The ATLA series never disappoints! It is an amazing journey that I don't want to stop! If you'd like to see what I thought of the previous story ("The Promise") before reading this one, you can check out my full review here.
The Search talks about Zuko and Team Avatar's (plus Azula) adventure on the way to find Zuko's mother and discover the truth about her disappearance. I gave it 5* because it was simply perfect and it deserved it! This plot-line is probably the most expected after the show's end and it is definitely the one I was most eager to read.
I loved all three parts equally and gave them all 5*. I thought they were all very interesting and strong and I enjoyed them equally. The story immediately grabs your attention from the beginning of Part 1 and holds it firmly throughout the story with two strong cliffhangers at the end of Parts 1 and 2. The scenes go back and forth from Ursa's youth in her hometown, to Zuko's search on the current day and this makes it very interesting to read. Scenes full of action and suspense alternate with scenes full of feelings and this makes a very strong combination. I could repeat myself talking about the beautiful art, the great pacing, and beautiful storytelling, but I will try to speak about more and different things this time.
The Search, on the one hand, sheds light on the relationship between Ursa and Ozai and their troubled marriage. On the other hand, it explores the relationship between Zuko and his family, but, more specifically, with Azula. The two siblings have both been abused by their father and suffer from the absence of their mother, they are both still confused and both are still trying to figure out who they really are and what is their destiny, their purpose in life. They are in very different places in their journey, as Zuko has made a lot of progress and Azula still has a long way to go, but both of them feel the loss and pain, they both miss something to feel complete. They are very different but also similar in a sense and Zuko may be a lot closer to finding his truth and peace with himself, but I believe that he is also a step closer to understanding and helping his sister find her way as well. The relationship dynamics are perfect!
The story is full of feelings all the way through, it really touched me multiple times. I felt sad for Ursa being taken from her home, I felt mad with Ozai being even worse than I already thought, I felt sorry for Azula and her mental state. The time jumps were great; they were placed perfectly, they really worked with the story and complimented it and they were done beautifully. The story is structured perfectly and it manages to both unravel secrets but also to keep it interesting throughout.
Kiyi was really fun and cute and I loved the addition of her character! Her instant chemistry and bonding with Zuko warmed my heart. I really hope we get to see more of her and her relationship with Zuko in the comic books that follow and I'd also love to finally see Zuko have one healthy sibling relationship.
I loved how the story starts and ends with the same words from the conversation between Zuko and his mother, it was beautiful and impactful. The ending itself was wonderful, this story ended in the best way possible, the only way that would be right and acceptable for the build-up of this particular storyline. It would be so disappointing if we didn't get a proper pay-off after everything so far.
Seeing Zuko be able to hold off himself against Azula is very rewarding on its own. He has grown a lot not only in skills and talent, but he has also matured a great deal and is now much wiser. On the one hand, he can defend himself from his sister, on the other hand, he never hurts her, he tries to help and protect her as much as possible, and he tries to give her a sense of freedom, trust, and dignity. Even if he knows that she will take advantage of him and his kindness - cause that's what she always does - he still keeps giving her chances, he never gives up on her completely, he keeps trying, he doesn't lose hope. Why? Because he knows it can be done; because he managed to do it himself, he managed to throw off of him his father's toxic influence and harmful teachings, he rebelled against his father's corrupted values and found his peace of mind. Because he was given many chances too by someone who cared about him. He stands his ground, he doesn't back up from the throne, but also tries to improve himself and his family relationships.
It is very interesting to see the contrast between Zuko and Azula's relationship and Sokka and Katara's. These people and the relationships between them are so different, yet they have so much to learn from each other. I think that after Zuko talks with Sokka he realizes that he actually cares for his sister. He knows that she is not in a good mental state, he knows that she is not a great person, that she feels anger and jealousy, he knows that she could potentially do something bad and hurt someone, yet he still cares about her and tries to help her. He wants to be decent and treat his family with dignity. At the same time, he's really eager to get to know the parts of his family that have been missing for so long. He needs to explore that part of himself and find out the truth about his and his family's past.
By the end of the story, Zuko is a changed person. He is more complete and fulfilled than ever before and new possibilities have opened up in front of him. In this comic book, most of the characters go through significant character growth and they all become better and more complete. In the end, this is a character-driven story about family relationships and friendships, about the nature of humanity, the ability to change and evolve. It is a story about discovering who you really are, your truth, and supporting it without shame or fear. It explores different characters' morals and motivations. But most of all this is a story that gives much food for thought and a story that truly inspires me both as a person and as an aspiring creator.
This was my favorite comic book so far and this storyline is actually the one I'd most love to see on screen (fingers crossed for that). As I said ATLA never disappoints me, it always manages to make me happy, it is truly a masterpiece of storytelling. I hope the next ones are just as good.
Thanks for reading!
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