The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars
Cover of The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars – Part One, art by Heather Campbell and Jane Bak
Date	July 26, 2017 (Part One) January 17, 2018 (Part Two) August 22, 2018 (Part Three)
No. of issues	3
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Creative team
Writers	Michael Dante DiMartino
Artists	Irene Koh
Letterers	Nate Piekos
Colourists	Killian Ng
Editors	Dave Marshall
Original publication
Published in	The Legend of Korra
ISBN	9781506700151 (Part One) 9781506700403 (Part Two) 9781506701851 (Part Three) 9781506702025 (Library edition)
Chronology
Preceded by	The Legend of Korra (TV series)
Followed by	Ruins of the Empire

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars is a series of three graphic novels. It was written by Michael Dante DiMartino and drawn by Irene Koh. These books continue the story of the animated TV show The Legend of Korra. The graphic novels take place right after the TV show's final season. In them, Avatar Korra deals with the effects of Kuvira's attack on Republic City. She also explores her new relationship with Asami Sato.

After the TV show ended, Michael Dante DiMartino wanted to tell more stories. He was happy about how fans reacted to Korra and Asami's friendship. Moving the story to comic books was a new challenge. But it also allowed the creators to explore different kinds of relationships. The series was first announced in July 2015. The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars – Part One came out on July 26, 2017. Part Two was released on January 17, 2018, and Part Three on August 22, 2018. The first two parts were very popular. They were the publisher's best-selling graphic novels in 2017 and 2018. All three books were later collected into one "library edition" on March 13, 2019.

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars generally received good reviews. Many liked how it showed Korra and Asami's developing bond. Critics also praised DiMartino's writing and Koh's art. They felt the art looked like the original TV show. However, some thought the new villain, Tokuga, was not as interesting.

Story of Turf Wars

This section explains the main events in the Turf Wars graphic novels.

Part One: New Beginnings and Challenges

Korra and Asami are now a couple. They are on vacation in the spirit world. But their trip is cut short by a giant rock spirit. This spirit is angry because Korra created a new spirit portal. This happened after her fight with Kuvira. Korra and Asami then visit Korra's parents in the Southern Water Tribe. They tell them about their relationship. Korra's parents are supportive. However, Korra gets upset when her father warns her not to tell everyone publicly. He mentions old Water Tribe traditions.

They return to Republic City. There, they find out that a builder named Wonyong Keum has big plans. He wants to build a tourist spot around the new spirit portal. The Air Nomads and spirits are against this idea. A dragon-eel spirit asks Korra to close the portal. It wants to stop people from using it for money. But Korra refuses. She believes the portal will help Republic City in the long run.

The next day, Korra and Asami help people who lost their homes. These people were affected by Kuvira's attack. Tenzin and Zhu Li also help. But they have trouble working with President Raiko. He is more focused on the upcoming election. That evening, a crime group called the Triple Threat Triad attacks the Air Nomads at the portal. They are working for Keum. Korra, Asami, and their friends Mako and Bolin arrive to help. Mako and Bolin are now police officers.

A group of spirits also attack. Korra tries to calm them. But she gets distracted when Asami is almost hurt. This allows the dragon-eel spirit to attack Tokuga. Tokuga is the new leader of the Triple Threats. He changes into a spirit-human hybrid. After the fight, Korra kisses Asami out of relief. This makes their friends realize they are a couple. Meanwhile, a very angry Tokuga confronts Keum. He takes control of all Keum's businesses.

Part Two: Rising Tensions

The day after Tokuga's attack, Korra and some Air Nomads go to the spirit world. They try to make peace with the spirits. But the spirits are now unfriendly. They return to Republic City. President Raiko has ordered the army to protect the land around the spirit portal. Asami and Zhu Li start building new homes for the refugees. But Raiko takes all the credit. He wants to improve his low popularity.

Korra and Tenzin tell Raiko to remove the army. They worry the army will make the spirits even angrier. But Raiko refuses. He publicly blames Korra for everything. As they leave, Korra, Asami, and Tenzin suggest that Zhu Li run against Raiko in the election.

Meanwhile, police chief Lin Beifong tells Mako and Bolin to stay away from Keum. He is rich and powerful. They need strong proof against him. Later, they get a tip about where Tokuga is. But it is a trap. They barely escape. Mako and Bolin decide to investigate Keum on their own. They discover he has been missing since Tokuga's attack. Elsewhere, Asami misses a date with Korra. Korra, Mako, and Bolin then learn that Asami has been kidnapped. The Triple Threat Triad attacks a weapons storage area. They plan to use weapons left over from Kuvira's attack to take over Republic City. Korra, Mako, and Bolin try to stop them. But they back off when Tokuga threatens to kill Asami if they interfere.

Part Three: The Final Confrontation

Tokuga threatens Keum's life. He forces Asami to build a gas weapon for an airship. He plans to use it to make Republic City surrender. Korra, Mako, and Bolin track them down. But they cannot stop Tokuga's airship from taking off. Asami and Keum are on board. Korra gets onto the airship and fights Tokuga. Asami defeats Tokuga's men. She then flies the airship into the spirit world. This stops Tokuga from using his weapon on Republic City. Tokuga falls from the airship. He survives and escapes into the spirit world.

Keum is thankful to Korra and Asami for saving him. He gives up his claim to the land around the spirit portal. This ends the conflict with the spirits. At a party supporting Zhu Li, Korra makes up with her father. He decides not to let old traditions affect how he treats his daughter. Zhu Li later wins the election by a lot. As she gives her victory speech, Korra and Asami look at the new spirit portal. They tell each other they love each other.

Exploring Relationships in the Story

The end of The Legend of Korra TV show showed its two main female characters starting a close relationship. This was a new step for showing different kinds of relationships in American children's TV at the time. However, some felt this relationship was shown too quickly at the very end. With The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars, the comic book format allowed the creators more freedom. They could explore these themes more deeply, even showing the couple's first kiss.

The bond between Korra and Asami is a main focus of these graphic novels. Michael Dante DiMartino felt it was natural to highlight a same-gender couple. He and Bryan Konietzko always wanted the Avatar world to be welcoming to everyone. Jason Segarra, a writer for Adventures in Poor Taste, thought this focus was DiMartino's way of addressing concerns about the TV show's ending. The TV series often had time jumps between seasons. But DiMartino felt it was important for readers to see the early stages of Korra and Asami's relationship. So, Part One starts right after the TV series ends. The first part of the book is all about their trip together in the spirit world. The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars also shows how Korra and Asami share their relationship with friends and family. People react in different ways.

Part One also shows how people with different kinds of relationships were treated in this fantasy world's history. Some nations are shown to be less accepting. According to DiMartino, he and Konietzko wanted to show different relationships through the eyes of different cultures. Other characters like Kya and Avatar Kyoshi were also shown to have relationships that were not traditional. Artist Irene Koh noted that it was powerful to see beloved characters like Korra and Asami dealing with challenges that many people in real life face. Koh said the creators wanted Korra and Asami to be characters that readers could connect with and understand.