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Avatar: The Last Airbender Comics #9
Avatar: The Last Airbender -- The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer
The Jasmine Dragon has become a fixture of social life in Ba Sing Se.
When his tea supply suddenly and mysteriously dries up, Iroh goes in search of answers and finds himself captured by a familiar face—bounty hunter June! Iroh must confront a part of his past while June considers her future, but however things go…someone’s got to free the tea!
Faith Erin Hicks, Peter Wartman and Adele Matera are back with another new adventure in the word of The Last Airbender. Written in consultation with co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!
When his tea supply suddenly and mysteriously dries up, Iroh goes in search of answers and finds himself captured by a familiar face—bounty hunter June! Iroh must confront a part of his past while June considers her future, but however things go…someone’s got to free the tea!
Faith Erin Hicks, Peter Wartman and Adele Matera are back with another new adventure in the word of The Last Airbender. Written in consultation with co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!
Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2024
46 people are currently reading
2224 people want to read
About the author
Faith Erin Hicks
116 books1,642 followersBorn in the wilds of British Columbia, the young Faith frolicked among the Sasquatch native to the province before moving to Ontario at age five. There she was homeschooled with her three brothers, and developed an unnatural passion for galloping around on horseback, though never without a proper helmet (because you only get one skull). After twenty years of suffering through Ontario’s obscenely hot summers, she migrated east, and now lives beside the other ocean in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She worked in animation for a bit, and now draws comics full time. She’s not sure how that happened either.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
August 17, 2024
I remember being disappointed in the last instalment of these post-Avatar Avatar books, because it just didn't do anything for the characters involved. That's not the case here - Uncle Iroh and June both end in very different places than they start (emotionally if not physically), and we get a glimpse into how much the world has changed after Ozai's defeat. This is exactly the kinda stuff I wanna see.
I know we're not going to get massive status quo change stuff because we know what comes next in Korra, but it feels like there's something to be said for each character here, there's a point of view and a journey for them to go on, and it makes for a much more satisfying experience.
I know we're not going to get massive status quo change stuff because we know what comes next in Korra, but it feels like there's something to be said for each character here, there's a point of view and a journey for them to go on, and it makes for a much more satisfying experience.
October 4, 2024
love u uncle iroh
September 8, 2024
Uncle Iroh is always the best 10/10 we all need more Uncle Iroh in our lives bringing wisdom and kindness :)
August 25, 2024
This was so fun! I loved seeing Iroh again and I’m glad he owned up for how awful he was to June.
April 12, 2025
4.25 STARS
Iroh will forever be my secret favorite character in the Avatar universe if I am honest with myself and disregard Zuko. He is a precious man and I adore him so much. I really loved this combination of characters and returning to this dynamic between June and Iroh. I loved the discussion of atonement for past actions and how much people can change.
A particular highlight for me was Sweet Dumpling, the llama-paca, who was utterly hilarious. I think Avatar has some incredibly funny moments that involve animals now that I think about it and I love it for that.
Iroh will forever be my secret favorite character in the Avatar universe if I am honest with myself and disregard Zuko. He is a precious man and I adore him so much. I really loved this combination of characters and returning to this dynamic between June and Iroh. I loved the discussion of atonement for past actions and how much people can change.
A particular highlight for me was Sweet Dumpling, the llama-paca, who was utterly hilarious. I think Avatar has some incredibly funny moments that involve animals now that I think about it and I love it for that.
January 6, 2025
4.75⭐️
my first read of 2025! You already know I love Iroh and everything avatar the last air bender. A great read. I’m glad it’s part of my collection. I hope they keep releasing more
my first read of 2025! You already know I love Iroh and everything avatar the last air bender. A great read. I’m glad it’s part of my collection. I hope they keep releasing more
September 12, 2024
So wholesome, I loved it, Iroh as a character both in the show and in the comics is amazing. Showing the simple love of things like tea and being kind.
January 19, 2026
2.5 stars! I love these characters, but honestly, if the story was just Iroh chatting with June in their tea shop and displaying the variety of tea blends it’d been an easy five stars. Nevertheless, always fun to read more of ATLA.
August 22, 2024
*tears welling in eyes emoji*
April 19, 2025
Meer worldbuilding, meer informatie, meer character development!!! Blijft altijd leuk om te lezen :)
September 13, 2024
Maybe the best Avatar comic in years? 5/5 stars.
September 7, 2024
This was a lovely comic.
Granted it was short but it managed to give glimpses into June’s past. One of my favourite side characters in the show AND we got more details about Iroh as ‘war criminal’ during the siege of Ba Sing Se!
I was afraid this would be a little silly, but I’m happy that this gave cool details the this great universe and told a nice story about second chances!
Also there were llama-pacas. What’s not to like! :D
Granted it was short but it managed to give glimpses into June’s past. One of my favourite side characters in the show AND we got more details about Iroh as ‘war criminal’ during the siege of Ba Sing Se!
I was afraid this would be a little silly, but I’m happy that this gave cool details the this great universe and told a nice story about second chances!
Also there were llama-pacas. What’s not to like! :D
October 4, 2024
I usually prefer the longer Avatar stories over these shorter ones, but this was really good! I liked seeing June. She was never a character that I gave much thought to, but now I would totally read a story that was just hers. I also liked seeing that redemption is possible. It was a good theme.
August 25, 2024
This was just wholesome and fun.
September 4, 2024
A fun return visit to the world of Avatar, if inconsequential.
November 18, 2024
Full disclosure: I haven't enjoyed any of Faith Erin Hicks' work for the ATLA franchise, and the only reason I put this one on hold at the library was that I mistakenly thought they'd switched to a new writer. Ah well.
The good: Iroh's voice is pretty solid here; I can definitely hear Mako reading those lines.
The bad: This is a book that keeps touching on Iroh's culpability for his past actions as a general without ever being willing to take a deeper look at what reconciliation looks like; Ruins of Empire handled the theme much better. June's about-face is abrupt and leans too heavily on a single spread of newly revealed backstory.
Not the responsibility of the author but still frustrating: the art for these comic books seems to be headed steadily downhill. I don't mean the drawing is bad per se; the character depictions are fine. I mean that panel after panel shows the character heads and shoulders floating against a solid colored void, or maybe a gradient at best. I'm sure the artists can draw backgrounds and action scenes, because on the rare occasions they do the result is fine; there just doesn't seem to have been the budget to hire them to fill an entire volume with detailed drawings. So, instead, talking heads. It's not a great use of the comic form.
The extremely petty and nitpicky, part 1: One of the delights of ATLA-verse is the made-up animal hybrids. In this book, the exciting hybrid we get is . . . a llamapaca. This is not exciting. This is an animal that actually exists in the real world. Llamas and alpacas are cross-fertile and people deliberately breed them all the time. I want my fantasy animals to be fantasies, damnit.
The extremely petty and nitpicky, part 2: I am not sure that Hicks understands what tea is. "Golden oolong, da hong pao, and silver needle" are described here as "blends"; they're not. They're single-origin teas made distinct by the method by which the camellia sinensis leaves are processed. June ends the comic by becoming a "tea discoverer," which apparently involves searching the wilds for rare teas. Sure, I guess you could find camellia sinensis growing in the wild, but it's still going to need elaborate processing to become tea. This is frustrating in a comic about a tea brewer! Iroh deserves to be depicted with better tea knowledge. (Yes, okay, maybe June is gathering ingredients for tisanes. But I'm not feeling generous after the "blends" issue earlier in the book.)
The good: Iroh's voice is pretty solid here; I can definitely hear Mako reading those lines.
The bad: This is a book that keeps touching on Iroh's culpability for his past actions as a general without ever being willing to take a deeper look at what reconciliation looks like; Ruins of Empire handled the theme much better. June's about-face is abrupt and leans too heavily on a single spread of newly revealed backstory.
Not the responsibility of the author but still frustrating: the art for these comic books seems to be headed steadily downhill. I don't mean the drawing is bad per se; the character depictions are fine. I mean that panel after panel shows the character heads and shoulders floating against a solid colored void, or maybe a gradient at best. I'm sure the artists can draw backgrounds and action scenes, because on the rare occasions they do the result is fine; there just doesn't seem to have been the budget to hire them to fill an entire volume with detailed drawings. So, instead, talking heads. It's not a great use of the comic form.
The extremely petty and nitpicky, part 1: One of the delights of ATLA-verse is the made-up animal hybrids. In this book, the exciting hybrid we get is . . . a llamapaca. This is not exciting. This is an animal that actually exists in the real world. Llamas and alpacas are cross-fertile and people deliberately breed them all the time. I want my fantasy animals to be fantasies, damnit.
The extremely petty and nitpicky, part 2: I am not sure that Hicks understands what tea is. "Golden oolong, da hong pao, and silver needle" are described here as "blends"; they're not. They're single-origin teas made distinct by the method by which the camellia sinensis leaves are processed. June ends the comic by becoming a "tea discoverer," which apparently involves searching the wilds for rare teas. Sure, I guess you could find camellia sinensis growing in the wild, but it's still going to need elaborate processing to become tea. This is frustrating in a comic about a tea brewer! Iroh deserves to be depicted with better tea knowledge. (Yes, okay, maybe June is gathering ingredients for tisanes. But I'm not feeling generous after the "blends" issue earlier in the book.)
April 7, 2025
I have a strange relationship with the ATLA comics. I found the "and here's what happened immediately after the season finale!" comic strain to have just as many good moments as questionable ones, and I've ended up pretending a lot of "canon" incidents never really happened. (Looking at you, LoK. You're really gonna cut out Sokka like that?) But the standalone comics like this that are character-focused? Now I'm interested!
This one focuses on two fan-favorites: Iroh and June. It takes place after ATLA with Iroh peacefully running his tea shop, only for June to attempt to kidnap him for the sake of a bounty. Iroh agrees to go with her to find out who wants him dead. From the journey to the destination, the two of them are forced to acknowledge both Iroh's past and June's future.
Iroh is always an absolute freaking delight, from his incredible fire powers to his genuine attempts to reach out and help those around him. I really liked how this comic zeroed in on his past and the mistakes he once made, with Iroh acknowledging them fully but refusing to die for them. Great stuff!
As for June, we get hints of her backstory, along with details on her current standing. During this comic, I was thinking "imagine if they gave her a girlfriend, that would be so iconic" but her story is more about her friendships and the decisions she makes to follow a different path than the one she's been on for so long.
5/5 stars - these character-driven comics are my jam!
This one focuses on two fan-favorites: Iroh and June. It takes place after ATLA with Iroh peacefully running his tea shop, only for June to attempt to kidnap him for the sake of a bounty. Iroh agrees to go with her to find out who wants him dead. From the journey to the destination, the two of them are forced to acknowledge both Iroh's past and June's future.
Iroh is always an absolute freaking delight, from his incredible fire powers to his genuine attempts to reach out and help those around him. I really liked how this comic zeroed in on his past and the mistakes he once made, with Iroh acknowledging them fully but refusing to die for them. Great stuff!
As for June, we get hints of her backstory, along with details on her current standing. During this comic, I was thinking "imagine if they gave her a girlfriend, that would be so iconic" but her story is more about her friendships and the decisions she makes to follow a different path than the one she's been on for so long.
5/5 stars - these character-driven comics are my jam!
January 7, 2025
Una muy buena historia; pero como con todo lo que ha salido de Avatar después de la serie original... quedan más cabos sueltos que lo que resuelve la historia.
En el planteamiento está genial que toma lo de la serie, lo del cómic donde ya salía Iroh flirteando, y también medio recuerda al "sub-mundo" criminal que se presentó en la primera novela de Kyoshi.
Me gustó cómo acaba la cosa para la cazadora, pero en lo demás quedó muy suelto. Y un poco medio hipócrita el planteamiento de Iroh, creo que realmente debió acabar en la cárcel por sus crímenes de estado -algo que ni en los otros cómics de lo que deben enfrentar Zuko y Aang pasa- me encanta el personaje pero creo que le dieron mucha libertad de hacer lo que quería.
O sea, que no es muy realista, pero me gustó.
En el planteamiento está genial que toma lo de la serie, lo del cómic donde ya salía Iroh flirteando, y también medio recuerda al "sub-mundo" criminal que se presentó en la primera novela de Kyoshi.
Me gustó cómo acaba la cosa para la cazadora, pero en lo demás quedó muy suelto. Y un poco medio hipócrita el planteamiento de Iroh, creo que realmente debió acabar en la cárcel por sus crímenes de estado -algo que ni en los otros cómics de lo que deben enfrentar Zuko y Aang pasa- me encanta el personaje pero creo que le dieron mucha libertad de hacer lo que quería.
O sea, que no es muy realista, pero me gustó.
December 6, 2025
I ended up enjoying this comic more than I thought I would. I liked seeing June’s development and I loved that Iroh apologized to her. I always hated how weird he was towards her in the show (I’m glad that was amended in this comic). It was interesting seeing the two interact and become allies. (4 stars ⭐️)
January 1, 2025
I loveee these graphic novels and my only critique is that it should’ve been longer. I need to know even more about Iroh’s life in Ba Sign Se and how his past affected people.
I love how we saw more of June but she’s so interesting that I want to know more.
Such a fun comic!
I love how we saw more of June but she’s so interesting that I want to know more.
Such a fun comic!
September 21, 2024
The character arc though 🤌🏻
October 22, 2024
Delightful 😍
Iroh always makes me want to drink tea 🍵
I feel that it was better than the Azula Comic
Iroh always makes me want to drink tea 🍵
I feel that it was better than the Azula Comic
October 14, 2024
Aburridooooo
August 15, 2025
I really enjoyed this! Iroh is one of my favorite characters from this series and it was wonderful seeing him enjoying his life. It was also lovely to see June and Nyla again!
June 7, 2025
Free the tea 🫖
January 7, 2025
That was so wholesome 🥺 Iroh I herbata czego tu nie kochać
April 8, 2025
June finally got her apology—and other things
When I first heard about this comic, I was skeptical. Given the in the animated series, I wasn’t sure how I felt about them getting their own comic (especially before a Zuko comic??). However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this story handled past mistakes while diving into the deeper, often-overlooked aspects of Iroh’s character.
Right from the start, the comic addresses the problematic scene from the animated series, giving Iroh the opportunity to acknowledge and apologise for his past behaviour towards June. This moment not only sets the tone for the story but also leads into the comic’s central conflict:
What makes this comic so good is how it forces both the characters and the reader to think about the weight of Iroh’s past actions. While it’s natural to admire and love Iroh for the man he has become, this story reminds us that
If you love Iroh, this comic will deepen your appreciation for his journey. A must-read.
When I first heard about this comic, I was skeptical. Given the in the animated series, I wasn’t sure how I felt about them getting their own comic (especially before a Zuko comic??). However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this story handled past mistakes while diving into the deeper, often-overlooked aspects of Iroh’s character.
Right from the start, the comic addresses the problematic scene from the animated series, giving Iroh the opportunity to acknowledge and apologise for his past behaviour towards June. This moment not only sets the tone for the story but also leads into the comic’s central conflict:
What makes this comic so good is how it forces both the characters and the reader to think about the weight of Iroh’s past actions. While it’s natural to admire and love Iroh for the man he has become, this story reminds us that
If you love Iroh, this comic will deepen your appreciation for his journey. A must-read.
August 30, 2024
A quick story. But also a really good one. Uncle Iroh is the best! And getting to see more of June was a lot of fun.
May 16, 2025
A fun little two-character post-war study that resolves one (yes, I’ll say it) problematic line from the original series. Mebbe that was th’inspiration for this pairing, but it works well and also adds more to the necessary post-war mythology of this world. I am liking Hicks’s short takes and selective character rosters, but I certainly wouldn’t mind another epic graphic novel with the whole cast. Still, we’ve already got Azula in the Spirit Temple checked out, so I guess Faith Erin Hicks is gonna be my most-read author this year?
By the way, you could read this in a hoür or so; it only took me a month because I read it in little chunks with the kids, radio-play style.
By the way, you could read this in a hoür or so; it only took me a month because I read it in little chunks with the kids, radio-play style.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews