#atla comics critical

[lady-iskra]

I guess I just don't see this as a massive deal? A person in a relationship isn't obligated to spend every waking moment solely on their partner(s), and I never got the sense Katara was deliberately excluded from the "festivities". The way I see it, she chose to just sit them out, whether because she didn't feel comfortable participating alongside all of the fangirls, or had seen the vast majority of it before during her travels with Aang.

There is a difference between not spending every waking moment with her bf and being excluded. And I doubt she would have acted that way if just one of those girls or Aang would have shown a slight interest in her. If she just doesn't want to participate, the panels could have shown her being somewhere else in Ba Sing Se, visit interesting places, or whatever. But what we see here is a devastated and sad Katara with Aang surrounded by more or less a dozen girls who don't even look at her.

For what other reason, Gene wouldn't even draw one of those girls talking to her, other than showing us she is excluded here? Why not show us how Katara is maybe standing aside, but talking to one of them. Or maybe a girl could recognize her as Master Katara, the hero who saved the world alongside Aang, and not just his girlfriend? Just show me that she isn't left out.

That said, I don't see why Katara should consider this something to be constantly worrying about, as opposed to letting Aang have his moment of somewhat being back among his people while trusting in him to remain faithful to her. After all, the other comics and Legend of Korra never suggest that Aang was seriously tempted away from Katara after they got together.

And this is what I also mentioned in my initial text: Yeah, he was oblivious to their advances. Just to be clear: I am not saying Aang should never talk to girls or other women again, and yes, he can't always avoid people flirting with him. The only thing I am saying is, again: It doesn't change the fact that Katara had been excluded, and it doesn't change that her feelings were valid. No matter the situation, no matter if he did it on purpose or not: She had been excluded, no one inside there cared about her. So, the healthy thing is to mention it, for example:

"Sweety, look, I know you haven't done it on purpose, but I was excluded in there." And explaining the situation to him. And, again: Not in bad faith, but, for example, the way she explained to him that it scares her when he goes into the Avatar state after they met the sandbenders who stole Appa.

Aang: "Oh, sorry, sweety, it won't happen again." That's it.

But not that she deserves no thanks. Why does she deserve no thanks? What has she done wrong? Absolutely nothing, except maybe that she could have taken Aang aside earlier and talk to him. And I say maybe because it was still him who hadn't paid any attention to her a whole day and night. Unrealistic, yes, but it was still what those panels are showing us.

I guess Teo can work as an additional Air Acolyte if that's a lifestyle he wants to take? In any case, the implication I'm getting here is that anyone would've made for a better choice than the Ba Sing Se fanclub.

This is not what I was implying. I don't say those girls can never ever become Acolytes just because they once had a celebrity crush on Aang. Of course, they can grow a genuine interest in Air Nomad traditions outside of it being their crush's heritage. This was just not the case at this time. Aang is right when he is saying: "It's a silly fan club." And he was absolutely right of getting upset when he learned the other fan club appropriated the tattoos for fun.

Aang has every right to pass on his nearly extinct culture to people who have a genuine interest in it and respect it. Those girls at that time, however, weren't ready yet.

I went into the comics with an open mind. This whole calling each other Sweety-thing isn't my cup of tea, but I overlooked it with rolling eyes. And Katara should have an agenda of her own, like she had in ATLA. This would have been my only criticism—though, it is also a big one—if it wasn't for this whole Acolyte situation. Reading it made me very uncomfortable.

But we don't have to argue up to no end. Like Iroh said: "It's important to draw wisdom from many different places." You have told me your opinion, I told you mine, and we can agree to disagree here. Have a nice rest weekend!

I can’t get over the fact that Bryke decided Katara should believe she deserves no thanks in The Promise. I mean, they literally made her feel guilty for being uncomfortable spending the night with her bfs groupies fangirls.

I’ve seen people claim that Aang was oblivious to this. Don’t they get what this is about? His obliviousness doesn’t even matter. Katara's feelings are valid no matter what, and talking about it would have been the only healthy thing to do.

And don’t get me started on those who insist that this shows how both of them had grown since Book 1... This is no growth to me. It seems like Katara, who has always been vocal about her feelings, learned in this one year of her relationship to repress them instead. Either to avoid conflict altogether or because she's been told to 'control herself'. And unfortunately, this is the reality for so many women in RL.

If this is Bryke’s idea of a healthy relationship, I’m actually so glad that Zutara isn’t canon. They could’ve easily made up for the forced K@taang endgame in ATLA by showing a relationship where both sides are validated equally, but instead we got this bs.

If this wasn’t already a bad enough example for girls and young women of what a healthy relationship is supposed to look like, Bryke took it even further: They made the very girls who openly flirted with Aang in front of his girlfriend the official Air Acolytes. In other words, unless Katara and Aang are off on their next adventure, they are surrounded by them almost 24/7.

Yeah, that’s right. Just keep smiling, Master Katara Avatar’s girl.

I mean, what does her life look like surrounded by those Aang-worshiping girls and her boyfriend, who remains oblivious? Constantly smiling, acting as though she doesn't hear the obvious advances happening right in front of her? Ignoring the catty comments directed at her by some of them? And, in general, adjusting to her boyfriend's—later, husband's—life while forgetting her own ambitions? Now, we could argue that she wouldn't stay with Aang if she eventually realizes that she has put up with too much and lost herself. But, I think, we all know that lifelong relationships like this exist in RL.

[dynadratina]

I get that the Academy wasn't a good influence on Azula, and it only magnified the harmful tendencies she had already acquired from elsewhere, but those factors in Azula's development have been acknowledged time and again. Meanwhile, Ursa still hasn't done anything with her realization in the Search that she didn't love Azula enough.

That's what I want to see more of. Flashbacks in Ursa's POV, Ursa processing memories of times when she had tried to reach out to Azula and realizing that it hadn't been enough, or hadn't been in the way Azula had needed. Or even memories of times when she and Azula had gotten along relatively well before things went sour.

Because we already know a dozen answers to: "How could Azula's environment/other influential figures have been changed so that she had a healthy childhood?" but we don't know Ursa's answer to "What could I have done, but didn't?"

Also, even in her Academy age, Azula wasn't a lost cause. Azula in the Spirit Temple implies that she still very much wanted Ursa in her life, to the point of feeling abandoned by her when she left, and so would likely have been receptive to Ursa's counter-teachings of unconditional love and protection.

Transcript: "You abandoned me. You weren't there to protect me from Dad, so I became what he wanted--his deadly firebending weapon. I didn't have a choice. (Azula in the Spirit Temple)

[mfelewzi]

My two favourite romantic couples with Prince Burned Steak. The funny thing about this fanart is its been Canon, but It was more funny.

Fanart by @failingradish

[sokkastyles]

Okay, but we get how this trope itself is sexist, right? Why is Aang acting surprised that Katara can fight? The idea that girls can fight and be girls is something we learned in episode four of the original show. Katara has been beating up fire nation soldiers since episode two. This is a martial arts fantasy show where every character can fight. Male characters don't get this surprised, tongue-in-cheek reaction to them fighting because we already expect them to. And then a few panels later, Aang goes into the Avatar state because Zuko grabbed her arm. Katara literally threatens to hurt Zuko back and Aang is like "oh, no, I have to save her from someone holding her arm!" Which I don't think shows that he respected the fact that she just gave the smackdown to a whole bunch of soldiers.

[erinoma9]

Found part 2 of Vicious Treason by J-LiAnne

Ursa is really, really glad she taught Zuko to knock. A/N: The scroll hanging on Azulon's wall is a well-known proverb urging, "Loyalty and Service to your country." ... Hopefully it's easier to tell now whose hand that is

[myimaginationplain]

On one hand, I think that Kiyi is actually a wonderful idea for a character; you can get a lot of interesting stories out of inserting this innocent, guiless little girl into such a fraught & complex pre-existing family dynamic.

However, some mind-numbingly bad storytelling decisions surround Kiyi's existence in canon. Ursa's magical amnesia chief among them; it is so goddamm boring to take a character with as much baggage to chew on as Ursa has, only to make it so she has to grapple with literally none of it.

No Ursa looking at baby Kiyi & mourning for the two babies she was forced to leave behind, grieving children who are still alive. No Ursa looking at Kiyi grow up & seeing Zuko & Azula in her, equally as happy as she is afraid for her. No Ursa trying to give Kiyi as normal & happy a childhood as she can, while constantly looking over her own shoulder, praying that she won't be recognized. No Ursa hearing wild rumors about her older children's whereabouts & actions, not knowing what to believe.

No, instead of any of that, we just get Ursa becoming a blank slate who can now go off & live a blissfully ignorant happily ever after with her (equally blank) high school sweetheart, forgetting the very children whom she risked everything for in the first place. And that sucks.

Also, if I were writing Kiyi, I'd just say fuck it & make her Ozai's kid. That's a thousand times more interesting.

[loveamongdragons]

I really have very few fucks to give about the Atla comics (wish they never existed), and I am no fan of Azula, but the panel from Ashes of the Academy had me shook, I gotta say. I have never seen authors disrespect their audience so thogoughly, and honestly, up until now I did not really understand what that saying even meant. Authors don't have to cater to the wishes of a fanbase, and they can and should write what they personally want (I believe GRRM once said something along the lines of "I am not a democracy"?), but it's one thing to carry on with your personal authorial intent despite what everyone wants from you, and it's whole 'nother thing to break the fourth wall to say: yo, you suck, losers, get wrecked. This was so uncalled for? The fuck?

It feels to me as if the authors are hell-bent on alienating the female reader base, at this point. They famously dragged Zutara through the dirt (I haven't been there, but it sounds horrible) - which is a pairing favored predominantly by women. They now attack Azula stans - and while I don't know what the gender ratio in this case is, I somehow presume that it's mostly women that stan her?

Then there is also the treatment of Katara, about which novels have been written at this point.

I know that some people are mad about Korra being presumably depicted as the cause of an Apocalypse in Seven Havens.

Like. Do you see my point?

Oh and then, they nerf Zuko to the point of him looking like a thirteen-year old, presumably to make Aang look cooler, I suppose? Which is so hilarious, because even if you want to cater to a male audience and nice guys or dudebros or whatever, Zuko used to have so much potential in this regard, but no, let's turn him into a wholly different character and make him look like a lanky little boy with no authority. I might be conspiratorial, I admit that, but man... god forbid women enjoy him, right? God forbid women enjoy a certain pairing that sparks something in them, or female characters, or a beloved female villain. All hail Aang, and no one but Aang? Is that it?

Is that it, Atla? Is that your legacy?

[valariecomet]

Right. Because that's how story's work. When a plotline happens off screen that is amazinggggg writing. Absolutely great. I love it when characters randomly start acting entirely different to how they usually do! It's sooooo much fun!

Seriously? I haven't read much of the comics and I don't plan to since from what I have seen they're shit, I read the promise years ago and I tried to read imbalance before giving up on it (the only comic I enjoyed was Katara and the pirates silver), so I'm not even sure if this criticism is justified. However, that doesn't mean this defense is right. If a character grows or changes, show it on screen or give an explanation, if not it's bad writing. Simple.

This isn't the real world, it's fiction so while in real life they should change over that time, in a fictional setting they shouldn't grow off screen because you have to suspend your disbelief and be able to easily follow along. If a character randomly changes it disrupts this flow of the story and messes with the audience. If this happens on the comics (which again, I'm not saying it does) it's bad writing. Plain and simple.

If this seems salty it's because I am. I am genuinely so tired of this fandom, it can't handle any fucking criticism against this show or any of the related bloody comics. Please just accept that nothing is perfect (except Katara) and no piece of media is entirely great. I'm not saying you have to engage with the criticism, just acknowledge there is stuff to critique.

[misty-memories09]

We talk about ursa's backstory but I've scarcely seen anyone talk about Zuko's reason to find her in the first place as potrayed in the Search...

Because in the show :

But in the comics :

Zuko feels like such a different character in the comics and not because of growth or something but because he just isn't the same Zuko. He's been dumbed down so bad that they're two seperate entities as a whole.

Zuko has strong feelings and opinions (It took him 3 years to learn that his father does not care for him and will never accept him as is ffs) but Comic!Zuko needs to be told what to do, and is EASILY swayed off of his opinions...that's not my Zuko. I don't know what happened to him but that's not Zuko.

In the show when Zuko asks for the location for his mother, he doesn't need any external reminder, he simply does it because he wants to look for her and also :

it's obvious ursa lingers in his mind constantly, he doesn't need external reminders to look for his mother or think of her.

He also says that Ozai should consider himself Lucky because Aang spared his life and then does a 180 in the comics for advice from him. Yeah, that's not lining up.

Also why tf is his hair that short ass length it should be long by now atleast do something right >:(

[sapphic-agent]

Kataang Shippers: Netflix Katara sucks! Where's her fire??

Me: Yeah, I would have preferred they kept her temper and spirit too. But to be fair the comics and LOK also-

Kataang Shippers: Katara deserved a quiet life after the war! She deserves better than feminists shitting on her for doing absolutely nothing after the war while her friends and husband and brother were fostering a new era! Just because fighting was one of her defining character traits and an integral part of her character arc doesn't mean it's bad writing that she gave it up! It makes TOTAL sense that she didn't do anything to earn a statue while even the cabbage man did!

Me: eye twitch

[the-genius-az]

Azula and her time locked up.

Listen, I've noticed (not really, I've created thousands of scenarios about this) that Azula spent a year or two (or more) in every fic in an asylum/prison after the war.

And yes, we have seen many times what happens inside the asylum/prison, a lot of violence, a lot of abuse, real healing and reconciliations in some? And the list goes on and on ...

But have we seen what happens to Azula next? I don't mean AFTER, meaning that she has a better life outside of the asylum/prison or anything like that. No, I'm talking about Azula's lost years.

Can you imagine being locked in one place for a long time regardless of whether it is for your own good? You wasted years of your life, you don't know anything about current events because of it, you don't know the new things people are talking about, and you don't really know if you'll ever make up for lost time.

[late-draft]

I guess the existence of ATLA comics is proof that the animated show didn't end because "the story was meant to have only 3 books and then the story would be complete, the end".

[nono-bunny]

Seeing people saying they "don't have high hopes for the ATLA live action because the original creators aren't working on it" and I'm like??? Bitch what?? That's the exact reason I even have any shred of hope for it AT ALL!! Did you even see how they butchered ALL OF THEM as soon as they were the ones who had sole control over the narrative in the comics? Did you not watch the same dumb deux-ex-lion finale I did? Like Bryke are awfullll and they have such a flawed understanding of their own world and characters that it's not even funny- them departing the project because of creative differences is a BLESSING, because their creative vision sucks, there's no lack of proof out there about it either!!

Anyway I'm very very excited for the live action after watching the trailer! Honestly as long as there's no Kataang I'll probably be happy with it given that that's the number one reason for Aang's character stagnation and I don't want to hate LA Aang too lol

[zukosdualdao]

you know what puzzles me about atla twitter.. seeing the “katara hates zuko” take bc where? by the end of s3 and post-canon/comics/LOK/etc, they are long term close friends??????

yeah, it’s just people who hate the ship and therefore choose to act either like the reconciliation between them didn’t happen or was meaningless/disingenuous. which, i don’t know if they realize how insulting that is to katara? forgiving zuko was an act of her own agency, because she wanted to. and i don’t see her as someone who would ever really pretend to be friends with someone. for as kind as she is, if she hates you, you’ll fucking know it lmao.

i will say, though these people would probably say these things anyway, it doesn’t help that bryke quite vocally resent the ship. they barely interact in the comics, they don’t interact at all in lok (even in situations where it’s really weird for them to not. i haven’t watched but i’ve heard that katara wasn’t at her own granddaughter’s airbending ceremony when zuko was???? which really makes it seem like they just Could Not have them in the same room.) like, the gaang is supposed to be lifelong friends canonically, but we don’t SEE it, and with zutara in particular it feels intentional.

like i said, the antis definitely would have said these things anyway, but it doesn’t help that bryke has been so obvious about their resentment of zutara being such a popular ship, because it means that the antis can point to them sayinh zutara is unhealthy or whatever and feel validated and reasonable.

[sokkastyles]

Katara: You and your mom do sure have a lot of trauma to deal with, something I wouldn't know anything about or be able to bond with you over. Also, I have to go take care of my child now.

Zuko: ...I guess that makes sense.

[erinoma9]

Credit to Booter-Freak