Complete Avatar Comic Guide Before Fire and Ash Premiere
Discover the essential comic book series that bridges the gap between Avatar films. These Dark Horse Comics releases expand the Pandora universe with canonical stories spanning from 2017 to 2025.
While fans waited 13 years between the first two Avatar movies, the storytelling never stopped. Dark Horse Comics has been publishing an extensive comic book series since 2017 that expands the Pandora universe in ways many moviegoers don't realize exist.
These graphic novels and miniseries aren't just side stories – they're official canon created under James Cameron's direct vision. They fill crucial gaps in the timeline, exploring events before, during, and after the original 2009 film. With Avatar: Fire and Ash hitting theaters, now's the perfect time to dive into this rich collection of visual storytelling.
Early Adventures and Character Origins
The comic journey begins with Avatar: Brothers from 2017, a special edition release focusing on Jake Sully's bond with the Great Leonopteryx. This story captures Sully preparing for the climactic battle in the first film, showing how he connects with Pandora's flying creatures by sharing memories of his deceased brother.
Following this came Avatar: Tsu'tey's Path in 2019, a six-issue miniseries exploring the Na'vi warrior who was originally betrothed to Neytiri. This series explains many events only briefly mentioned in the original movie, diving deep into Tsu'tey's mistrust of humans and how Jake's arrival changes everything he believed about his future with Neytiri.
Post-War Consequences and Prequel Stories
Avatar: The Next Shadow from 2021 picks up after the first film's events, showing Jake's rise to leadership among the Omatikaya clan. This four-part series doesn't shy away from the darker consequences of war, exploring Jake's trauma while revealing assassination plots against his newfound authority.
Taking a step backward in time, Avatar: Adapt or Die from 2022 focuses on Dr. Grace Augustine's early days with the Avatar program. This six-issue prequel reveals the initial contact between humans and the Na'vi, including a mysterious disease outbreak that threatens the indigenous population and puts Augustine under suspicion.
Expanded Universe and Gaming Connections
Avatar: The High Ground, also from 2022, stands out as a three-volume graphic novel based on Cameron's original screenplay for The Way of Water before script revisions. The story follows the Sully family facing an even more dangerous RDA threat, with battles extending into space.
Connecting to the Ubisoft video game, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – So'lek's Journey from 2024 tells the story of a Na'vi warrior rebuilding his identity after losing his entire clan in the Pandoran War. The most recent addition, Avatar: The Gap Year – Tipping Point, launched in 2025 as a six-part series exploring the Second Pandoran War's impact on Jake's family, including storylines featuring Neteyam before his tragic fate in The Way of Water.