Graphic Novels

Avatar: The Last Airbender By Gene Luen Yang & Illustrated by Gurihiru

The Search: Part 1 

Publisher: Mike Richardson

ISBN: 9781616550547

Aang is a young man who is the avatar.  The avatar is the master of all four elements: earth, air, water, and fire.  His once enemy, now friend, Lord Zuko of the Fire Nation longs to discover why his mother Ursa disappeared when he was a child.  The first part of The Search portrays Ursa's youth and her forced marriage to Zuko's father.

The Search: Part 2

Publisher: Mike Richardson

ISBN: 9781616551902

Lord Zuko's unstable sister, Azula, joins her brother, the avatar Aang, waterbender Katara, and boomerang holder Sokka in the search for their mother.  Azula has flashbacks to her troubled childhood with her mother.  They find themselves in a forrest where a spirit appears, but Azula begins to attack the water with her lightning.  She thought that she saw her mother in the water.  They meet an elderly couple, who are seeking the spirit.  The spirit grants one person every year a new face.  Ang uses his avatar powers to enter the spirit world to find him.

The Search: Part 3

Publisher: Mike Richardson

ISBN: 9781616551841

When the group encounters the spirit, named the Mother of Faces, the elderly woman asks her to give her husband a face.  Before she gets her request out, Azula demands to know if she granted a wish for a woman named Ursa, which she did.  With this information, Azula goes to hunt her mother.  To find out the ending, please read this three-part series.

Rating:

The Avatar: The Search trilogy deserves a BIG SMILE.  These graphic novels are a continuation of the television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender.  These stories talked the unknown truth about the disappearance of Lord Zuko's mother Ursa.  The story contains continuity from the series.  The characters maintain their spunk, charm, and personality.  The art is breath-taking.  The reader can feel the movement and direction of the illustrations, which bring them to life.  It is easy to tell the difference between the story line and flashbacks, because the flashbacks have a sepia tint.  It is easy to get immersed in the story and identify with the characters feelings.