Having witnessed major fan displeasure at this comic, I was prepared to hate it. Imagine my surprise to find it had an intriguing and complex plot, with some very funny moments.
I don't think anyone was actually out of character. I could hear the characters' voices in my head as I was reading, and their problems in this arc generally fit with who they were. I know that a lot of people felt that Zuko regressed from his character arc in the series, but it does make sense that after such a long time of making mistakes he wouldn't trust his own judgement. Being Fire Lord also doesn't mean that Zuko would stop being so impulsive, or that he wouldn't face new challenges as Fire Lord. Despite the "sweetie" thing, Aang and Katara had some genuinely touching moments. And of course Toph and Sokka were as fun as ever. Their side story was entertaining and funny.
I have two problems with this comic. First, although I could believe that Aang would give Zuko the promise, thinking he would never have to carry it out, I felt like he was a little too quick to consider it without having all the facts. The whole thing was overdramatized and the comic would have been better without it. Second, the constant use of Never Say "Die" was jarring when they handled such adult subjects.
All in all, it was cool to see the start of Republic City. For me, the foregone conclusion of it only meant that I was curious to see how it came about instead of if. All in all, a solid, if not perfect, sequel.
Actually pretty good
Having witnessed major fan displeasure at this comic, I was prepared to hate it. Imagine my surprise to find it had an intriguing and complex plot, with some very funny moments. I don't think anyone was actually out of character. I could hear the characters' voices in my head as I was reading, and their problems in this arc generally fit with who they were. I know that a lot of people felt that Zuko regressed from his character arc in the series, but it does make sense that after such a long time of making mistakes he wouldn't trust his own judgement. Being Fire Lord also doesn't mean that Zuko would stop being so impulsive, or that he wouldn't face new challenges as Fire Lord. Despite the "sweetie" thing, Aang and Katara had some genuinely touching moments. And of course Toph and Sokka were as fun as ever. Their side story was entertaining and funny. I have two problems with this comic. First, although I could believe that Aang would give Zuko the promise, thinking he would never have to carry it out, I felt like he was a little too quick to consider it without having all the facts. The whole thing was overdramatized and the comic would have been better without it. Second, the constant use of Never Say "Die" was jarring when they handled such adult subjects. All in all, it was cool to see the start of Republic City. For me, the foregone conclusion of it only meant that I was curious to see how it came about instead of if. All in all, a solid, if not perfect, sequel.