🟢 Creative People 🟢
Bryan Konietzko – Created by
Michael Dante DiMartino – Created by
Gene Luen Yang – Script
Gurihiru – Art and Cover
Michael Heisler – Lettering
🟢 Publisher 🟢
Dark Horse Books
🟢 Plot 🟢
The biggest mystery of Avatar, the fate of Fire Lord Zuko’s mother, is revealed in this remarkable oversized hardcover collecting parts 1–3 of The Search.
🟢 Non Spoiler Review 🟢
If you liked Avatar the Last Airbender tv show then you will LOVE this comic. When the series ended they did it open ended when it came to Zuko’s mom. I ALWAYS wondered what happened to her. Then in the end when Zuko went to his dad asking where she was I was invested! But then let down because they didn’t say anything about it. So I was super stoked when they announced this comic series.
The artwork in this comic is simply wonderful! To me it looks just like how the TV series does. It really is beautiful. I really wish I could draw like this 🥴 Even the Spirit creatures that are drawn that are fantastic! Even the word bubbles don’t get in the way of the beautiful art. This comic was really thought out and I appreciate that.
Even the way they do the past and present is great! They make it to where it is easy to differentiate between the two.
This comic has a satisfying storyline. There is so much emotion in this series. If you were just like me and wanted to know what happened to Zuko’s mom then this series is for you!
🔴 Spoilers 🔴
The comic does a lot of going back and forth from the past to present times. So I will write past and present. I will go back and forth just like the comic does. Just to keep you in suspense. 😄
The Search Part One
Past: We start off in the town of Hira’a. Ikem and Ursa, boyfriend and girlfriend, are acting out a Fire Nation play about a Dragon Emporer. When they finish rehearsing Ikem asks Ursa to marry him. She says yes.
Present: The Avatar gang is back together, sadly without Toph because she is teaching metal bending, and they are learning Earth Kingdom history so they can build a brighter future. This part is funny because when the teacher is talking it says, “blah, blah, blah” in the thought bubbles 😂 To me that’s perfect because it shows you they aren’t listening to the teacher. The Earth bender then says something that really resonates with him. The teacher says, “Treating his family with dignity learns to govern his nation with dignity”. Zuko really thinks about this because of his family.
Past: Fire Lord Azulon brings his son to the town of Hira’a because he is trying to find a wife for his son, Ozai. Azulon has been on the hunt to find Avatar Roku’s family line. He finally finds Roku’s granddaughter, Ursa. He wants his son and her to get together because he was told it would strengthen his family line.
Present: Zuko visits Azula and their dad in prison. To try to make amends Zuko lets Azula and their dad speak in private.
Past: Ozai proposes to Ursa and she is forced to accept. Ikem tries to stop their carriage from leaving, but Ursa steps out and tell him to go away. Since Ursa is now with Ozai, she has to cut all ties with her past life.
Present: Zuko takes Azula out of prison to give her a better life. Azula escapes and runs into the palace. She then goes to one of their dads secret rooms. Azula is standing there with a letter in her hand. She tells Zuko it has what he needs to know about their mom. Since she is an awful human, she burns it in front of Zuko.
Team Aang now has a new member. . . Azula. . . Yikes! Zuko has to bring her along because she knows where to start to find their mother. Rightfully so, the Avatar team is not happy, but they understand why Azula has to come.
Past: Ursa went against Ozai and wrote letters home. She would give them to her friend, Ellia, to have her mail them out. Sadly, Ellia never mailed out the letters. She would put them in a secret place because Ozai was always watching her.
Present: On their adventure to find Zuko’s mom, they are attacked by a large spirit wolf. The spirit wolf unleashes a HUGE amount of moths to attack our team. After Azula scares away the spirits, everyone gets ready for sleep. Zuko sees Azula getting cold while sleeping. So he gets a blanket to put over her. While he is doing this he sees a letter sticking out of her boot. Zuko takes it and reads it. He finds out that he is Ikem’s son!!!
The Search Part Two
Past: Ozai hires a Yuyan archer to kill Ikem. Yuyan archer’s never miss their mark. They are pretty much assassins. In a few panels we see the Yuyan archer come back all disheveled. He tells Ozai that he could not find Ikem. He went into a forest where he is said to live, but the archer said the forest fought back against him. So he did not find and kill Ikem. Ozai is super mad at this and strips the archer of his title.
Present: The Avatar team finally finds the town, Hira’a. When they arrive the town is doing the same exact play that Ikem and Ursa were preparing for. After the play is over they talk to the director, Noren, of the play. They talk to him because they want to know if he knows who Ikem is. He tells them that him and his wife, Norica, heard that Ikem went into forgetful valley.
Past: To protect Zuko, Ursa tells Ozai that she can make him a clear poison to give to his father. Who is currently the fire lord. Ozai tells Ursa that she must now leave the kingdom because he does not want her to make that same poison for him.
Present: The team heads to forgetful valley. In the valley they come across a brother a sister. The brother is wearing a mask because he got injured when he was young. So they came to the valley to get him a new face from the Mother of Faces.
The Search Part Three
Past: Ursa goes back to her hometown to try to find Ikem. I am happy to announce that she finds him. And guess what! Ikem turns out to be Noren!
So what happened was Ikem went into forgetful valley. People go this valley because there is a spirit, Mother of all Faces, who grants people wishes to start a new life. Ikem wanted this because his heart was broken after Ursa left. Ikem found the Mother of all Faces and began a new life as Noren. Ursa tells him that she wants to do the same thing.
Present: The Mother of Faces shows herself to everyone. When she reveals herself she says she will grant one person one wish and one person only. Since Azula is freaking messed up she jumps in front of the brother and sister and takes their wish. Azula asks the spirit where her mother is. The spirit then shows him the face of. . . . . Drumroll. . . Norico!
Past: We see Ursa and Ikem approach the Mother of Faces. She asks Ursa what she would like. Ursa asks for a different face and to forget everything in her past except for Ikem. So this means not remembering Zuko and Azula.
Present: Before the Spirit leaves, Aang talks to her and asks if she can please grant another wish. He tells her their stories and she agrees. She agrees because she sees the brother without a face and she knows her son, the Face Stealer, did this to him. So she gives him back his face. Right after this Azula attacks everyone and runs into the forest.
Zuko goes back to Noren’s house and tells them who he is. Norico has no idea what Zuko is talking about. So Ikem explains to her what happened in the past. Norico goes back to visit the Mother of faces and she restores her old face and her memories.
Urusa tells Zuko that Ikem is not his father. She only said that to make Ozai mad.
The story ends with Zuko and Ursa walking together and Zuko asking everything about her life.
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