The Legend of Korra - Turf Wars

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"Avatar: The Last Airbender" and it's sequel "The Legend of Korra" featured some of the best worldbuilding of any cartoon series I've ever seen. The various societies were rich, and complex, and they included their resident elemental powers with creativity and practicality.



One area the cartoon did not expand on was how certain social matters were addressed, and the Korra finale, which showed Korra joining hands with Asami Sato, the woman she loves, as they step into the Spirit World, was positively subversive in showing a blossoming same sex relationship.

So it's good news that Turf Wats, the graphic novel continuation of the series, and which is written by Michael Dante DiMartino (one of the series co-creators), with line art by Irene Koh and colouring by Jane Bak and Vivian Ng, and which is considered canon with the cartoon (the series other creator Bryan Konietzko, is a consultant on the series), is addressing this;

So Korra and Asami have returned from the Spirit World and are ealing with matters arising from the the end of the series, during which the meet up with Kya, the daughter Aang and Katara, who reveals a bit more about her own life than we already knew.









So in four short pages, we have Kya outing herself to our lesbian bizexual heroes, discussion of the Air Nomad, Water Tribe and Fire Nation attitude towards differing orientations, and the reveal that Kyoshi, a previous Avatar, was most likley bisexual. Now that's concsise storytelling!

Comments

[scorntx]

It's kind of odd that there are people complaining (or at least grumbling) about Sozin outlawing same-sex couples.
The guy started a war, attempted genocide, made hunting dragons a sport, which nearly led to their extinction, even when he had a dragon himself, corrupted the very thing his entire nation was founded on, and left his best friend to die...
But making the lives of his citizens worse is just beyond comprehension, apparently.
(Even though it does make a sort of horrific sense - if they're not allowed to love who they want, they get angry, which given the Fire Nation warped firebending to be based on anger and rage...)

... noting Kya never specifies what the Fire Lords after Sozin said, though.

Also, it's nice for Kya to get some focus. For all she was there, we didn't get much of a look into her past.
(Yeah, okay, tertiary character, but still.)

So Kyoshi: Punched out a shark-squid, founded her own state just as a "piss the hell off" gesture, was a mother of at least one child, and lived to over two hundred.
And yet she doesn't get her own series?! Where's the justice?
(And she's awesome. But that's redundant.)

Oh, by the by, when it says "graphic novel" continuation, that mean it's an actual graphic novel, or is it in comic form (and they're just calling it a graphic novel)?

[every_spiegel]

Everyone's posting only these pages so I have to ask: there's a story too, is there? I mean, that is the comics with some adventures and stuff and Korrasami/same-sex-relationships discussion/reaction, yes, not just the latter?

[jaxjyls]

I'm a big fan of Korra and Asami as a couple and fascinated by Avatar tackling such issues.
But seriously, it was an weird move. The Fire Nation was interesting because while they were still quite evil and imperialistic they were the most "progressive" out of all the nations seen in the show both technologically and socially by letting women serve in the military and such.
Sozin being homophobic just seems like a "Oh he's evil, he must hate gay people too."

[tripodeca113]

Yay. Now when will my damn copy arrive?

[commodus]

They really are a great couple. Honestly, considering what Korra goes through in the show, it's nice to see a character actually enjoy some well-earned happiness.

Though I am puzzled at the rationale of this world in stigmatising same-sex relationships.
In this world where the existence of the supernatural is a certified fact, and people KNOW homosexuality isn't sinful and won't get you punished, by what logic could any government attempt to prohibit such relationships?

Narratively speaking, though, I think it's really sweet. And if it makes even one gay or lesbian reader feel better and safer, it's done it's job.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Not bad overall, though I really hope Lin isn't the character who gets drafted into the 'objecting to relationship' bit

[theflames]

It's odd that they don't know any of this already. At least the way its presented to them makes it sound like it's completely new information. Other than the Air Nomads bit.

A lot of history and culture is heavily documented and shared in this universe, its not as though each nation is alien to one another. (though it would make sense if it was tbh)

[balbanes]

Point of clarification: while Korra and Asami are in a lesbian relationship, neither one is a "lesbian hero." Canonically and per Word of God, both are bisexual.

[lieut_kettch]

I'm holding out hope for the Earth Kingdom.

My headcanon: Wu dissolves the monarchy and declares free elections, becomes the Earth Republic's first PM, legalizes same-sex unions, and marries Mako.

Aaaaaaallll abooooooard the SS Wuko!

[shadowpsykie]

I'M NOT CRYING! MY EYES ARE SWEATING!