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He’s been missing from the airwaves since November, but Aang has returned to Firebend. But, at what price viewership?

The television writers’ strike of 2008 claimed many victims, but most came back to air within a reasonable time frame while a few, like Heroes and Pushing Daisies, gave up on the season and declared that they would return in Fall of 2008. One series just disappeared with nary an explanation, right as the series reaching its climax: Avatar: the Last Airbender. The last new episode aired in late November 2007 and nothing was heard until the New York Comic-con the following spring, when creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko announced that the series would return in July. Oddly enough though, the episodes were ready for air and Volume Three (out of four) of the final season was slated for release on DVD in May, containing five unseen episodes. Natch, the first net for kids is probably betting on higher DVD revenues, but the dollar signs are probably a wash because, by waiting so long, Nickelodeon is wasting any potential advertising revenue they might see by setting up the show’s return for decreased viewership. To further complicate matters, Volume Four is scheduled to drop at the end of the July, which, according to the unaired eleven episode schedule, means that it too will be on store shelves before the series finale airs on Nick.

Volume Three picks up with part two of “The Day of Black Sun,” wherein the Earth Nation and Water Nation Alliance, with Aang the Last Airbender leading, has invaded the Fire Nation on the day of an eclipse. Aang has decided that he will confront The Fire Lord before he reaches his full Avatar potential so as to stop any more destruction on the planet. Unfortunately, the Fire Nation is hip to the Alliance’s plans and the Alliance is forced to retreat and regroup to craft a new blueprint for attack while Aang, Sokka, Katara, and three old friends head to the Western Air Temple where Aang hopes to find a way to learn firebending. Fortunately for him, Prince Zuko discovers inner peace and has decided that he is done with his father the Fire Lord. He follows Aang to the Air Temple to join the team and teach, but discovers that gaining peace has lost him his firebending ability. Along with Aang, the two discover the ancient source of firebending, his powers are restored, and then he heads off with Sokka to The Boiling Rock Prison to free interred Alliance prisoners.

Volume Three is all about Zuko; well, mostly; the other characters are given their due but not as much as previous volumes and Toph’s prescence was conspicuously minimized. When the series started it was clear Zuko was not a boilerplate villain, but he was still annoying what with the constant anger and yelling; it was all very tiring. Fortunately DiMartiono and Konietzko paid him as much attention as they did Aang and, through his journey of redemption, Zuko has become the most satisfying and rewarding character of the bunch. Aang, Sokka and Katara certainly have their compelling arcs, but you know that they’re always good, whereas Zuko could still return to what he was; at the same time, his inner growth is the most visible and somewhere around “Appa’s Lost Days” he became someone worth rooting for. Zuko is a source of constant conflict and conflict is compelling. A minor quibble: Zuko would have been served better by not having his powers lost and restored in one episode; an episode or two from Volumes One or Two (like “The Headband”) could have been cut to provide a longer arc on the quest to discover the source of Firebending.

Special features are minimal in this installment; it seems most are being held for the full-Book release. There are a couple of commentaries by DiMartino and Konietzko and a comic-book with in the liner, but nothing overly noteworthy.

My complaint with Volume Two was that it was piddling around, marking time when the story should have been moving forward with great haste, but Volume Three is its opposite, giving me exactly what I love about the series: high action, drama, and compelling, intricate character development. Two words can sum up my singular way to improve in Volume Four: more Toph!

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