*This review contains TV series spoilers*
Forget the wonderful world of wizardry! Why would I want to run around waving a tree bark screaming spells when I can just bend an element? Oh yes, I am a stone-cold fan of the Avatar series. Not the blue aliens… although that was a pretty good movie. I’m talking about Aang, the gang, and Sokka’s boomerang! Thanks for the confusion though James Cameron. Because of you, I never know which Avatar is trending on Twitter anymore.
You couldn’t understand the excitement I had when Netflix announced that they were bringing Avatar: The Last Airbender to its platform. I mean it was the last greatest show Nickelodeon has ever produced. And you can fight me on that quote! Anyway, fans of Team Avatar garnered up so much attention of the revival of the show, Netflix decided to bring the sequel, Avatar: The Legend of Korra to its platform as well. To prepare for that, I thought it would be a great idea to catch up on all the in-between adventures Avatar Aang had before we are “introduced” to the new Avatar.
Delving into the Avatar series, the first book in the saga begins with The Lost Adventures created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Compiled by several writers, The Lost Adventures features 26 in-continuity stories set throughout the run of the Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series. The Lost Adventures originally were three separate mangas, but I read the deluxe version which infused all three comics into one. The Lost Adventures is a quick collage of mini-stories during the Avatar’s travels around the world. These adventures take place during the episodes on television, so if you have not completed watching the series, some of the timelines won’t make sense. Put the comic book down.
Have you ever wondered how certain characters came to their decisions? Like when Ba Sing Se’s King decided to go AWOL with his pet bear. Or when exactly did Zuko and Mai hook up? And whatever happened to the original Joo Dee? These would have made great episode fillers for the show, but placing the small details would have made the program run longer. Thankfully the creators of ATLA were kind enough to include it into a comic series to answer our gnawing questions.
The Lost Adventures is a very quick read, as most mangas are. To me, the book did start slow with pointless stories, but once the ball got rolling, it started to shape around the adventures that we know and love. The deluxe version also has two bonus comics that you can’t find anywhere else, along with some cool art designs. The creators also detailed where they got their illustration inspirations from. For the next few posts it’s going to all be about the Fearsome Foursome, so tighten up your saddles, give Appa some hay, and enjoy the ride!
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