A series of Avatar The Last Airbender graphic novels from Dark Horse Comics and Nickelodeon offers fans a remarkably fascinating bridge between Avatar Aang's era and Korra's era. Intended to be a sequel to the beloved animated series and prequel to the follow-up series The Legend of Korra, the series provides an intimate glimpse into the world of the Avatar following Aang's defeat of Fire Lord Ozai and the 70 years that occurred before Korra became the next Avatar.

In total, there are 3 compiled graphic novels in the series from Dark Horse: The Rift which follows Aang and Toph as they attempt to build the multicultural society of Republic City, Smoke and Shadow which follows Fire Lord Zuko's ascension to the throne, and finally North and South which features a complex story of Katara and Sokka fighting back against the colonization and industrialization of their Southern Water Tribe. The gorgeous graphic novels are all written by Gene Yang (Boxers & Saints, American Born Chinese) with stunning illustrations by the creative duo behind Studio Gurihiru (The Search, Superman Smashes the Klan).

Related: How Legend of Korra STILL Champions LGBTQ+ Representation 

The world of Legend of Korra is set in the same universe as Avatar the Last Airbender, but since it takes place 70 full years after the first series ends the world looks almost nothing alike. Not only has bending become a marketable skill, something considered to be less "spiritual" and more "practical," but Republic City is a bustling multicultural and technologically advanced city, effectively described by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko as a "1920s Manhattan but in Asia". The setting of Avatar the Last Airbender shows how Korra's world is vastly futuristic, and Yang's graphic novels beautifully show the power struggles and events that led to Avatar Korra's era being so defined by industrialization. In particular, both The Rift and North and South dive into the benefits and serious risks of rapid industrialization as well as the immense cultural, political, and personal dangers of colonization. While all three graphic novels also feature heartwarming interactions between beloved characters, exciting action, and real emotional depth, it's the foundational themes of rapid advancement and a loss of culture that makes these stories such important bridges between Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

The main plot of The Rift focuses on a crystal refinery Earthen Fire, a collaborative development between the Earth and Fire Kingdoms. It's also one of the first formal inter-kingdom partnerships in history led by Loban and Toph's estranged father Lao Beifong. The refinery uses both benders and a prototype automated assembly line to refine earth into profitable crystals, and the refinery is built on the sacred land of Avatar Yangchen (which has disrupted the land's spiritual connection). It is soon revealed that Loban has secretly been using workers to harvest iron ore from a dangerous mine, and this eventually leads to a dramatic showdown between Team Avatar and Loban with his Rough Rhinos. Similarly, North and South is focused on Katara and Sokka's home, the Southern Water Tribe, and its rapid industrialization into an ever-expanding city led by the siblings' father Hakoda and his lover Malina who's running an oil refinery with her brother Maliq. Essentially, the story deals with Katara's resistance against the Northern Water Tribe's representatives who threaten to erase the culture of the Southern Water Tribe while also dealing with the environmental impact of oil drilling on their land.

The themes of climate disaster, preservation of indigenous history, and industrialization without compassion present within these gorgeous Avatar graphic novels are not only relevant to the world of The Legend of Korra 70 years in the future. They're also relevant to our own world as people across the globe continue to deal with the climate crisis and the loss of indigenous history spurred on by continued industrialization.

More: Avatar The Last Airbender: What To Read AFTER The Show

The RiftSmoke and Shadow, and North and South from Dark Horse Comics and Nickelodeon are available in stores now!