Like many people, our family became huge Avatar fans throughout the pandemic. And anyone with a kid will tell you that children never tire of watching the same things repeatedly. I’ve seen all seasons of both Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra in their entirety probably 5-6 times in the last two years. And honestly, I don’t mind. They’re such great shows.
During Free Comic Book Day last year, we picked up two Avatar comics, one about Aang and the other about Korra.
My daughter, 8, loved them so much that she re-read them several times. Now that’s saying something about these comics because my daughter NEVER wants to read on her own. But she would pick these up of her free will and read them. That blew me away!
Since then, I’ve been meaning to see if my favorite comic book store, I Want More Comics, in Thornton, CO had any more in stock. Unfortunately, they don’t have any Avatar comics, but they do have some graphic novels, which is perfect because then my daughter will get the complete story in one book. My daughter chose Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy because she likes Toph. If she enjoys this one, she wants “Katara and the Pirate’s Silver” next.
The Synopsis
Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy is a short story that follows the end of the Avatar Aang series. All is well with the world and Toph now runs her own metalbending academy where she teaches earthbenders how to bend metal. But her life is too routine for her. It’s not what she’s used to, and she finds no challenge in her work. After taking out her frustrations on her top instructors, they also feel like they aren’t living up to Toph’s expectations. This all leads to everyone finding their way into underground bending competitions where trouble ensues!
It’s Made for Kids But Still Fun for Avatar Fans
This is probably not going to be that enticing for anyone over the age of 12. There’s not a whole lot to read, and most of the words are at an elementary school level. I finished the novel in about 20 minutes, though that’s perfect for kids (which this was written for) or even you if you’re older and simply itching for new Avatar content.
Even though it was a basic read, I still enjoyed seeing some of the characters again in a completely new story. Sokka and Suki are only around for a short time at the beginning and end of the story, which is a bit of a bummer. I wish they played a bigger role. I also don’t remember Sokka making any cheesy jokes in this novel, and that’s his thing! Toph was also her normal grumpy self but lacked the sarcasm and bluntness that made her so enjoyable in the show. So there were some misses here, but I imagine most kids would still like it.
The art is great. It’s exactly like the show, so you won’t find anything surprising there.
A Live Recording from Original the Avatar Cast
Now here’s something cool! The original voice cast from Avatar: The Last Airbender came together to record a reading of this novel.