#also it was super fucking weird to see jokes I made in rrau pop up in the comics in less...funny forms

[progmanx]

what's your problem with the comics so far? im pretty much loving everything im seeing so i was just wondering what your perspective was on it making you not like what we've got so far

You mean besides the fact that it really looks like Asami forgot her dad died not even three weeks prior and that literally zero aspects of the plot have anything to do with her outside of her relationship with Korra? Heh.

Nah, I was too harsh yesterday. I had a bit of a knee-jerk reaction...but mostly because the glimpses we got from the previews confirmed my very well documented concerns for what this comic would end up being. At least, part of it. The fact that coming out is something that Korra and Asami even need to navigate at all, regardless of social feedback, is just...weird? Like it doesn’t make sense for the reality of ATLA/LOK. Reiterating why that here would be rather redundant, so click the link for more details. Or go look through @lokgifsandmusings‘s recent posts where she gets into greater detail. 

We’ve already gotten half the comic spoiled, and it reads like an Afterschool Special. You know, the 90s Very Special Episodes on Home Improvement where...Tim Allen’s tv son...got addicted to cocaine? That’s obviously a really fucking weird example, but the point is that I’m worried all the “what do people think of queerness in this universe” parts of the story are gonna be hamfisted. And I really just...don’t think that was the best way to go about communicating that being queer or questioning is an okay thing to young kids. Obviously none of it is offensive or problematic or really negative at all, but it just feels...uninspired. And unimaginative.

Mike could have done anything with Korrasami, specifically because of how they developed and what they both, thematically, represent as individuals as well as a couple.  But he chose to do the one thing, the singular thing that is basically a template. So it’s like, what? Why? Why would you do that? You could bake anything in the world and you chose the cookie cutter? WHY.

And we know Kya is gonna have a long conversation about what it means to be queer in that reality, which is...super weird the longer you think about that. Wouldn’t Korra and Asami know what it means to be queer in that world? They live in it. it’s not like they’re tourists. I dunno, it could be about not living with regrets or “letting your bi flag fly” but...why? Why does Kya even need to explain this? They should know! And if it needs explaining to the readers, do it through dialog between Korra and Asami!

So much of this book hinges on that one conversation, and I just---there were other ways to do this! And they wouldn’t have been difficult! I can think of like four better, and far more engaging, imo, narratives you can tell with the same art (that we’ve seen) and minimal re-lettering of speech bubbles. 

Anyway, aside from that, though, it actually looks fine. You know, nothing groundbreaking or amazing, but it looks pretty entertaining. It had me chuckling, so that’s always a good start. I feel like that whole “WE’RE COMING OUT” thing just won’t land for me, for a variety of reasons, but the rest will be enjoyable. Assuming Korra isn’t dialed back to her Book 1 characterization for the entire thing (???), I can push the rather baffling retcons (why would you buy land YOU CAN’T USE) out of my head and enjoy the read.

Probably.