Spoilers ahead For
Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire Part 3.
Commander Guan has taken democracy into his own hands as the final phase of his brainwashing invention commences. It’s up to Korra, the Beifongs…and Kuivra to stop him as the rest of Team Avatar remain under Guan’s control.
Ruins of the Empire continues to dive into the political storytelling heavily prevalent on the Nickelodeon TV show as it expands on the overall Avatar and Korra mythos.
I'm sure you have many questions following the finale, luckily,
Newsarama had the chance to talk to Dark Horse editor Rachel Roberts, and artist Michelle Wong, to help readers unpack the story. They discuss the future of the
Avatar The Last Airbender and
Legend of Korra graphic novels, the importance of Korrasami’s relationship, and the story beats that went into creating Kuvira’s redemption story.
You can find the final part of
Legend of Korra Ruins of The Empire on stands at your local comic book store now.
Newsarama: Rachel, to jump right into it, I’m sure many fans want more Korra after reading Turf Wars and Ruins of the Empire, what future plans do you have for the Legend of Korra comics?
Rachel Roberts: We’re not quite ready to share specific news yet, but I think fans of both
Avatar and
Korra will be quite pleased with what we’re cooking up! We have several fun new projects in the works that will not only expand our publishing line, but will introduce new formats and approaches to these beloved franchises.
Nrama: What have you enjoyed the most about working on this franchise?
Roberts: Working with series creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, has been an amazing learning experience in countless ways over the years. From being involved in the initial outline and script-writing phase, to looking over Bryan’s art notes, it’s fascinating to see everyone at work and how they shape the material to be the best it can be.
I’m also continuously energized by working with artist Michelle Wong and colorist Killian Ng; they both bring an enormous wealth of hard work, genuine talent, and passion to the table that makes these books what they are.
More anecdotally, I was a huge fan of the series before coming to work at Dark Horse, so joining the comics team and eventually taking over editorial stewardship of the publishing line is an immense honor. It’s near and dear to my heart, and as a queer person and a fan myself, I want to work hard and make books that readers will love.
Nrama: Why has it been so important to explore the Korrasami relationship with these graphic novels?
Roberts: Licensed titles like
Avatar and
Korra provide kids who might not be familiar with reading comics an accessible stepping stone into the medium - basically, they already know this world, they trust these characters, and it helps get them invested in reading. And in this case, our two lead characters are bisexual women of color. It’s crucial to acknowledge this. LGBTQ+ people of color face much more hardship than white community members and are underrepresented across all forms of mainstream pop culture. It’s critical for anyone, especially children and teens, to be able to see themselves portrayed and represented positively. There has been a growing trend of inclusion and acceptance in mainstream kids’ media recently, whether it’s comics, books, or TV, and I’m happy that
Korra has a place in that. I'm looking forward to continuing and expanding upon this, now and in the future.
Nrama: How do you feel like their relationship has developed throughout these chapters?
Roberts: Coming out stories are important, but so are stories that depict same-sex relationships as an everyday normal - because they are! In Ruins of the Empire, we’ve moved past the coming out phase; Korra and Asami are busy with the ins-and-outs of their daily lives and their Team Avatar duties, but now they just so happen to be in a relationship. Just like any other couple, they have their fair share of self-doubt, nerves, strife… elemental powers and the Avatar state… electrified gloves… trips into the Spirit World… y’know, totally normal relationship stuff.
In all seriousness, it was important to us to show how these two might cope with shared stressful experiences (like Kuvira’s trial and her stint on Team Avatar) as a couple. They don’t see eye-to-eye on it, but they trust each other and talk about it, and they love and support each other even though they don’t agree.
Nrama: Michelle, how did you approach Korra and Asami’s relationship from a visual perspective as Asami transitioned from being brainwashed to her feeling guilty over her forgotten memories?
Michelle Wong: I have always enjoyed character work, and I loved getting to draw a fiercer, colder Asami with closed off body language, and then exploring her more vulnerable side when she gets her mind back. When she is brainwashed, she holds herself stiffly around Korra, in panels that visually show the space between them. Later, her posture is more unsure, while Korra is the one to approach her to show her that everything is okay.
Nrama: A large portion of this arc focuses on Kuvira’s redemption story. Why was it important to the creative team for Ruins of the Empire to tackle this story?
Roberts: When we last saw Kuvira in the animated series, she had been arrested for her crimes, but her fate hadn’t been completely resolved. She had a lot to answer for, both during her trial and to those she hurt, so it was important to explore what true reparations for her would really look like. In Part Three, we see several characters reacting to Kuvira’s redemption in different ways. Korra, Asami, Su, and Bataar Jr. each had different experiences with Kuvira and each handle her attempts at reconciliation with varying attitudes—loving acceptance, cautious optimism, and a general “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Forgiveness and acceptance take many forms, and all are valid. Similarly, change is difficult, and Kuvira really needed to put in the work to set things right.
Nrama: Michelle, what went into building the final battle?
Wong: Avatar the Last Airbender and
Korra are both known for their awesome action sequences, and the reason they're held in such high regard is that at the core of a good fight scene there's good story. Every character gets their moment in the final battle of this arc, and Kuvira's faceoff with Guan in particular was not just a way to showcase her metal bending skills, but also to show her determination and change in character. I tried to keep that in mind and not focus only on the action but also the moments of emotion.
Nrama: What was your favorite thing to draw for the finale?
Wong: I'm trying not to spoil this too much for people who haven't read it yet! There's a scene near the end featuring hugs is all I will say.
Nrama: Would you like to work on an Avatar/Korra crossover at some point? Do you feel like it’s possible to see the younger versions of Avatar interact with the Korra cast in some fashion?
Roberts: That sounds like it would be super fun! I definitely think young Sokka and Bolin would get along really well, don’t you? Bolin has a ton of that genuine Captain Boomerang energy. Sadly, I don’t think this is a story arc that will ever come to fruition! We hew pretty closely to the established timeline of the show, and unless we can figure out a way to justify time travel in the Avatarverse, I don’t think it’ll happen. But that’s what fanfiction is for!
Nrama: What are you most proud of that came out of this arc?
Roberts: It’s impossible to say! There are so many things about this series I’m proud of - the story, the art, all the work that went into it…readers don’t necessarily get to see what goes into making these books, but they represent literal years of incredible, tireless work by Mike, Bryan, Michelle, Killian, letterers Rachel Deering and Ariana Maher, Dark Horse Digital Art Technicians Christianne Gillenardo-Goudreau and Samantha Hummer, Dark Horse Designer Sarah Terry, Assistant Editor Jenny Blenk, and Nickelodeon Editor Joan Hilty, not to mention our wonderful licensing, print, and prepress teams. We are fans, making books for fans, and we hope our love for the franchise shows in these pages. So I guess you could say I’m just really proud of the team!
Meanwhile, you can find me on the Dark Horse rooftop, shouting "Korrasami is canon!" into my pink, purple, and blue megaphone.
Wong: I got to flesh out the Beifongs more, and I also got to draw my favorite Korra villain's journey to redemption. I'm really happy with the flashback sequences, and also getting to show a different side to Kuvira, even if it's just a scene with her wearing some more casual clothes like in her original Season 3 appearance around the Beifong estate again.
Nrama: One of my favorite things about the original Korra TV show is how every villain represented a different philosophy. What philosophies do you want to see explored?
Roberts: This is a really great question, and one I really needed to think about. This isn’t really a philosophy per se, but something I’ve always wondered about is how the Avatar cycle effects the economy and general relations between nations. When an Avatar passes away and the search for the new one begins, does that cause any commotion in that respective nation? Do festivals or celebrations take place? Are there holidays? Do people travel to that nation to witness the discovery of the new Avatar?
Similarly, do any of that nation’s residents react to the presence of the White Lotus, either positively or negatively? We see a bit of this at the start of Korra’s journey, but because we see it from her and her family’s point of view, it’s limited in scope. Given that the series deals with power imbalances between benders and non-benders as well as the Avatar and the people, I wonder what someone else’s view of this event would be (Red Lotus members notwithstanding).
Nrama: Are there any characters you want to see get more spotlight?
Roberts: There are a ton of characters I’d love to catch up with! Fire Lord Izumi, Jinora and the rest of the Airbender kids, Bataar Jr., Bumi and Bum-ju, Uncle Iroh, wherever he is. Like so many others, I also wonder what Azula got up to in her old age and whether she’s still kicking around the Fire Nation somewhere. I like to imagine she’s kept tabs on her brother all these years, and scoffs over her morning paper whenever he’s mentioned.
Credit: Michelle Wong (Dark Horse Comics)
Credit: Michelle Wong (Dark Horse Comics)
Credit: Michelle Wong (Dark Horse Comics)
Credit: Michelle Wong (Dark Horse Comics)
Credit: Michelle Wong (Dark Horse Comics)
Credit: Michelle Wong (Dark Horse Comics)
Credit: Michelle Wong (Dark Horse Comics)
From
Goomba Stomp:
‘Ruins Of The Empire’ is The True Followup to ‘The Legend Of Korra’
For every fan of The Legend of Korra, ‘Ruins of The Empire’ is a must-read.
Over five years ago, Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra ended with its fourth and final book ‘Balance.’ As Korra and Asami ventured off together into the spirit world, it was obvious that the journey may have concluded on the small screen- or rather on the network’s website after being yanked off the air- but series co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko were likely not going to allow their narrative to come to an indefinite close. In the same fashion as its predecessor Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra continues the second Team Avatar’s adventures through an ongoing follow-up comic book series in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics.
I probably do not have to tell you this, but Dark Horse Comics has had an overall strong history with the Avatar universe. The Avatar: The Last Airbender comics from over the course of almost the last decade are nothing short of exceptional and are the next best thing for those wanting to see more of Aang and the gang. While they certainly may not always be able to achieve the best aspects of the show we grew up with due to the limited medium it has been adapted into, each arc published has both visually and textually felt like a direct follow-up to the original series in many regards with even some comics such as Team Avatar Tales filling in fun gaps during the show’s continuity. They are faithful sequels- or rather prequels in Korra’s case as the comics do connect the two shows- that every major fan of this franchise will tell you are well worth your time if you are just dying for more stories from the world of the four nations.
That being said, once The Legend of Korra was set to hit store shelves in its newly adopted format it seemed like another guaranteed hit was on the line for Nickelodeon and Dark Horse. The Legend of Korra’s first comic story arc Turf Wars, however, was not the followup most fans wanted from this show. It was undoubtedly a comic series that fans expected a lot more from as the post-Earth Empire world had tons of narrative points to explore. I’m certainly not in the minority when I say that Turf Wars was a trilogy that let me down due to its story’s focal point. Turf Wars often falls flat as it treads on a narrow line attempting to fill a justified relationship rather than focusing on telling a story well suited to the established mythologies of Avatar and Korra. The new villains that you could not sympathize with or even just enjoy for a three-book story, some odd character dialogue, questionable decisions to help move the plot forward, and ignored consequences of the show’s finale did not help the reception of these books from fans either. It is certainly a story with substantial themes and moments, but it is not what you would want from a followup tale to Book 4’s incredible closing moments.
The Legend of Korra had so much more to tell with its story that was not being explored in the comics- or at least with its first run. The writers have listened though and they have gotten themselves back on track with their newest series Ruins Of The Empire. This comic series is exactly what fans of this show wanted since the last episode aired. Not only is it the best Legend Of Korra comic so far, but it might just also be one of the best Avatar franchise comics currently available. In the same way that The Promise and The Search were real followups with answers to questions posed in Avatar: The Last Airbender’s finale, the latest story arc in The Legend of Korra’s post-finale is exactly that. Ruins Of The Empire not only explores the transition into the Earth Kingdom’s attempt at establishing a democratic system of government, but it smartly highlights the shaky aftermath of Kuvira’s surrender from both character and worldbuilding standpoints as those who hailed the great uniter quickly fell into organized chaos.
Right off the bat, the story of Ruins Of The Empire is not spotlighting one character relationship or slowly building up a new villain that is set to be dismissed with no real consequences. Korra and Asami’s lover dynamic is explored in this story arc but more appropriately in a blended storytelling fashion comparable to the source material. It unfolds exactly as you would expect an episode of the show to play out- not forced or made plot-driving as what had previously been mistakingly done. It is now implemented as something on the sidelines that has a dangerous toll on the narrative which ultimately leads to character decisions that have real consequences. Turf Wars chose to ignore the entirety of the Beifong family and the collapsing Earth Empire, despite the fact that those two subjects practically revolve around every plot point you would expect a followup of the finale to explore. The shift in focus inevitably makes for a properly developed story that is able to draw a spotlight on several subjects.
It is not just the narrative that has been correctly altered either. When it comes to the way in which the cast talks with one another and the overall look of the book, everything feels properly adjusted. For one, each character is actually here this time around and not blatantly missing. Michael Dante DiMartino really stepped up his game with Ruins of The Empire’s script that aims to draw closure with the show. It is not perfect, but it is a major step up that pushes the narrative forward rather than being stuck in still water. The questions you probably had about where characters went after the finale are tackled here. Everyone is overall done justice. As I said previously, the Avatar comics were written as well as if you could hear the characters talking and the same can be said here. If you had not read what was going on in the photo above, have a look again here below!
Ruins Of The Empire feels more akin to its source material than its predecessor run thanks to more so the art then its speech though. The art quality jump between the two is unmistakable- beyond noticeable when put side by side. It is a massive improvement that needless to say has already enhanced the post-television comic run and given it back the life it needed. Turf Wars’s covers are a complete deception to what lies inside each graphic novel. While the face value may look as appealing as the television show, adopters will quickly realize Irene Koh’s art lacked character details, expressions, and even backgrounds. It accumulated into an experience that felt more like a fan project than something from the original creators. Koh’s artwork was unbearable by any means, but it never hit a certain point of quality fans expect- especially from Dark Horse Comics, and at times it shamefully felt thematically disconnected with the Avatar universe.
The new runner-up artist Michelle Wong has done a fantastic job adapting Korra into the comic book medium. Wong’s work is miles ahead of everything Koh previously drew in Korra’s first Dark Horse outing. The jump in improvement artistically is undoubtfully perceptible based on a mere first glance at the two. Every character here feels more animated, the action is more engaging to look at, and the backgrounds are no longer completely flat and detailless. Wong deserves serious credit for her work on these books. Her dedication to the source material is something that generally falls behind in other television to comic adaptations, but she did the absolute best she can do here. The fact that she personally went out of her way and rewatched the entire series before starting to draw the artwork for this story arc just shows her dedication and care for the fans. Wong has successfully made this comic run feel as if you are watching the show again, something Turf Wars should have achieved first.
For those interested in reading the complete set of Ruins Of The Empire, Dark Horse Comics will be releasing a hardcover library edition of the full story arc on September 22nd. If you are dying in reading Korra’s latest story now, however, you can go ahead and grab volumes one through three separately in either a digital or softcover format today. For any fan of The Legend of Korra, it is without a doubt well-worth your time and money. After your television binge of both Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, you will not be disappointed with this story.
###
Subscribe to the NEW official
Avatar: The Last Airbender YouTube channel!:
https://at.nick.com/AvatarSubscribe
Watch
Avatar: The Last Airbender on
Netflix &
CBS All Access and
The Legend of Korra on
CBS All Access!
Check out the Nickelodeon Animation Studio online:
Website |
Facebook |
Tumblr |
Twitter |
Instagram |
YouTube
More Nick: Netflix to Host Open Casting Call for Live-Action 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Series!
Originally published: Monday, March 02, 2020.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon, NickRewind, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra News and Highlights!
