Thursday, February 07, 2013

Dark Horse Comics Announces Plans To Release Two Brand New Books Based On "Avatar: The Last Airbender" And "The Legend Of Korra" In July 2013

The video games-focused news website Kotaku is reporting the Nickelodeon News in the following news article that the North American comic book and manga publisher Dark Horse Comics has announced plans to publish and release two brand new "Avatar: The Last Airbender" in Summer 2013!

"The Last Airbender: The Search, Part Two" is a graphic novel continuation of the saga, featuring writing by the franchise's creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The storyline will follow on from Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru Studios' in-continuity "The Promise", which picked up where the hit television series left off. This trade paperback will be followed by "The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series, Book One", a hardcover collection of unseen artwork from the first season of Nickelodeon's original animated series, LoK, with captions by DiMartino and Konietzko. Both new Dark Horse books are scheduled for release in July 2013.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" (known as "Avatar: The Legend of Aang" in Europe) ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, featuring the vocal talents of Zach Tyler Eisen (Nick Jr.'s "Little Bill" "The Backyardigans" (Season 1)), Mae Whitman (Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles") and Jack DeSena (Nick's "All That"):
Return to the Airbender Universe with Two New Comics Projects

You could make a pretty good case for Avatar: The Last Airbender being one of the best new pop culture mythologies to debut in the last decade or so. Creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko made a world where young people embodied hope, even as they were thrust into a war that tore their lives apart. Yeah, there was a [...] movie, but overall, the Airbender fiction is a poignant adventure that constantly surprises you with how it ups the stakes.

Airbender acolytes can get a deeper look inside the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads thanks to two new books being published by Dark Horse Comics. First up is Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search, Part Two, followed by The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series, Book One. Both books come out in July and you can get an exclusive look inside the Korra artbook via the images below.
THE LEGEND OF KORRA: THE ART OF THE ANIMATED SERIES BOOK ONE-AIR HC

Michael Dante DiMartino (W) and Bryan Konietzko (W/Cover)

On sale July 24
FC, 184 pages
$34.99
HC, 9" x 12"

This handsome hardcover contains hundreds of pieces of never-before-seen artwork created during the development of Season 1 of The Legend of Korra. With captions from Mike and Bryan throughout, this is an intimate look inside the creative process that brought the mystical world of bending and a new generation of heroes to life!

* Captions by creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!

* Follow-up to smash hit animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender!

* Never-before-seen artwork!
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER-THE SEARCH PART TWO TP

Gene Luen Yang (W), Michael Dante DiMartino (W), Bryan Konietzko (W), and Gurihiru (A/Cover)

On sale July 10
FC, 80 pages
$10.99
TP, 6" x 9"

In search of their long-lost mother, Fire Lord Zuko and his deadly and insane sister Azula have brought Avatar Aang and his friends into a mysterious forest, but what they discover within may be more than they can face. Will they too be lost in these woods forever?

* Perfect companion to Legend of Korra!

* The official continuation of Airbender from its creators.

Also, from Digital Spy:
'Avatar: The Last Airbender' books announced by Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics has announced two Avatar: The Last Airbender books for release this summer.

The Last Airbender: The Search, Part Two is a graphic novel continuation of the saga, featuring writing by its creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, reports Kotaku.

© Dark Horse Comics

This trade paperback will be followed by The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series, Book One, a hardcover collection of unseen artwork from the animated series with captions by DiMartino and Konietzko.

The Search storyline follows on from Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru Studios' in-continuity The Promise, which picked up where the hit television series left off.

Avatar: The Last Airbender ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, featuring the vocal talents of Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman and Jack DeSena.

Both new Dark Horse books are scheduled for release in July.
Also, from the official Dark Horse Comics blog on darkhorse.com:
ANNOUNCING THE LEGEND OF KORRA ART BOOK

Following the incredible success of the New York Times best-selling series of Avatar: The Last Airbender comics and the Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Art of the Animated Series art book, Dark Horse and Nickelodeon are collaborating on a gorgeous new art book that reveals previously unpublished art from the Legend of Korra animated series.

The Legend of Korra animated television series premiered four years after the conclusion of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, elevating the Airbender franchise to a whole new level. Ever since the conclusion of season one, its insatiable fan base has been hungry for more!

This beautiful hardcover contains hundreds of pieces of never-before-seen artwork created during the development of season one of the show. With commentary from show creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko throughout, this is an intimate look inside the creative process that brought the mystical world of bending and a new generation of heroes to life!

The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series—Book One: Air is a must-have for any Airbender fan! This is the latest release in an ongoing partnership between Nickelodeon and Dark Horse to bring you the very best in Airbender books.

The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series—Book One: Air will be available for purchase on July 24.

Look for Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Art of the Animated Series now at a bookstore near you.

The Legend of Korra takes place seventy years after the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender and follows the next Avatar after Aang—a girl named Korra who is from the Southern Water Tribe. With three of the four elements under her belt (earth, water, and fire), Korra seeks to master air. Her quest leads her to Republic City, the modern Avatar world that is a virtual melting pot where benders and nonbenders from all nations live and thrive. Korra quickly discovers that the metropolis is plagued by crime as well as a growing antibending revolution that threatens to rip the city apart. Under the tutelage of Aang’s son Tenzin, Korra begins her airbending training while dealing with the dangers at large.