The Legend of Korra panel at San Diego Comic-Con concluded with the thrilling announcement that Korra’s story will continue in comic books.
The Legend of Korra comics will be written by series co-creator Mike DiMartino, and published by Dark Horse Comics. Fellow co-creator Bryan Konietzko will also have input on the stories — “We come up with the nuggets of the stories together,” — he said at today’s panel — and will also consult on the artwork.
The initial story of the Legend of Korra comics series will pick up shortly after the conclusion of the final season. According to DiMartino, the first installment “will focus on Korra and Asami’s relationship” — news that received a wild cheer from the audience.
In addition, the comic will deal with the aftermath of the destruction of Republic City; much like her predecessor Aang, Korra now has a war to clean up.
Earlier in the panel, Konietzko admitted that he isn’t always driven to tell further stories about his characters. “I imagine in my heart that they keep living, but I don’t need to see them go to the grocery store,” he said, adding that he did not want the stories to be outsourced and mass-produced.
“These characters mean so much to me, and this world means so much to me,” he said, that he was deeply reluctant to see his work diluted. Konietzko referred to writer Gene Yang and artist team Gurihiru, who handle the Avatar: The Last Airbender continuation comics, as a “dream team” — and that he had been skeptical of striking gold again for The Legend of Korra comics.
“I was like, I don’t know,” Konietzko said of the idea. “And Mike was like “I want to do it!” and I was like, “Awesome!””
DiMartino said that the idea of The Legend of Korra comics appealed to him in the same way that the Avatar comics had. The comics will follow the same format of three installments per series, and offer the opportunity to explore different aspects of the characters in subtler, less drastic circumstances.
The idea of The Legend of Korra comics has been extremely popular among fans since the series concluded. The series finale, which ended with Korra and Asami embarking on a romantic trip to the Spirit World, left fans deeply moved — and hungry for more.
“It was so great to see how much it connected with everyone,” DiMartino remarked. “You never know how much they’re going to enjoy it… it’s touched people on an emotional level I didn’t expect.”
Of course, the emotional impact of “KorrAsami” pales in comparison to fan-adoration of the Cabbage Merchant – who, the co-creators revealed, they never intended as a running joke. Whether the unlucky salesman’s eventual empire will return in The Legend of Korra comics still remains to be seen.