone? Now you don’t have to! North and South is about the siblings’ triumphant return to their homeland, only to find that it’s no longer a simple village but rather a bustling metropolis like the North. Sokka’s into it, of course. Katara is worried the tribe is losing touch with their roots, and she isn’t the only one.
The Water Tribe has splintered into factions, with a charismatic leader than Gilak emerging to challenge the newly elected Chieftain Hakoda’s Northern Water Tribe-friendly policies. It’s a comic about nationalism, tradition, and the nature of change. Heavy stuff for a comic book marketed for kids, but like the darker themes of the source material, they nail it.
8. Suki, Alone
Whenever an Avatar work takes a character name and slaps the word “Alone” after it, you know you’ve got a banger on your hands. Suki, Alone is the tale of everyone’s favorite Kyoshi Warrior during her tenure at the Boiling Rock Fire Nation prison. It’s a rare glimpse into the psyche of a fan-favorite character that deserves more screen time than she gets. Suki has to rely on her survival skills and rock solid discipline to make it out of the world’s toughest prison alive with her spirit in tact. Thankfully, she has the example of Avatar Kyoshi to guide her steps.
7. Team Avatar Tales
Team Avatar Tales took the Tales of Ba Sing Se formula and expanded upon it to glorious effect. The comic is a series of comic one shots from characters all across The Last Airbender universe. Mai and Zuko air out their relationship problems. Sokka improvises around a case of mistaken identity. The Boulder … is the Boulder. Eight stories lovingly drawn in a slew of different art styles, Team Avatar Tales is a post Last Airbender anthology not to be missed.
6. The Lost Adventures
The Lost Adventures has the best Team Avatar one-shot hands down: Private Fire. Sokka breaks out his fake beard once more to enlist in/spy on the Fire Nation Army as Private Wang Fire, leading to the fake Fire Nation soldier’s transformation into a cultural war hero. It’s one of the funniest stories in the canon, and the rest of the Lost Adventures stories are equally charming. The action takes place during the events of The Last Airbender series and shows what the group was up to in their downtime between episodes of the original series. They certainly found creative ways to spend their time.
5. Imbalance
Imbalance provides a glimpse into the Avatar Industrial Revolution that occurred between The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. In a united world, the Four Nations have begun pooling their resources for the betterment of society. The successful Earthen Fire Industries is a result of that union. Despite the economic boom, the world of Avatar is not without its troubles. Tensions begin to grow between benders and non-benders, setting the stage for the Bender vs. Non-Bender drama that occurs in Korra Season One. The Gaang has to try to cool off the conflict before it reaches explosive proportions.
4. Smoke and Shadow
It’s not easy being the Fire Lord, especially when your missing mom suddenly drops back into your life and your menacing sister reappears to make that life harder. The New Ozai Society, a splinter political faction dedicated to dragging the Fire Nation back to its Imperial days, is making things the most difficult of all. Zuko has to struggle to find a balance between compassionate and authoritative ruling. He doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of his father and sister, but misbehaving political factions are making that really hard to resist. Good thing he’s got Pacifist of the Century Aang to help him sort things out.
3. The Rift
Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy is an aperitif in the life of the Blind Bandit. The Rift is the main course. The rift in question is the one that exists between Toph and her estranged family. They did sic a group of kidnappers on her, after all. While Toph’s dad seems unrepentant for his past actions, it’s all an act to hide his deep shame and love for his daughter. There’s a lot of emotional dirt to sift through here, but thankfully there’s no one more qualified to do so than an earthbender. Meanwhile, Aang tries to bridge the rift between the old Air Nomad ways and the new.
2. The Promise
After the war with the Fire Nation was won, the newly crowned Fire Lord Zuko made the Avatar make a promise: “If I turn out like my dad, kill me.” That’s a paraphrase, but you get the gist. As troublesome socio-political tensions cause Fire Lord Zuko to resort to hard-line policies, Aang begins to wonder if he’ll someday have to make good on that promise—and if he has the strength of character to pull the trigger. Throw the rock. The Sharp icicle. The Fireball. Airblast Zuko off a cliff. You get the idea.
1. The Search
Ever wondered what happened to Zuko’s mom? So does he. So does the rest of the fandom. Wonder no more! After the One Hundred Year War is won, Fire Lord Zuko sets out on a quest to find his mom. Working the few clues his asshole dad gave him, Zuko and the Aang Gang go on a world traveling romp—and by world, I mean “Spirit World.” The spirits hold the answers to Ursa’s fate! If only Zuko could convince them to show up, sit still, and stop stealing people’s faces. Yes, Ko the Face Stealer was involved.
(featured image: Dark Horse Comics)
