Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, Part 1

4.5 stars After a long war, peace should have descended. Right? Wrong. Peace does not come easy to the 4 Nations. In order to maintain balance in their world, the Fire Nation colonies based in different Nations needed to be disbanded. However, fear and anger spurred the Fire Nation colonies to fight for their homes. As the Fire Lord, Zuko has to protect his people. As the Avatar, Aang needed to achieve peace and balance. Zuko and Aang are caught in the middle of the unrest and it might push their friendship to the breaking point. Despite hoping for a happily ever after for Aang and company, there was a lot of work to clean up the mess the last Fire Lord created. The writers picked up the plot where Season 3 ended. Amazing storytelling, with just a hint of a predictable plot, that held you riveted to the pages. It easily captured and related their trademark humor and personalities. In graphic novels, events and actions tend by misconstrued or missed but the wording and the artwork in each panel were concise and action packed. The balance of action, intrigue and especially romance was done well. Zuko and Aang got equal page time. And for the AangxKatara fans out there, they were perfectly lovey-dovey that it was "oogie" at times. The artwork was on par with the animation from the shows. Even though only a year has past, you can see the subtle changes of the gang as they mature. The lines are clean and crisp. The colors were sharp and beautifully shaded. The quality of the pages was tight and glossy. My only gripe is the length of the comic. (That's my only reason for not giving it a strong 5 stars.) For $11, I expected a bit more than 76 pages but the enjoyment value I got out of this book was definitely worth it. If you have never watched the series, I suggest watching the show first. There are no rehashing here. If you are a fan and haven't picked it up yet, do so now at a lower price. You will not regret it.

I never understood the allure of the comic, preferring books with developed narratives. I love the stories found in these sorts of media but never grasped the enriched tales from the context presented. However, graphic novels present a unique blend and though they still lean more toward comics, they give a fuller experience, which this title did. I watched Avatar (the live action movie) with my daughters when they were teens. Now, my grandson has pulled me back into this interesting world with the animated series and BOOKS! This is the first I read, and though I worried it would disappoint, it did NOT. I loved how this graphic novel was able to present the action without the cheesy PEW and POW of the classic comic book. I was excited to see the characters' personalities carried through from the television onto the pages with such ease. Uncertain how this would all translate from one medium to the other, I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled that this will also be a big reading win for my grandson. I do recommend this title. It you enjoy comics, graphic novels, action tales, or Avatar, then you should find enjoyment in this read. It is visually stimulating while retaining the integrity of the story with a a sold plot and arc. Well done!

I am a die-hard fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender. So I was thrilled when I head about this continuation graphic novel series, and preordered it immediatly. Let me just say, it does not dissappoint. Everything we love about the series is there - the humor, the story, the incredible characters. And it picks up immediatly after we left off in season 3, even giving flashbacks to scenes I know I loved the first time. It's great! Just what the series needs! The thing to keep in mind, though, is that this is a SHORT book. The content in it is probably worth about one episode of show-time. It's not a full-length graphic novel, and you will have to keep buying the next volumes to complete the story. I'm personally okay with this. I'm excited for the next book, and I will be preordering that as well so I can read it ASAP. But don't expect a full story in just this volume. Expect an episode. If you're a fan of the series, you have to know what happens next. This is the book to start it, definitely a must-have. But, here's hoping they animate this story as well. That would pretty much make my life complete. (Korra 2012! Whoo!)

Going into the comics for Avatar: The Last Airbender felt strange because I've grown so fond of the show. I was used to the lively animation and the characters made manifested by the great voice acting. I love reading comics, but I wasn't sure if the Avatar comics would be for me. Well, after this introduction, the comic verse for Avatar. I can say those feelings aren't dissatisfied because of the shift in the medium. I was enthralled to be joining the rest of the fandom who gave the comics the much-deserved attention. Initially, I was afraid the writing quality would falter due to the weight and expectation of the show. I was initially skeptical as I was learning of Zuko's trouble adapting to his duties as the new Firelord. I wondered if the writers undermined the redemption arc Zuko achieved in Book Three. However, those complexities made for a great sense of direction for Zuko. There are beats I cared less for, like the romanticism of "Katang" I was always rooting for Aang and Katara to be in a relationship by the end of the series. The promise presents the continuation of their relationship. It somehow feels awkward to see the pair together, but it was cool at the same time. I wonder how my feelings about their dynamic will change throughout the run.

This is the first issue of a great series! Off to a slow start, the drawings get better as the story goes, as well as the dialogue. As a matter of fact the second issue features many moments that seem like they come straight out of the show. If you love the series, I highly recommend these comics. The comic series is broken up to 3 issues per storyline. I found this first storyline to be kind of like the author just getting their feet wet in the Avatar universe. The second story, The Search, is where it really starts to get good. But I still recommend the Promise just so you can be treated to Toph's Metal Bending school. It's perfect! There are also some other story elements that you might be sorry you missed if you skip ahead. And, I know it's noted elsewhere, but the creators of the show work closely with the creation of this series as well.

*** THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW*** Many years ago I loved the Avatar series, and I got the first two seasons for Christmas presents. I never really watched these series, but about 3 months ago I saw them gathering dust in my DVD case and thought I'd start from the beginning and watch the series again. I couldn't stop watching. With Christmas just about a month later, I got the 3rd season of Avatar and watched it in less than 2 days. But wait...That's it? What happens next?! This book is what I've been waiting for, and I was extremely satisfied. Many people have been saying it's too short, but you have to admit it's a COMIC book. It's not supposed to take THAT long to read! Seeing people give this comic book 3 or 4 stars really angered me considering in the details it says "The Promise" is only 80 pages. The author really brings the characters from the show into the book perfectly. They do look a little older because most of the comic book takes place 1 year after the show, besides the introductory pages at the beginning. I would recommend this to any Avatar fan - As well as "The Promise" part 2 and 3 which will be coming out later this year. Seeing Team Avatar return for new adventures is amazing. Also, there's a great cliff-hanger ending to the book! I can't wait until Part 2 is out! Hope I could help!

This is the very thing I've dreamed of since the series came to an end in glorious fashion all those years ago. This is what I wanted from an Avatar movie instead of a live-action retelling that turned out to be tripe anyway. The story of what came after the war. Not a fan fiction, but a genuine official story with the thumbprints of the creators all over it. This comic tells that story. And its everything I wanted and more. The characters are still the familiar heroes we know and love. The artwork portrays the world perfectly and with flair to spare. The story is as fascinating and action filled as the original series. The only complaint I have is that the dialog, while as humor-laced and smart as we remember, can be a bit rough around the edges. But somehow, I can't complain about the length. For some reason, an 80 page limit just works for the universe and this new story. All in all, I believe that any ATLA fan worth his or her salt should pick up this comic - their purchase will be rewarded with one of the best continuations of a show in ages. Welcome back, Gaang. We've missed you.

I think that Avatar: the Last Airbender is one of the best animated shows of all time. I read this graphic novel sequel story cautiously, as I was emphatically not a fan of the Legend of Korra sequel series, and I expected any additional stories to disrespect the fantastic world and characters and details of the Airbender series. BOY, did I love this series!!! I have a few things I wish were different -- I actually wish that Azula -didn't- join the group, I liked that she was sort of "left broken" at the end of the Airbender series, as an example. But that's pretty nitpicky, honestly. This series is fantastic. This brings up all the "what's next?" questions I had at the end of the Airbender show. Of course Prince Zuko is going to have struggles as a political leader now, and this series shows all of that stress and all of the hard choices he's faced with. Of course there are challenges with blending families. This series is smart, mature, funny, and doesn't take the easy way out with any of the issues it tackles -- issues affecting smaller groups, and issues affecting huge-world-scale stuff.

Amazing!!!

Increíble producto. Llegó en perfecto estado y es muy bonito

Loved the book, has read a couple of times

Da ich ein sehr großer Fan der Serie Avatar-Herr der Elemente bin, hoffte ich lange auf eine Fortsetzung. Und hier ist sie nun, zwar leider "nur" in Comic-Form, aber besser als gar nichts. So dachte ich mir das jedenfalls, allerdings ich wurde ich dann doch sehr positiv überrascht! Tolle Zeichnungen, spannende Story und teilweise sehr lustig.(Wie man es von der Serie gewohnt ist) Ich kann es nur weiterempfehlen; die Comics und insbesondere die Serie sind einmalig gut und wirklich für jung und alt geeignet!!!

Genial, la única pega es que está en inglés, pero es una buena excusa para aprender ya que es muy asequible. Las ilustraciones son fantásticas!