Thanks to Avatar Online Podcast Co-Host Troy (Trojan People) we have scans of the free Avatar comic for Free Comic Book Day 2015. So read the story and then check out my review below.
Review
Of the 3 Free Comics telling a small story like this, "Sisters" comes right in the middle of "Shells" and "Rebound". "Rebound far and away is the best of the 3, while Shells is bottom. I enjoyed this comic, it managed to give Ty Lee some much needed character development, which is very impressive given that the story is just 8 pages long.
I really appreciate how the key development in this story is linked into the little bits of character we got of Ty Lee in ATLA. The key issue being her want to be considered an individual and not part of a matched set. In ATLA during "The Beach" she mentioned that growing up she felt like she never had her own name and that being called a "circus freak" was a compliment because it made her unique and different. This made her decision to join the Kyoshi Warriors at the end of the series all the more interesting as many fans, including myself, noted that in that group she was also part of a set of people who all looked alike, we all assumed she had learned to accept herself as different even if physically she looked like others. This story adds to this, she is feeling off as a Kyoshi Warrior and is considering quitting, when Toph's arrival leads her back to the circus she used to perform at and what do you know she meets the people at the root of her issues, her 6 identical sisters.
Again I find it very impressive that this short story managed to reveal and tie into so much about a fairly minor character from the show and comics so far. Getting to meet and learn a bit about Ty Lee's sisters and childhood is definitely the highlight of this story, while the other 6 are nothing special in terms of being deep characters, you do see just how identical they are, you understand how it was a problem for them all growing up, 7 girls who all look the exact same. So when Ty Lee explains how they all had their "Thing" that one hobby that was theirs and theirs alone, the thing that defined them as unique, it is interesting and surprisingly emotional. All 7 sisters had the same issue growing up, but Ty Lee's "Thing" was acrobatics which the other 6 also happened to be good at, I really don't think they were trying to hint at Ty Lee being selfish and taking that as her thing, just that now that everyone is older they all realise what their main talent was.
As far as Toph's involvement in the story, she really doesn't add that much to the book. Really she could be replaced with nearly any other character and this book works out the same way it does. I get that Gene Yang's favourite character is Toph, so that probably explains why she is here as opposed to anyone else. She is in character wanting the bears at the circus to attack rather than perform and she of course is first to fight when something happens. The issue is that this is basically the first time these two characters have spoken that we have seen, I don't really know what to make of their relationship, Toph doesn't actively give Ty Lee advice about things, she just happens to be there when this stuff happens. The only thing of note with Toph is that after the sisters meet again, Toph specifically says to Ty Lee that she is her favourite of the 7 sisters, that Toph sees something in Ty Lee that is different than her sisters, but I feel this is a stretch.
The issue I have here is that the resolution comes incredibly suddenly. Ty Lee is super frustrated with her sisters and is about to lose in her fight when the other sisters come in and take out the guy and then they all hug and suddenly Ty Lee is fine with them all being alike. I feel like I missed a bit of dialogue in Ty Lee's head explaining her change in heart. Yes the final scene kind of explains it, that sometimes things are too difficult to tackle alone, but I feel it is side-stepping the issue. Explaining away a very personal thing for Ty Lee with team work, it seems a bit odd to me. Maybe if there was more of an emotional family reunion, where the sisters talked through their issues, I would be more understanding, but it seemed very quick and while I praise this book for doing a lot in just 8 pages, it could have used an extra page or two.
Final thing to say is just that I am very happy with the overall resolution of the story, Ty Lee is staying with the Kyoshi Warriors, because she in a way sees them as her sisters too, but with them she can easily solve the issue of them looking alive by simply removing the make-up. The main thing for Ty Lee seems to be that she has gotten past her need to be unique, she is fine with being part of a set if necessary, but has found her individuality. A surprisingly complex issue for what on the outside seems like a very basic book.
Thoughts?
