Dark Horse Comics is calling fans to come back to Avatar: The Last Airbender. The story of Aang and Team Avatar was continued by Dark Horse beyond the point where the original animated series had ended in 2008. The publisher recently announced a whole new trilogy of Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels called Avatar: The Last Airbender – Imbalance.
The latest trilogy is written by Faith Erin Hicks (The Nameless City), and art is done by artist Peter Wartman in tandem with the makers of Avatar: The Last Airbender (Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino). Hicks and Wartman will get going from the point where the last writer Gene Luen Yang had exited.
The first book of Imbalance will see Aang, Toph, Katara, and Sokka confront the rising tension between benders and non-benders in an expanding industrial city. This theme was touched upon during the opening season of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s sequel The Legend of Korra, which was based in Republic City. Probably this burgeoning industrial town will be later known as Republic City, and it is possible that Imbalance will display some new links between Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.
Another new one-shot graphic novel, Avatar: The Last Airbender – Team Avatar Tales was also announced by Dark Horse Comics. This is going to be an anthology collection of earlier stories from the Free Comic Book Day samplers by Dark Horse and repackaging them with some fresh stories. The stories will vary from comedies to adventures and also some brooding tales, as is the trademark of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Hicks and Yang will have their stories featured and so will Carla Speed McNeill (Finder), Ron Koertge (Vampire Planet), Day Scheidt (Dreamworks, Trolls, Wrapped Up), and Sara Goetter (Dungeon Critters, Boozle).
Dark Horse Comics has also been publishing The Legend of Korra in the comic book form. That series is titled “Turf Wars’ and written by co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino. It is based on Korra’s adventures that take place after the end of the animated series and also depicts her first kiss with Asami.
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Team Avatar Tales will be available for sale on September 5th. Avatar: The Last Airbender – Imbalance Part One will go on sale October 10th.
