Avatar: The Last Airbender – North and South

Avatar: The Last Airbender – North and South^[1] is the fifth graphic novel trilogy created as a continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It follows the events of Smoke and Shadow. As a close sequel to the original Avatar series, it depicts events that occur seventy years before the sequel series The Legend of Korra.

Summary

After three long years, Katara and Sokka finally return home to the Southern Water Tribe and are surprised but glad to see their homeland greatly expanded to the point of a bustling and thriving city with their father Hakoda as head chief. Katara and Sokka learn that the source of these great changes is due to a strong waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe, Malina, whose true motives remain shrouded in mystery. Meanwhile, Aang, leaves to aid Fire Lord Zuko with spiritual affairs in the Fire Nation.

Part One

The story starts off with Katara dreaming about her childhood and being woken by her late mother, Kya, to see the sun out near the village. Katara wonders why the village looks so different yet so beautiful. Her mother suddenly tells her to "wake up" and young Katara says that she is already awake. The dream fades as Sokka rouses Katara from her dream. Dazed, she says that the dream she just had was sad but mostly happy. Sokka disregards this, saying that they are near the South Pole. The two siblings arrive on a massive frozen tundra, where Sokka accidentally crashes into a large building under construction. A young boy appears and scolds Sokka for crashing into their fort. It is then that three men appear and chastise the children for being very near their turf. Disgusted at their bullying little kids, Katara bends the snow at the men, two of whom are waterbenders as well. Sokka asks the boy if he is from the village, but the boy corrects him; stating that he is from the city. Sokka and Katara then realize that the vast city of icy buildings is their home-the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka is thrilled at these newly large additions to their homeland but Katara is feeling let-down and nostalgic. They then met up with their Auntie Ashua, who offers them her famous seal jerky. Katara wonders where her hut has gone, to which Auntie Ashuha explains that it had been torn down along with everything else and that she lives in a building now. She calls out the dozens of people all around, that Sokka and Katara have returned. Several Southerns crowd around them, exclaiming excitedly and asking many questions about their adventures with the Avatar, whether they will get to meet him, what the Fire nation is now like, and that they make the Southern Water Tribe proud. Kanna appears and asks what is all the commotion, who is overjoyed to be reunited with her grandchildren. Katara says how Gran-Gran remains the same as ever, prompting Pakku to show up, and says that he is now their step-grandfather, as he and Kanna had married two weeks ago. Katara is dismayed that she missed the ceremony, yet her grandmother assures her that there was none; as she and Pakku had eloped to the Misty Palms Inn. Pakku expresses his distaste at the Misty palms Inn not living up to its name. The aged waterbending master informs Katara about his new school, where he is training new Southern waterbenders and that he could use her help. Kanna compliments at how he, Pakku, had told her how brave Sokka had been during the Day of Black Sun, and what an accomplished waterbender Katara has become. Sokka offers his assistance, but Pakku declines, reminding him that he is not a waterbender. Sokka smugly says that he is "a bender of motivation."

Sokka asks Pakku where their father, Hakoda, is and Pakku says that he is in his office in the town hall. Sokka expresses his disbelief at these words, and he and Katara go to find a tremendous house made of ice in the center. Sokka admits at how "spectacular, brilliant and incredible" it all is but Katara is confused as it is "so not Dad." Inside, they see their father talking with a young woman and young man but stops his work to lovingly hug his children. Katara expresses sadness at not having returned sooner but Hakoda waves her apology aside, as his daughter were helping the Avatar rebuild the world and having children. He introduces them to Malina and Maliq of the Northern Water Tribe. Katara welcomes Malina to the South Pole while Hakoda says that Malina and Maliq are the heads of the Southern Reconstruction Project. Katara is a bit concerned at this, to which Malina says how they all need all these new additions in the South more than they know. She explains that the temporary office will eventually become a whole palace, as it represents strength and might.

References