The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Part One Paperback – August 8, 2017

'Ultimately, your story is yours to tell. You'll know when the time is right to share the news.'THIS VOLUME IS BASICALLY HERE'S A BI, THERE'S A BI, EVERYWHERE'S A BI AND I'M LIVING FOR IT. I been knew Kya is gay but Avatar Kyoshi being bi is too good of a reveal, ahhhh (also, so much more excited to read The Rise of Kyoshi now).The best part is how it starts right where the show ends like this is what dreams are made of and then the juxtaposition of Korrasami becoming a couple and whatever is now happening in the Republic City is done so well like, they definitely nailed the pace and I was into all of it.The nuances of Korrasami coming out to their family and friends (Mako's reaction, though LOL PERFECT), what different nations think about queer relationships and whether Korrasami want to reveal it to the public just yet, so many feels.I just want to yell about Korrasami in love, though. I'm crying. 😭😭 THEIR CONFESSIONS FREAKING SLAYED ME. Korra feeling like she was always too intense (one of the things I love about her, LBR) but now feels like she doesn't have to hold herself back in front of Asami. 😭😭 VULNERABLE KORRA IS FREAKING PRECIOUS AND NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS.By the way, shoutout to Lin Beifong being the badass-est of all. Besides Korra, she's easily my favorite.As for the art, it's fantastic! Irene Koh definitely channeled the original art but she also brought her own style into it and the result is great. It honestly felt like I was watching the show since it was so easy to give voices to characters' dialogues and to follow the action sequences (which translate so well in this form !!).

I will admit that at first, I was disappointed that Turf Wars portrayed homophobia in the Avatar verse. My thought was that if this is a fictional world, why not just have homophobia not exist. But Avatar has always been about reflecting real world issues, and this comic handles those issues in a way that felt honest and close to home. It didn't feel like it was using homophobia to exploit the LGBT characters for drama. As a lesbian, I felt that I could relate deeply to the obstacles that Korra and Asami face while entering their relationship, and dealing with coming out. My girlfriend and I both come from conservative families, so it was important early on to communicate coming out boundaries with each other. When Asami hesitates toward immediately coming out to Korra's parents, this isn't portrayed as a negative thing, just that it's important for Korra and Asami to communicate about this. Another thing I loved was the look that Kya gives Korra and Asami, and how she's immediately able to recognize that they're in a relationship. I love that she becomes a support for them, and they have an LGBT mentor in their lives. That's what makes this comic special, to me. This doesn't just realistically portray an LGBT romantic relationship, it also portrays LGBT community, which I find is far rarer in media. It's virtually non-existent in children's media. The only other example I can think of is an episode of Danger & Eggs which features a pride parade. The media landscape is starved for healthy, realistic, and nuanced portrayals of LGBT couples, but what I hardly ever see is LBGT community and culture shown on top of that. I believe there is room in media for both fiction where homophobia doesn't exists, and fiction where it's portrayed with realism without exploitation. In these cases, it's important to show LGBT characters facing these struggles by finding community with each other. Connection through community is powerful. I don't know who I'd be if I didn't grow up without LGBT friends supporting me and guiding me throughout my coming out process. Seeing a comic portray that process is beautiful, and I hope that's the direction the creative world continues to go in. The art is gorgeous, and the story feels like a natural continuation of the television series. When I read the dialogue, I can hear the character's voices in my mind as if I were watching another episode. I'm excited to learn more about the Avatar universe, and watch Korra, Asami, and all the other characters continue to grow and develop with each other.

To say that I was excited for this comic to be released is an understatement. I was waiting all day for it to be delivered and immediately ripped the package open once I got my hands on it. I just finished reading Part One and can safely say that I was not at all disappointed. Reading this story felt like being welcomed home into a world that I grew up in. I started watching the Avatar series when it first aired when I was nine years old. I grew up with those younger characters in ATLA and then spent my teenage years alongside the characters of The Legend of Korra. I was figuring myself out at the same time that Korra was. The finale when Korra and Asami got together came at the perfect time for me as I was still wrestling with my attraction towards multiple genders, especially to women, so to see two female characters (both of whom are also women of color) find comfort in one another and embark on a romantic journey together was everything to me.This comic continued from that point beautifully. We see the infamous Korrasami vacation and it is absolutely stunning. The artwork in this comic jumps of the page. It fits in wonderfully with that of the animated series while still maintaining its own identity. The story itself acts as a set-up for what's to come, but we got another layer of world-building for this wonderful universe and the characters are still the people I remember from the end of the series. I adore every bit of it.