The Promise trilogy has told us the story after the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, which its last part comes out in September of this year. However, Dark Horse Comics announced Gene Yang and Gurihiru will return for a second Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novel series called The Search, which will explore the biggest unsolved mystery in Avatar lore: what happened to Prince Zuko's mother? A release date is yet to be confirmed.
In an interview made by Comic Book Resources, Gene Yang has revealed some details of this new trilogy:
This weekend, you announced "The Search" as the next miniseries in the "Avatar" series of Dark Horse's graphic novels. As a fan of the original "Avatar: The Last Airbender" series, I'd really love that title to refer to Zuko's long-lost mother -- what can you tell us about the significance of the title?
Gene Yang: I'm not totally sure how much I'm allowed to say -- but you're right! It's really, really surreal. Like every other "Airbender" fan out there, I gasped at the end of that scene in the last episode, where Zuko confronts Ozai. How could Mike and Bryan just leave us hanging like that?! In the last episode, with no immediate plans for resolution! And now, for me to have a hand in answering some of those questions -- like I said, surreal.
Beyond the title of the book, is there anything you can tell fans about the storyline of "The Search" and where it'll take Team Avatar?
Gene Yang: I've always loved the supernatural elements of the Avatarverse. The Season 1 finale was one of my favorite sequences in the series. We didn't really do much supernatural in "The Promise" since that story was focused on the political ramifications of the War's end. But I'm happy to say, writing "The Search" is giving me the chance to explore that side of Aang and his world.
"The Promise" has been a continuation of the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" story, featuring a closer look at the politics that are involved in the world's reconstruction. Will "The Search" continue to explore the political side of the Avatar's world or will you be taking it in a slightly different direction?
Gene Yang: The politics will be there -- they're difficult to avoid when one of your main characters is the leader of a large nation. However, we'll be shifting our focus from the nation to the family. Within Confucian thought, there's a connection between nation and family -- the family is a microcosm of the nation. I actually reference that in "The Search."
Speaking of Zuko's family, what's Azula been up to? Her stay in the Fire Nation mental institution has got to be incredibly interesting.
Gene Yang: In "The Search," we'll see what a prolonged stay in a Fire Nation mental institution does to a person.
Katara and Aang's burgeoning relationship is certainly something fans were clamoring for since the announcement of "The Promise." Thanks to "Legend of Korra," fans now know they get married and have a child, but what trials will their relationship have to go through before getting to that point?
Gene Yang: At the beginning of "The Promise," Katara and Aang are still in that lovey-dovey stage of their relationship. They call each other pet names and are way too affectionate. By the end of "The Promise," they will have gone through their first conflict. Their relationship will continue to mature in The Search, but it will take a backseat to the Fire Nation Royal Family. After all, that is one messed up family. They need all the panel-time they can get.
And for a slightly silly question, what about Cabbage Corp? You've already dropped a few references to the incredibly unlucky cabbage merchant -- are there plans to chronicle his rise to power in the background?
Gene Yang: It's an inspiring story, isn't it? An unlucky cabbage merchant, through elbow grease and sheer will power, grows his one cart into a huge, multi-generational corporation! That guy is my hero!
For the full interview, see here.
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