#and how is this particular omnicidal abuser a good source for anything other than more cruelty?

[russenoire]

broken promises, pt 1

in what parallel universe does it make sense for fire lord zuko NOT to seek out his uncle iroh first for advice on governing?

ozai is a shining example of how not to rule.

a man who hates his son enough to fuck him over from behind bars if possible, who would rather dive into an erupting volcano than give him a straight answer. yet gene luen yang makes zuko turn to ozai for leadership wisdom.

when i first read the promise, i wondered why: did iroh die in the timeskip or something? nope. yang wrote zuko as... too stubborn to reach out in his time of need to the man who taught him how to be human until near the end of the story. 'no, i promised him i wouldn't disturb his quiet life.' [holds up a picture of iroh and sighs a 'wish you were here' sigh]

in the TV series, the characters' 'stupid' decisions were internally consistent, age-appropriate, and therefore realistic. here? just stupid.