Imbalance

Avatar: The Last Airbender Comics #6

by Faith Erin Hicks, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino

Aang faces a decision from which there is no return!

When Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph return to Earthen Fire Industries--the factory owned by Toph's father--Aang is surprised when their arrival is met with a cold shoulder. As soon as the team is asked for help at a business council meeting, the reason for the slight becomes clear: a massive bender-versus-non-bender conflict has gripped the town and is threatening to turn violent. In order to heal the divide and save the town, Aang and the team will all face tough decisions about power and identity that could tear them apart.

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!

Collects Avatar: The Last Airbender - Imbalance parts 1-3 (ATLA volumes 16-18).

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

240 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 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

[Mrinmayi]

Definitely liked this book BETTER than the previous books
BUT the plot was still predictable
However, Toph aka my Queen SAVED this book!!
The fighting scenes were *chefs kiss*

Something tells me Kyoshi and Toph would have been BFFs 😂


Ofc I cried during the show!!
BUT the comics never made me "feel" anything SMH

Lets end this series with Sokka!!!

[LW · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was wonderful! While I preferred the old art style because it was closer to the style of the show, the art in this was great, and so was the story. It also sets up The Legend of Korra really well.

[Jesse Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

The adventures of Team Avatar continue with a new creative team consisting of author Faith Erin Hicks and illustrator Peter Wartman. They expand upon what Gene Luen Yang established from The Rift by returning to Earthen Fire Industries. Aang and his friends are astonished that the village with one factory has expanded into the bustling Cranefish Town. A sweeping overhead illustration of this coastal city immediately signifies this spot as the future site of Republic City from The Legend of Korra. In keeping with that foreshadowing, we also get a glimpse of what will one day become Air Temple Island. The main focus of the narrative, however, is the intensifying resentment between benders and non-benders. TLOK fans, of course, know that this will evolve into the Equalist Revolution, a militant uprising of non-benders who sought to overthrow what they saw as an oppressive bending regime. In Imbalance, we see that non-benders are gaining more economic power thanks to the wider use of machines that enables them to work the same jobs as benders, often with greater efficiency. This, unfortunately, causes many benders to lose their jobs and turn to criminal enterprises.

Imbalance establishes some interesting developments and does nail the personalities of these beloved characters. However, its exploration of these social issues lacks the same nuance and subtlety of previous Avatar content. To be fair, Avatar has never been the most subtle of the fantasy genre, but Imbalance is extremely heavy-handed in its dialogue and exposition, to the point where it practically spells out how we are supposed to think. Even Gilak from North and South had more nuance than Liling, the villain of Imbalance. Liling is the earthbender owner of one of the town's major factories and has an agenda to drive the non-benders out of the area. We learn later in Part 3 what her motivation is for doing this, and while it is understandable, that is the most intrigue her character has throughout this graphic novel. From the moment she's introduced, you know she's trouble. For example, her hair is messy, with long strands partially covering her face. Even her earthbending daughter Yaling has this alfalfa strand sticking up. Only her non-bending daughter Ru has groomed hair. Do you see what I'm conveying here? It's such an obvious visual depiction of who is corrupt in this family.

Despite its lackluster villain, Imbalance does a better job handling its heroes. I especially loved the return of Suki. She has become even more formidable thanks to her new chi-blocking skills. She has a moment with Ru that was reminiscent of Gandalf advising Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. Another conversation I enjoyed was one between Aang and Katara about the state of the town and the uncertain future. It was a touching moment and reflects on how mature these characters have become. Toph and Sokka are as great as ever, and I enjoyed the little Easter Egg when Sokka told Aang to "Do the thing!" Finally, my last favorite moment was Aang's ethical dilemma of whether or not to strip Liling of her bending. Toph suggests this idea as a solution for the bender violence, but Katara fears that such a strong response will have negative repercussions. I thought the novel handled this matter fairly well.

One gripe I often hear about Imbalance is the new art style by Wartman. Don't get me wrong, the art in Imbalance is very good. Wartman is obviously talented, and any comic book author would be grateful to have him visualize a script. Still, I do prefer Gurihiru's art because it looked so much like that of the show. It's more crisp and vibrant. This is not a knock against Wartman; it's just my personal preference.

Although I enjoy reading new stories with these great characters, Imbalance is definitely the weakest of the Avatar graphic novels. Its story is predictable and sorely lacking in nuance. Each of the previous graphic novels had a lot of memorable moments to discuss and ponder, even in the lesser installments like North and South. Such scenes are scarce in Imbalance, nor does its story answer any of the fandom's major questions, making it the most forgettable arc thus far. It's not bad, just average. I hope that Hicks learns from this first book and takes more risks in the upcoming Katara and the Pirate's Silver.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

How the Republic City got its start. Truthfully, I was never too keen on that stuff - the more modern technology, and the ensuing strife with benders, never had quite as much of a draw to me as all the bending and spirits and fantasy. But that's a personal gripe, one that many disagree with and that honestly isn't a deal-breaker even for me.

The writing and the characters are both some of the best with these comics so far, with believable conflict and some solid development and growth, and there were some good fights and inventive metalbending as well. Never really got used to the new art style, though.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turns out I had already read these as individual volumes back in '19 but I enjoyed revisiting the material, it very cleverly establishes the conflicts to come in the Legend of Korra series and also that series' key setting of Republic City (though it is still a ramshackle factory boomtown here).


Toph is the MVP, as is her custom.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

This story was in the same vein as The Rift and North and South and once again, I absolutely loved it! This story really connects the two TV shows The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra as we see the beginnings of Republic City and the main issue that is still present when Korra is around and Amon is the main antagonist: conflict between benders and non-benders.

I missed Zuko because he's my favorite but I still loved this story, especially Toph. (Okay, and all the others as well, I loved seeing Suki again!)

[fatherofdragons113 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I was worried about the new writers and artists when I first started Imbalance, but it ended up being a really well written story. It contained plenty of foreshadowing for Korra and callbacks to ATLA. I'm excited to see what they do next.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/-6in3gffH4w

In this arc, Faith Erin Hicks takes over for Gene Luen Yang as the writer, and Peter Wartman took over for art from Gurihiru. It’s a change that felt a little jarring, as Wartman’s art is good but feels more stylized whereas Gurihiru’s art felt like an almost exact continuation of the show’s art style.

Faith Erin Hicks wrote a pretty good story arc, but I felt in this arc the plot was a lot more front and center than the characters. The previous arcs found a way to weave the character conflicts into internal conflicts the characters were feeling but I felt this plot was a lot more disconnected from the main characters until the very end. It was cool to see the start to what would eventually be Republic Coty though!

I’m excited to see more of Faith Erin Hicks’ run on the Avatar comics because I feel like once she gets into the swing of things, we can see some more truly amazing Avatar content!

[ipek · Rating 4 out of 5]

book 17 out of 75
graphic novel

"That's a terrible name!"

I'm sorry, I just had to put that Sokka quote.

This sixth installment in graphic novel continuation of the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" TV show was very good. The TV show is arguably the best TV show to ever be made and these graphic novels have not disappointed. This was no exception.

I really enjoyed seeing how much our gang had developed and how they were continuing their quest in bringing peace to the world. I loved seeing Sokka's humor and wits, as always. I wish we'd gotten to see Zuko a little bit as well, but that's only because he's one of my favorite characters. But in terms of new characters, I absolutely loved Ru. She was so nice and sweet.

For fans of the show, who's your favorite character? Mine is definitely Suki, I love how badass she is, even though she isn't a bender. And of course I love Zuko and Uncle Iroh.

➼ 4 stars

[Elysian · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Loved it. very touching. After reading this watch me how I binge TLOK series.

Characters

I am a bit weirded out, because Zuko is nowhere to be found in this comic, which is okay, but as far as it goes it was always like all of Team Avatar were the founders of Republic it weirded me out that Zuko was not more involved within this comic. I get that he has to settle down and has to become the Firelord his folk needs but??? I guess he gets involved within the city right after the comic ends, because all of Team Avatar decides to settle down here to help with the issues of the city.

Plot

This is basically the story of the origins of Republic City and I think it is such a beautiful origin, because this place has just so much history and is such a great place of conflict after all.

[Silvia (Library Unbounded)]

DNF at about 50%

I have never DNFd a comics until today, but here we are 😅

This entry as always had lovely art style and some panels were straight up gorgeous! My problem was with the plot. It centers around what is basically the industrial revolution and people's struggles with it.
Now, I am not implying that those themes are unimportant or uninteresting. But this is not what I am reading Avatar for. I found none of the magic, whimsy and mystery that I have associated with the story until now. It was all super rigid and oddly preachy and I just couldn't get into it.

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It was the first one where Aang and Katara felt like they were acting realistically and weren’t acting overly “puppy dog in love” to me.

This felt like a perfect novelization of an episode. I definitely recommend it. The art is phenomenal as well.

[Salamanderinspace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explores the relationship between benders and non-benders, something which I had many questions about after watching the show. Like the other comics, it tackles some heavy issues--like, for instance, technology's affect on labor. I liked how they framed the conflict in terms of technology being a tool to equalize: to give abilities to those without abilities. I didn't like that Aang advocates for the establishment of a police force as a cure for violence that is caused by poverty. The benders in the area lost their jobs when Satoru invented a machine that did their refining work more efficiently. As a result, they turned to crime as a means to sustain themselves. A police force will only increase the violence against citizens and do nothing to correct the inequalities that cause the problem in the first place.

The narrative largely agrees with me; the "police" turn out to be corrupt, working for the villain. However the comic proposes a solution of - just hire different police. Like the others in this series, the comic attributes problems to "progress" that are only problems with one method of resource distribution. If the machines were owned by the workers instead of the factory, benders and non-benders would come to the job market with the same skills and they could both be hired to do the same work. The real villains in the book should have been the greedy factory owners who didn't want to pay for skilled labor.

It was an entertaining comic with some faithfulness to the characters and tone of the show, but ultimately I think it failed as a satisfying story.

I did like that it addressed the violence of what Aang did to Ozai in the show. Taking away someone's bending... it may have been justified, it may have been reasonable, but it was still violent.

[*❆ Kαɾҽɳ ❆* · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I wasn't a big fan of the artwork at the start, it did grow on me by the end.
This I believe is the end? Of Aang's story, setting it nicely for the Legend of Korra and how the Republic City came about. Looking forward to reading the shorter comics now.

[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways this is a perfect lead in to the main conflict in The Legend of Korra, Season 1.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good transition into the Legend of Korra, but I feel like there are still some loose ends— what ever happens to Azula?

[John Nygma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was better than the previous instalment of the series, but still not quite the highs of the early comics. At first, I was a little annoyed cause I thought this comic was just gonna reuse another topic the previous comics and/or Legend of Korra have done already. And it is somewhat, but in a better way. This serves, more than any of the other comics, as a direct prequel to Legend of Korra in terms of themes and world building. The central conflict of this comic is all about the uneven treatment of benders and non-benders in the Avatar world. Non-bender come up with new and very effective inventions to make up for their nonexistent bending skills, however, those inventions cause many benders to now become jobless. So I like how this comic introduces the beginning of a conflict we see fully fester and escalate in a Legend of Korra; it creates an interesting bridge between the two stories. And of course, we also see the origins of Republic City, its people, and history.

I'm a big fan of the new art style! Yes, it's not as close to the original shows style, but that didn't bother me at all. The writing for the characters is still on point, but still tries to introduce new aspects to the characters (e.g. Toph becoming a manager and Aang having to make more morally complex choices). The villain in this comic is still pretty straightforward and not at all surprising in their acting, but I did like the two daughters who were secondary antagonists! Also, Suki finally makes a return! It's fun to see the whole Team Avatar back together, and it's good to see that they still have their disagreements but are still able to be friends at the end of the day.

This doesn't feel like it's trying to be a big finale type of story (since this is the, for now, final big comic story with Aang and Co.), so perhaps manage your expectations when you go into this. It's still a solid comic that deals with some interesting conflicts and mostly succeeds at being a good transition piece between Last Airbender and Legend of Korra.

[Dustin (dragonarmybooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a BookTube channel where I review books, give reading suggestions, and more! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/dragonarmybooks

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My Rating - 3.5 Stars

Team Avatar are once again back at Earthen Fire Industries now located in the bustling Cranefish Town (which will eventually become Republic City in The Legend of Korra. Yet again, there is a civil war brewing, but this time it's between the benders and non-benders. The Aang Gang must figure out how to mediate peace in a rapidly changing environment where machines are on the rise and the very way of life is being threatened.

I came in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised with Imbalance as a whole. The Yang/Gurihiru team of the preceding graphic novels just simply cannot be topped, but I thought the Hicks/Wartman duo were able to maintain most of the characterizations and storytelling elements that make Avatar such an enjoyable world to play in and story to tell. The artwork is certainly different than the early graphic novels that I've read and reviewed as a part of this series. I prefer the work of Gurihiru, but must say that Wartman's illustrations ended up working for me as well. I also enjoyed the story, the villain, and the narrative beats that Hicks delivered. It still all felt true to Avatar. You can really tell that the foundations for The Legend of Korra are being laid in some fairly major ways. That's exciting.

It's a good, not great, graphic novel that really only suffers because of the absolute greatness that came before it. If Hicks and Wartman continue to produce Avatar graphic novels together, I would imagine that they would only get better with each issue. And if it's not Yang/Gurihiru, then I'll be satisfied with Hicks/Wartman for sure.

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was definitely my favorite out of all the comics. the bender vs non-bender storyline was a lot more interesting and nuanced. also this art was sexy

[Jada · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty disappointing as the final story.

[Holly Fleet · Rating 5 out of 5]

shocked me a bit to see the art style change so drastically in this last comic but was still very enjoyable i loved all the colours and it felt like it had a softer touch to it. and all i can say about the actual story and the writing is i feel terrible for my girl ru she deserved better 😭

[Dea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite out off all the comics I think

[Mar]

One of the best in the series. To read about how Toph’s police force came to be AND what will clearly be Republic City in Legend of Korra.

[Birte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good addition to the series, I really like that the comics explore the aftermath of a conflict from different angles and also obviously laying the groundwork for Korra. I also really liked that Sokka was in his element here.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really got used to the new art style, and the dialogue was a bit stilted at times. The previous creative team was flawless though, so they were definitely a tough act to follow. This wasn’t bad by any means, it just wasn’t as standout as the previous books. This one was a bit too on the nose for me sometimes, and I didn’t really care too much for the new characters introduced here. Still, it’s a nice addition in furthering Aang’s story— and it’s cool to see the early days of Republic City. 4/5 stars.

[Joana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really GOOD!!!
It was so GREAT to see Suki again, and I LOVE her being so important and teaching everyone the chi-block technique
Also really love the debate about taking someone ability to bend, it's so interesting how these characters feel things and their decisions
Really loved this and clear recommendation for any "Avatar: The Last Airbender" fans :D

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the lack of my favorite character, Zuko, this is one of the best in the Avatar comic installments. This book shows the growing disputes between benders and non-benders, and some of the origins for Republic City and other elements we see in The Legend of Korra. A nice historical bridge between the two, and I also enjoy seeing the characters aging a bit.

[Richard Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book out of the six so far. Imbalance is so great since it has its finger on the pulse and also because it connects so closely with The Legend of Korra. I didn't find the art style strange at all, and the story is fantastic. Five stars, no question.

[rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

love how this discusses the disparities between benders and non-benders and how bigotry can be so harmful + destructive. i was taken aback by the new art style at first but i learned to love it as i read on. toph really shone here but im not surprised because she always deserves the spotlight 😌

[Teodora Lipciuc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The message in this one feels so fresh and relevant! And I LOVED Ru and Yaling. Also digging the new art style. 🤩