Avatar: The Last Airbender: Imbalance, Part 3

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Imbalance #3

by Faith Erin Hicks, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino

Team Avatar faces their most dangerous foe yet as the bender vs. non-bender conflict turns into an all-out war in this action-packed conclusion to the Imbalance arc!

While Aang grapples with a life-changing decision that only he can make as the Avatar, Toph and Katara implore him--from opposite sides--to choose a path. Meanwhile, Ru and Yaling concoct a fiery ploy to get their mother back. The bender vs. non-bender conflict finally reaches a powerful boiling point, and for better or for worse, Cranefish Town will never be the same!

Written by Faith Erin Hicks (The Adventures of Superhero Girl, The Nameless City) and drawn by Peter Wartman (Stonebreaker), in collaboration with Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, this is the ultimate continuation of Avatar!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Graphic Novels Comics, Middle Grade

80 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

Born 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.

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.8 stars.
I enjoyed this story more than the previous one!

Liling took something tragic that happened to her, twisted it and let that fuel her actions. She needed someone to blame but for whatever reason, couldn’t blame those actually responsible.

This whole story felt more like the original series and I appreciate that! The art took a little bit to get used to but there were a few stand out pages.

I loved the quiet moments or those times when it was just two people talking (usually Aang with someone else).

In this comic specifically, I saw hints to the future Legend of Korra series.

Gotta say, I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Fire Lord Zuko but completely understand why he wasn’t shown.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, the underlying message and the way this felt like a homage to the original series!


As of now (Oct ‘21) there aren’t any more ongoing Avatar comics (besides stand-alones)!

I’ve really enjoyed the journey these comics have taken. While I love these characters, I wish there would’ve been a touch more growth.
The world building and the introduction of new characters was good. I loved the personal stories for Zuko and Katara, respectively.

The only thing I would’ve wanted to see was what happened when these characters were older, maybe in their 20 or 30s. How they balance family life and dealing with Avatar issues.
I know I may be in the minority in that but I can’t help but think how hilarious Sokka would be as an uncle! Or seeing Aang; young, goofy, innocent Aang as a father...

[Manisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comic series had everything: action, humour, friendship, teamwork, and most of all an in depth discussion about bigotry as well as the birth of extremism. I’m glad that these comics are used as a medium to conquer real world issues, as the animated series did exactly that. Prejudice and elitism go hand in hand, and this story really shines the light on that through the Benders vs. Non-Benders conflict.

And I couldn’t help but notice… I spy with my little eye what I believe is the beginning of Republic City.



I’m looking forward to the next adventure with Aang and the Gaang.

[Alexandra Elend Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

“It’s sweet how you think you can change the world through talking, Avatar Aang. Not all Avatars believed that. But you’re special, devoted to your peaceful Airbender ideals.”

Well, that was fun.

Seeing my girl Suki in action is always such a treat.

One of the chief things that I really like about this Imbalance series is how we get to see this town grow, change and slowly, ever so slowly, become a prosperous town. Knowing what its future is, just makes it better.

It's actually kind of funny.

“Taking away someone’s bending might seem nonviolent when compared to other options, but… Is it really? You’re destroying a part of someone. And that feels violent to me.”

The main issue of the series, benders against non-benders, is such a gripping conflict. Timeless too.

Philosophizing about what was done to Firelord Ozai is great too. Before this, I don't think I had ever considered it much. It seemed like a good way to solve everything without violence... but was it really without violence?

I just really like the way something so short and breezy can make me think such deep thoughts as well as make me laugh a lot.

Toph and Sokka's friendship is great too. It really shines in these issues.

“Toph, it’s taking away someone’s bending. It’s removing a part of who they are. It’s not a decision to be made lightly.”

The art is something essential to me when reading a comic. It's the way the story is conveyed, so, I take it under careful consideration whenever I review them.

This one, well, I wasn't a fan at first.

Now, I believe it has grown on me. It's just different from what I usually find breath-taking. Nonetheless, I found myself admiring how pretty it made things look and gave myself a little start.

But it truly is pretty. The colors and style suit really well the story.

“I know a guy who was once in a similar situation. His dad was the worst dad ever and wanted to conquer the world. It took a while for Zuko to stand up to his father, but eventually, he did. And that’s one of the reasons the Hundred Year War finally ended.”
_______________

That was so fitting.

I really like how the problems aren't solved so easily.

RTC.
_______________

These little pieces of history that fill the year gap between Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are so cool.

I'll admit that to this point I'm more used to this art style, though I'm still no fan, and can even find it pretty. Though, I wouldn't read the comic just because of it.

Obviously the characters themselves are a great part of why I read these comics.

This particular story-line is cool. Seeing the development of this little city that will become something so much more is really cool.

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I loved seeing our characters together again, and they were all just like themselves in the show. I do wish Zuko had been in it, though, and I have a pretty big problem with the storyline itself. I haven't watched Korra, but I know that the first season has this same bender/nonbender conflict as the main plot. The fact that this story takes place at least 40 years (and that's a VERY generous estimate) before Korra makes me feel like they're implying that Aang is kinda bad at Avataring? I mean, he had multiple decades to fix this tension (which is part of his job!) and either failed or only came up with a bandaid solution that fell apart after he died. I definitely get wanting to lay the groundwork for Korra, but this did it poorly in my opinion.

[Kesara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, but I had serious issues with Imbalance and part three specifically. Even if it wasn’t for the characters making stupid decisions (that by this point they should have already developed passed), the lack of humor in the jokes (where, in previous stories, the humor was actually really good), the wordiness of the prose, the terribly obvious plot twists, and the art style that doesn’t look anything like the iconic characters that we have come to know and love.

Even without all of those things, I still wouldn’t like this story because it uses the terms “bender supremacists” and “bender supremacist movement”. This is of course a parallel to “white supremacists” and “white supremacist movement”. And while the plot of the story is obviously not condoning the “bender supremacist movement,” I think that it is a mistake to draw parallels between the two.

Benders have an inherent physical advantage over non-benders. While skin tone is physical, the skin tone itself is not the problem but rather the way our society (and white supremacists) perceive skin tone.

While I do think the story tries to make a similar argument towards the end. I don’t think that it did a good job of this and actually succeeded in achieving the exact opposite of what it was trying to say.


Near the end of the comic Aang says, “It wasn’t her bending that was the problem, it was her bigotry.” Which is a good sentiment.

But I think this is undermined by other lines such as Sokka’s line, “Benders may have incredible abilities, but non-benders have boomerangs—the great equalizer.”


As if people of color just need something (like money, or an education, or … an actual boomerang) to be equal to white people.

Now while that almost does make sense for the non-bender/bender comparison (because like I said, benders have a physical advantage over non-benders and they would need something (like a boomerang, lol) to be on an equal playing field, which it actually highlights over and over again in this comic with it’s references to machines.)

I don’t think that translates to the non-white/white comparison. Because of that, I don’t think the story should have ever tried to draw these parallels.

[Saraí Elvir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me la pase fangirleando por Toph y Sokka.
Esos son mis niños!

[Lilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What better way to review this trilogy than with some amazing Kataang fanart ??
I just can't. 😭❤

[jessica ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really love the art style for this comic trilogy, but this was just a very unsatisfying end to a lacking story. I feel like if more time was put into developing the storyline, it would’ve measured up more closely to the other Avatar comics.

[Amanda Koger · Rating 5 out of 5]

this feels so important!!!! this has to be the start of republic city!!! ahhhh. i loved the themes that avatar explores!

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'd never be stupid enough to think I'm better than him just because I'm a bender and he's not."

Boom. Thank you, Toph.

This was a pretty action-packed finale, and I liked that it dealt with different character dynamics. Aang and Sokka have a really great scene together, for one. And the whole "taking away bending" thing was well dealt with too. I really hope they're making more series like this about the Gaang - especially Zuko. I get why he wasn't in the last couple volumes, but I feel like he didn't have a proper send-off if this is the end.

5/5 stars.

[Eyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked how this issue concluded everything, and I like where everyone's ended up for now. There's even more references to things we see in Korra and a lot of the foundations for it. I really liked the main conflict of this issue too, what comes about from the cliffhanger at the end of part 2 really blooms into a great discussion. I did predict before going into the comics that Imbalance would be my favourite arc and I really think I was right :D

[أحمد · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / 5

[m i l o u ✨ (Grumpy Hobbit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This city needs you."

“I think it needs us."

I've never had any trouble with getting back into this world, maybe because it's one of my favorites to go to, but it's easy for me to continue reading with this serie as if I've never stopped at all. I still remembered everything that was going on vividly even though I finished book 2 in May. I was sucked right back into the drama between the benders and the non-benders.



If we weren't rewarded with images of badass women kicking ass, bending or no bending style during Avatar: The Last Airbender: Imbalance, Part Two then we were certainly rewarded with them this time around. I'm not going to lie because I'm a total hoe for when a woman won't hesitate to show her strength because I'll admire them even more for it. They all possess a different kind of strength.


Like Suki for example. She has no bending, but it has never stopped her. She is the leader of the Kyohshi Warriors for crying out loud, and that's proving something. She is her own woman and she deserves all of the respect that she has earned. I totally loved it that she's teaching others chi-blocking. What a woman.







In the end Toph is the one who holds the largest part of my heart and she has been doing that since I first saw her in 2006 when book 2 aired in the Netherlands. Whenever I see Toph somewhere that love for her comes back in tenfold and I'm grateful for it. I'm forever proud of whatever Toph has achieved by herself.







Kicking ass like she always does.









Throughout the story Ru is somewhat who has mostly stayed on the background which is not where she belongs.






What Ru deserves a better mother than Liling, who became nothing but a vengeful cunt as the battle progressed, and even told her daughter that she was weaker because she wasn't a bender. Which is such a dickmove to do as a parent. She isn't exactly the runner up for mother of the year, but Ru, bless her heart, still loved her.


I try to write these reviews in ways that I do not accidentally spoiler anything for someone who happens to be reading this, which is why my reviews mostly focuses on the characters and not the plot. Still I want to say something about my boi Sokka.





He started out for everyone as the comedic relief, but he became so much more than that. He was sexist in the past, but learned to respect women and grew from it. In the end he was a brave leader, who often comes up with brilliant plans to help others. There are no bad words that you can say about Sokka, only good ones. He just brings out a grin on my face whenever he appears.

And now onto my parents Katara and Aang.





Their relationship wasn't as prominent as it was in the other comics, but it definitely shows Katara and Aang constantly making sure the other is alright, and being there for the other when they need someone to talk to. They really listen to what the other has to say. It's incredibly meaningful. Their relationship is top goals okay. As it should for everyone


I'm somewhat sad that this series has reached its end because I once again have to part with its characters, but I am grateful with how everything reached a satisfying conclusion in here. You can certainly see how this story sets up the base for what the Legend of Korra will eventually be.

I'm going to sit here and hope that will not be the last Avatar comic 🤧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ:☆. *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Books in the series:


1.) Imbalance, Part One ★★★
2.) Imbalance, Part Two ★★★★



↠ Genre: Avatar the Last Airbender Universe
↠ Pov: Multiple
↠ Type: Book 3 out of 3 in the Imbalance series
↠ Rating: 80% -

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good! But not great. The story came to its logical conclusion. There were some great character moments, especially for Sokka, a little less so for Toph. Oh, how well I can hear their voices when I read their dialogue. The art is as sharp as usual, except there seemed to be a lot of panels of head shots with absent background environment, leaving them rather blank-looking.

But now, can we not continue this story any further? There are now quite enough details painfully laid out connecting the Avatar TV series with the Legend of Korra series. Leave something to imagination, please.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nicely wrapped up this little trilogy.

[Gretal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Sokka and Suki, but I do think Suki and that guard lady would be very cute together.

[Cienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent edition to the Avatar series and I miss these characters dearly.

[Jessica (ThatDamFangirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved learning about how Republic City became Republic City!

[ekari · Rating 4 out of 5]

i appreciate how the sequel comics bridge the gap between ATLA and LOK :) so nostalgic and heartwarming.
i love reconnecting with my favorite childhood comfort characters <3

[Gregisdead121 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Officially finished with ATLA post series comics.

This final installment was a bit shaky but it set up The Legend of Korra really well.

It's difficult watching Aang repeat Yangchen's mistakes as he chooses humanity and people over the spirits and nature. Creating a shitload of problems for the next Avatar. This is probably why Watertribe Avatars have the most traumatic tenures

[Froukje Melenhorst · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Liling is an ✨asshole✨

[Farnz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. We get to see the rising tension between benders and non-benders and how the road to recovery is very slow. I am also always happy to see more Sokka and Suki. Toph is slowly getting more and more unlikeable for me. I was also left wondering what will happen to a certain character at the end of the comic but it was never addressed. Other than that, the comic is fun and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Holland]

Don’t mind me just binging through the whole ATLA comic series in two days.

I think Imbalance is maybe my favorite of the bunch? The plot is nuanced and interesting, a clear set-up for what’s to come in LOK. And the art style of this comic is definitely my favorite.

Overall, i’ve enjoyed reading them all! My only qualm is that I wish they’d all been longer—but also I just love ATLA so I can never have enough.

[Mel (thebookishmel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

alright, i'll bump this one a star too because we got to see Aang's character development and internal thinking come out a lot more and it just seemed to make more sense in terms of closing the gap between ATLA and TLK - happy i've read a ton of these comics

[Bex ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I figured out why exactly I don't like this story as much as the others: Zuko's not in it. Idk why exactly, I think he would've made a great addition to it, and the conversation convincing Ru to stand up to her mom would've been a lot more powerful coming from him.

[karla⁹ ⛈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

and once again, the day was saved by our great suki and her friends

[Colton]

"You're destroying a part of someone. And that feels violent to me."

"It was better when people at least TRIED to live in harmony with nature. All these machines do is cause pollution and problems."

[D. J. Arévalo]

This continuation after the last season is bringing life back to the story coupled with a serious dose of nostalgia. I would not be unhappy at all if the makers of Avatar continued with new content, not just for nostalgia's sake for my generation, but for my kids to be able to follow and grow up this story as well.

[Emilio Segura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sería cuando mucho 1 o 2 capítulos de la serie. Sin duda deja en claro varias dudas que surgen en la leyenda de Kora

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

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