Katara and the Pirate's Silver

Avatar: The Last Airbender Comics #0.5

by Faith Erin Hicks, Peter Wartman (Illustrator), Adele Matera (Illustrator)

It's sink or swim for Katara!

When Team Avatar is suddenly ambushed by the Fire Nation, Katara gets separated from the group. Unable to rendezvous with Aang, Toph, and Sokka, Katara must avoid capture by aligning herself with some unlikely allies! The normally sweet and sensitive Katara will need to explore her tougher side if she's going to reunite with the rest of Team Avatar....

Written by Faith Erin Hicks (The Adventures of Superhero Girl, The Nameless City) and drawn by Peter Wartman (Stonebreaker), with colors by Adele Matera and letters by ComiCraft's Jimmy Betancourt, in collaboration with Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series writer Tim Hedricks!

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

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2020

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

[LW · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute and fun! It felt like an episode from ATLA, with inside jokes (that's rough, little buddy), adventures, and most importantly, Katara being awesome.

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

representation: characters of colour (all asian cast).

[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]

★★★

This wasn't really what I was expecting. It's set during the second season of the show after the episode where Aang finally masters Earthbending. It reads just like an episode of the show but lacks the high stakes of a lot of the other episodes. This was just a fun little filler story I suppose and I did enjoy it, I just don't necessarily get why it was made.

trigger warnings: war themes.

[Bruna · Rating 4 out of 5]

✯ [4/5] ✯

I just love the feelings the Avatar Comics brings to me. I miss new episodes of this show everyday, but with this comics I have more, and I just feel my heart warm when I read them. So yeah, every fan of this show should read the comics!

[Manisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great add on to Book Two of the animated series. A small side quest that was fun and entertaining.

[Arin]

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also yes I've had this preordered for months but just added this to goodreads but I'm me so

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun one-off, with relevance to the polarized political world of the late 2010s/early 2020s as Aang tries to "deprogram" a captive fanatical Fire Nation soldier who can only see his side of the conflict.

Plus, who doesn't love watching Katara do badass things?



Definitely recommended for A:tLA fans.

[Moustapha Diop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed.

[Saraí Elvir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg Katara es una pirata!
Y creo que me enamoré un poco de Jiang.

[cyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

JIANG THE WOMAN YOU ARE! Four stars instead of five because captain of the pirates, Jiang, should've been a part of the cartoon. The world has to meet her.

[Jesse Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to be honest; when I heard about the premise of this comic, I immediately had low expectations. The last Avatar comic, Imbalance, was enjoyable but largely inconsequential. I had hoped that future comics would take more risks and/or explore facets of the universe that remain shrouded in mystery. Alas, this new comic chronologically is set between episodes nine and ten of season two (or Book 2) of the television series. Similar to the Imbalance, Katara and The Pirates’ Silver offers a mildly fun adventure but fails to answer any burning questions or add any substantial lore or deep character exploration.

The plot involves Katara after she is separated from the rest of team avatar and strikes a deal with a group of Earth Kingdom pirates in order to find her way back to her friends. Now, I will give credit where it is due. Author Faith Erin Hicks does an admirable job with the characters’ personalities. They all behave, talk, and act as they would at this point in their journey. At its best, the comic feels like a lost episode of the TV show. The art also looks great. The ending was satisfactory as well.

Still, this story adds practically nothing to the grand scheme of Avatar: The Last Airbender. There was potential in a certain subplot in which Aang, Toph, and Sokka capture a Fire Nation soldier who has been brainwashed to believe the avatar and the airbenders are malicious. I wish that the comic explored this more. Ultimately, I can summarize this whole product as wasted potential. There is entertainment to be found, and I will always appreciate new adventures in this fantasy world. However, this is the Avatar franchise; we shouldn’t have to settle for average.

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's just so CUTE.

It's been too long since I've read an Avatar comic. And this one was just - oh, so good.

I really like the focus on Katara and her doing her own thing while the rest of the Gaang try to convince even one soldier that they're fighting for the good side. The characterizations in here are just perfect, and I love how adorable everyone is. I know that's not the most articulate review but - agh, I just love them so much.

Also, Jiang was so freaking cool. And her design - I'm just gonna say wow. She looks amazing. Hope to see her again at some point!

5/5 stars. This comic cleared my skin and watered my crops.

[Daphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, so I was very excited to read this comic. It was good! I enjoyed it a lot, the characterization was on point and since Katara is one of my favorites from the show, it was nice to see a story centered on her.

What I did find a bit of a shame is that its a story set during season 2 of the show, that means nothing too big or impactful can happen in the comic as it would have to be referenced on the (long finished) show. But overall, it was a nice story.

[. · Rating 5 out of 5]

...i just think it's neat

[jessica ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katara is by far my absolute favorite character and I loved getting to see her front and center for this entire comic. Not to mention the illustrations are stunning!

[*❆ Kαɾҽɳ ❆* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about Katara. Katara being awesome. That's all you need to read this.

[Vinícius Sgorla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história curtinha, rápida, e clássica de um bom episódio filler de Avatar. É por histórias como essas que eu me lembro o quanto eu gosto dos quadrinhos de Avatar.

Nesse quadrinho, que se passa durante os eventos do Livro 2 (Terra), Katara acaba se separando da Equipe Avatar após um ataque da Nação do Fogo, indo parar em uma pequena vila comandada pelos terríveis soldados. Com isso, ela precisa deixar de lado seu jeito gentil e doce de levar as coisas, embarcando junto com um bando de piratas aleatórios planejando uma fuga.

Arte incrível, alguns easter eggs e conexões com a primeira temporada colocados minuciosamente que deixam todo o enredo mais divertido, deixando um gostinho do quanto a Katara (que é minha personagem favorita da série) é uma badass (coisa que a gente vê - e muito - lá no livro três). Adorei!

[Haley Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

for a katara-centred story, i’d have liked more time with her and the pirates and a little less with aang and company, but this was still a cute little book two sidequest with fun callbacks to the show. that’s rough, little buddy

[Anne (ReadEatGameRepeat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appa is good boi,
Katara is great gal,
Fire nation propaganda is shit

[Khadeejah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katara’s a bada** crocokitten

[Jessica (ThatDamFangirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aangs priorities are always all over the map.

[Huda Al-Mossalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was set in season 2 timeline of the show or at least before season 3

Felt like a reading an episode

Loved that it was Katara centered

The art of the avatar world is beautiful as always

Can’t help but feel nostalgic 🌊🌊

[Saga Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would legitimately be a good two part episode of the show. Probably the best comic so far!

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

these are so fun to read it really is like watching a lost episode I can even hear the voices :’)

[Lizzy H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #1 for 2021

Avatar: The Last Airbender is my favorite show of all time. So when I heard about a solo comic centered mostly on Katara during the events of the show, I couldn’t pass it up.

I ended up really enjoying this graphic novel. And even though it was a lot shorter than I expected it to be, I still felt the journey Katara went through joining that band of pirates to get back to the gang added a little something to her character overall. I also really liked the scenes of aang and company trying to convince a fire nation soldier that they were on the wrong side. It showed even more just how much influence the fire nation has and felt very relatable in real life if you know what I mean.

Overall this book was great and while I do prefer some other avatar comics over this one, it was still very enjoyable.

Rating: 4/5 stars

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit shocked at how much I liked this. I thought I'd like well enough but was mostly reading because of my completionist tendencies and my love for A:TLA -- I'm glad I didn't skip out.

It reads like an episode of the show and is set sometime during the events of the tv series (vs. after, like most of these comics have been). Despite the short page-lenth, Hicks managed to make this story feel full and complete. The story with the pirates is predictable, but it has so much charm that it didn't bother me in the slightest. Similarly, the short aside with Aang talking to the Fire Nation soldier was a bit on the nose, but (sadly) timely and somehow still amusing.

The art stands on its own while also looking like a comic-book version of the show (though I'll forever prefer GuriHiru's rendition).

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Faith Hicks has been a fine writer for this series, but this one-off, mid-series entry was mediocre. It did not add to Katara's character; fans already know how tough she can be when necessary. The sub-plot of trying to convince the Fire Nation soldier that his internalized anti-Air Nomad propaganda was false went nowhere. I giggled at a couple of comedic moments, but otherwise did not enjoy this inconsequential story.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

All of the ALTA comics read exactly like episodes of the show and this one was no different. I loved reading about Katara’s adventure and seeing from her perspective, she’s one of my absolute favorite characters! However, I will say compared to other comics, there wasn’t too much action and high stakes in this comic. While it was still enjoyable because of how similar it was to the show’s vibes, there wasn’t that action and intensity that the show had with this one

[Bárbara Costa · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a cute little side quest! It felt like a nice filler episode, with some funny inner jokes ("That's rough, little buddy"), and although it might not be very relevant to the main story, it's always nice to see Katara being a badass.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a really great time with Katara having an adventure with pirates, and the rest of the gang trying to convince a fire nation solider of the truth. Great read!

[Eitan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña en español.

RECOMENDADO si buscas algo del universo de Avatar que expanda su historia, una lectura ligera y muy entretenida.

Katara and The Pirate's Silver es una novela centrada en Katara, una de las varias que tendremos enfocadas a ciertos personajes en solitario. Tiene lugar en la segunda temporada de la serie de Aang y nos muestra lo que sucedió cuando, por cosas del destino, Katara se ve separada del grupo y tiene que sobrevivir como fuera (aliándose con unos piratas).

- La historia es corta y bastante directa. Lejos de sentir el “peligro” por separarse, sabes que el grupo terminará reuniéndose y que estarán bien. Eso quizás le quita emoción, pero no impide mostrar un par de aspectos que se agradecen.
- La visión de los miembros de la Nación del Fuego. Sin entrar en spoilers, ¿qué les mueve para estar de parte de Ozai? Aquí deja más claro aún lo que hay en la mente de un soldado de a pie y que se ha dado durante más de 100 años. (Aterrador si se hacen comparaciones con nuestro mundo).
- Es agradable ver a Katara luchar sin tener al resto a su alrededor, sobre todo mostrar a unos piratas de lo más carismáticos. ¡Ojalá salgan en otra ocasión!

* * * * *
Review in english.

RECOMMENDED if you are looking to expand the Avatar Universe, a quick/light reading.

Katara and The Pirate's Silver is a graphic novel focused on Katara, being part of multiple solo stories, like with Toph and her metalbending academy or Suki Alone. Takes place in Season 2 (ATLA), showing what happened when Katara get separated from the group and how she survived (joining a pirate crew).

- The story is short and direct. We don't sense the “fear” or anything related, because you know they will find each other, making it less excited (and showing a few good things).
- The vision/POV from a Fire Nation’s Soldier. Without getting into spoilers, what they think to be on Ozai’s side? We see this more clear than ever with something that happened for more than 100 years. (Super scary if you compare it to our world).
- Love to watch Katara kicking some ass without the Gaang, with some charismatic pirates that I would love to see more!