Avatar:Mystery of Penquan Island
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"In fact, there is only one place in all of the Fire Nation this could have come from-- Penquan Island."
— The shopkeeper to Mako.
<infobox theme-source="nation"> <image source="image" /> <title source="name"><default>Mystery of Penquan Island</default></title> <group> <header>Creative</header> <label>Story by</label> <label>Art by</label> <label>Coloring by</label> <label>Lettering by</label> </group> <group> <header>Publication</header> <label>Issue</label> <label>Publisher</label> <label>Date of publication</label> <label>ISBN</label> <label>Series</label> <label>Pages</label> <label>Last comic</label> <label>Next comic</label> </group> <navigation></navigation> <header>Image gallery (6)</header> </infobox> Mystery of Penquan Island is a graphic novel set in the Avatar universe, following the adventure of Mako and Bolin to Penquan Island. In consultation with Avatar Studios, the book was authored by Kiku Hughes, drawn by Alex Monik, and colored by Diana Sousa. Originally scheduled for release on February 26, 2025, it was released on March 4.[1][2]
Overview
Mako and Bolin set off towards Penquan Island in the Fire Nation to find answers to a case—and maybe a little bit of their past along the way.
When a strange missing persons case falls into his lap, Mako is forced to choose between his job and doing what he feels is right! An upturned room and an unhelpful witness aren't promising starts to the investigation, but when his brother Bolin comes across a surprising clue that ties their own mother to the case, the pair embark on a journey to the small, rustic island of Penquan. The island's inhabitants seem to have things to hide, and the brothers are determined to get to the bottom of it—even if it means uncovering uncomfortable parts of their family's past.[1]
Synopsis
At the Republic City Police headquarters, Mako finds himself drawn into a conversation between three of his fellow detectives when one of them brings up Bolin's past stint as a mover actor. One of the detectives asks Mako for more details about this, but Mako replies that he and Bolin never really talked about the subject. Another detective asks for some stories about Mako's time as a pro-bender, but Mako dismisses it as just a job, and the third detective asks if he therefore has no desire to return to that career. Mako agrees, stating that he wants to focus on being a good detective, the other detectives joking that he could one day solve the case of his missing personality.
The conversation comes to an end when Mako accepts a request for a detective to come to the lobby of headquarters. Entering the lobby, Mako finds three children waiting for him: the nine year old Jian, his little sister Ming Ming, and infant brother Kibi. After asking where the siblings live and getting Jian's age, Mako asks about their parents, Jian explaining that they died in the Fire Nation village the family came from, earning Mako's sympathy. Jian tells Mako that their guardian is a family friend named Hisa, who brought the siblings to Republic City as per the wishes of their parents. Ming Ming blurts out that Hisa does not like cops, much to Jian's annoyance.
Mako asks why the siblings came to Police Headquarters, and Jian claims that a friend of theirs named Hai Jun is missing, the siblings having discovered his room at the Ember Sea Suites hotel to be empty. Mako suggests that there could be other explanations for this, but Jian, now starting to get distraught, replies that Hai Jun's possessions are still in the room, and his dinner had been left out. Jian further claims that there are people looking to hurt Hai Jun, who came from the same village as the family and also helped them move to Republic City.
Before Jian can explain further, Hisa suddenly enters the room. She admonishes the boy for going to the police, before stating her intent to take the three children home, even after Mako offers to help her with her predicament. As the family leave, Mako asks Hisa about Hai Jun, but she insists that there is nothing for him to concern himself with before continuing to depart with the children. One of the detectives from earlier remarks that Mako has been spared involvement in another case, but Mako continues to remain suspicious despite Hisa's attempt at reassurance, recalling how upset Jian and his siblings were. In response, the other detective tells him that their job is to close cases, and that doing so is much easier when they are not opened in the first place, dismissing the matter.
A dejected Mako returns home to his and Bolin's apartment, where he is greeted by both his brother and Pabu. Moments after he arrives, he suddenly leaves as something occurs to him; he travels to Ember Sea Suites and heads to Hai Jun's room, only to discover Hisa there. Both react with surprise at the other person's presence, before Hisa runs away; Mako attempts to stop her, but only succeeds in stealing half of a letter Hisa had been reading. Following Hisa's departure, Mako discovers that Bolin had followed him with Pabu, the younger brother claiming his pet was worried about the excessive amount of time Mako has been working lately. Mako explains that he is working a case, before Bolin takes the opportunity to read the half of Hisa's letter Mako had managed to retrieve, discovering it to be a warning that Hai Jun would be harmed unless Hisa brought Jian, Ming Ming and Kibi back to "the island".
After reading the letter for himself, Mako returns to Hai Jun's room while reluctantly allowing Bolin and Pabu to accompany him. Within the room, Bolin discovers among Hai Jun's possessions a small rock that he finds familiar, though he cannot explain why. Mako sends him and Pabu home before traveling to the apartment building where Hisa, Jian, Ming Ming and Kibi live, hoping to ask Hisa some more questions. When he gets there however, another resident tells him that Hisa and the children packed up and left a couple of hours ago, without telling anyone where they were going.
Back at the apartment, Mako informs Bolin about his lack of success, before sitting down for some takeout his younger brother had gotten them. He remarks that whoever wrote the note really scared Hisa, and admits to feeling worried for her and the children. Bolin asks where he thinks the quartet disappeared to, and Mako replies that he suspects it to be somewhere in the Fire Nation, based on the note's mention of an island. He agrees with Bolin that the Fire Nation is outside of his jurisdiction, but states that he sees a lot of himself and his brother in the children, who also lost their parents at a young age, and that he is unwilling to leave them be after they came to him for help when misfortunes befell the few remaining adults in their lives.
As Mako finishes speaking, Bolin becomes excited as he recalls something based on his brother's mentions of an island and the Fire Nation. Rushing to a closet in the apartment, he retrieves a stone similar to the one he found in Hai Jun's room, which his and Mako's mother Naoki had given him during his childhood as a means of helping him to calm down whenever he got agitated. Mako asks if Naoki said where she got it from, and Bolin replies that it came from the island she grew up on. He cannot recall the name of the island though, and Mako remembers that Naoki never told them, and that she was always reluctant to talk about her past. Nevertheless, he expresses a hope that he can find Hisa and the children if he can figure out where the stone came from, and that he has an idea of where to start in that regard.
The next day, Mako takes the stone to a Fire Nation import shop in Dragon Flats Borough. After trying to sell Mako a number of his other wares, the shopkeeper identifies the stone as a worry stone, unique to a place named Penquan Island. Mako is unfamiliar with it, and the shopkeeper explains that it used to be a popular tourist destination prior to the Hundred Year War, due to being home to a geyser known as Hakizashi that was famous for consistently erupting at the same time every day. Mako asks how he can travel to Penquan Island, and the shopkeeper directs him to a freight captain he knows who makes regular stops there.
Returning to his and Bolin's apartment, Mako informs Bolin of his intention to travel to Penquan Island, with Bolin guessing he intends to pursue Jian and his siblings. After confirming that Mako suspects Naoki to be from Penquan Island as well, Bolin declares that he will travel there as well. Mako protests, citing possible danger and claiming his mission to be something he has to do alone, but Bolin reminds him that he was the one who found the worry stone that allowed Mako to figure out the mystery, before claiming that he too deserves to see the place where their mother may have come from. Though frustrated, Mako agrees to allow Bolin to travel with him, and the two set off for Penquan Island, leaving Pabu in Korra's and Asami's care.
As the ship leaves Republic City, Mako and Bolin go down to talk with its captain, Mako thanking the man for taking the two as passengers. The captain remarks that few people wish to travel to Penquan Island, noting that while the place has a good aesthetic and is still known for Hakizashi, it is also hard to get to and no longer has tourist ferries servicing it. Mako asks if Penquan Island is known for anything else, but the captain knows of no such things, stating that only he and other traders dock at the island in present times. He recognizes the worry stone when Mako presents it to him, but states that Penquan Island does not export them.
While relaxing and eating dinner within a part of the ship's hold serving as a sleeping area, Mako and Bolin are surprised by the appearance of Hisa and the children, who had coincidentally been traveling on the same ship. Hisa is furious about running into Mako again, but when a storm rocks the ship that night and causes Kibi to start crying, Bolin lends the young boy his worry stone, calming him down and earning Hisa's gratitude. She asks Bolin where he got the worry stone from, and Bolin explains about Naoki, before claiming that he and Mako are traveling to Penquan Island to find out if the two of them have any relatives there. Hisa questions Mako about this, Mako answering that he wants to both look for family members and make sure Jian and his siblings are okay, with Hisa remarking that the two of them may be on the same page after all. Nevertheless, she insists that she is doing what is necessary to protect the children, before telling Mako that he is unlikely to find what he is looking for on Penquan Island, and that he should take the ship back to Republic city after it reaches its destination. She adds that if Naoki did leave the island, she likely had a good reason for doing so.
The ship docks on Penquan Island, and Mako and Bolin disembark alongside Hisa and the children. Kibi returns the worry stone to Bolin, and Hisa wishes Mako luck with finding his family before departing with the children. After the others leave, Mako and Bolin are approached by an old porter who asks if they missed their boat. Bolin explains that they are paying the island a quick visit, to which the porter looks away and claims there is not much to see, before Bolin admits that he and Mako are looking to find their relatives. Noting the porter's age, Bolin explains about Naoki and asks if the other man knew her; the porter expresses skepticism at the idea of someone with Bolin's appearance having a mother of Fire Nation heritage, and makes a disdainful remark about him being from a United Republic mixed family when Bolin admits that his and Mako's father San was from the Earth Kingdom. Mako takes issue with this attitude, and the porter claims that it is no problem, before telling the brothers that Naoki is a common name on Penquan Island. He advises them to talk to Panzo, the local sheriff, before walking off, Bolin commenting on his rudeness as he leaves. Mako remarks that the people on Penquan Island do not appear to be used to seeing people from Republic City.
Heading inland, the two find themselves in a village with a traditional Fire Islands aesthetic. Walking through it, Mako notices the vast majority of villagers giving him and Bolin suspicious looks, but continues on toward Panzo's office; when Bolin reminds him that Hisa refused his offer of help, he claims that there is no harm in asking a few questions. Entering the building, the two brothers notice a wall containing a number of portraits of Fire Lords who ruled prior to the end of the Hundred Year War and the start of Lord Zuko's campaign to reform the Fire Nation. Bolin comments on the absence of Zuko and Fire Lord Izumi on the wall, to which Mako halfheartedly suggests the locals simply like the art, before explaining about the situation with Hai Jun to a deputy sat down at the building's front desk. The deputy gets up and heads off, leaving Mako and Bolin to look at a large picture of Phoenix King Ozai, before Sheriff Panzo enters the room and snidely addresses them.
Bolin suggests that he and Mako are technically from Penquan Island on account of being Naoki's children, but Panzo dismisses this before bringing the conversation onto the topic of Hai Jun, having been informed by the deputy that they are searching for him. Looking at Mako's police badge, he claims to have no knowledge of Hai Jun, before stating that Mako's authority does not extend to Penquan Island. His demeanor becomes threatening, as he states that boys on Penquan Island who are discovered to be firebenders are trained for eventual recruitment as deputies, before claiming that having firebenders enforce the law makes the island's police force more capable than any other in the Fire Nation. He advises the brothers to return to Republic City, claiming that he will deal with any problem a citizen of his has, and that Penquan Island intends to remain a peaceful and authentic Fire Nation community.
Leaving Panzo's office, Mako remarks that the sheriff must be hiding something based on his hostile attitude. He states his intent to ask the locals about Hai Jun, but Bolin urges him to instead focus on finding their family. Mako insists that it is his duty to protect people, but Bolin protests that Mako's job is not who he is, Mako retorting that he has always been responsible for looking after other people, Bolin in particular. Hurt, Bolin tells Mako that he is no longer a child, and that he needs his brother as opposed to a protector. Mako turns away and claims that he has to see his current matter through, and the two part on bitter terms.
Mako's attempts to ask about Hai Jun are met only with nervous evasiveness from the villagers. He asks a fishmonger about this, but the man claims only that Penquan Island does not get many visitors from elsewhere. Before Mako can question any further, he and the nearby villagers witness Hakizashi erupt early, blanketing the area in steam and causing the villagers to fear misfortune. Panzo and his deputies arrive on the scene, and the sheriff blames Mako and Bolin's presence for Hakizashi's early eruption, claiming they have brought bad tidings to the island. They attempt to detain him, but Mako uses the steam to evade them before running into Bolin and the children. The group of five leave the village, escaping Panzo and his deputies.
Coming to a wooded area near the village, Mako asks why the children are with Bolin, and Jian answers that Hisa was taken away shortly after she and the children arrived on the island. No one else had been willing to help them, so they sought out Mako and eventually ran into Bolin, who assured them that his brother would know what to do. Mako tells Jian that they will find Hisa, and Ming Ming reveals that she was taken by Panzo, whom Jian identifies as their grandfather. Jian explains that Panzo had opposed Hisa taking the children away from Penquan Island, having wanted to make Jian one of his deputies despite Jian's reluctance. He guesses that Panzo sent his deputies after Hai Jun after the man helped get Hisa and the children off the island, with Mako deducing that he used Hai Jun to threaten Hisa into bringing the children back. Jian tearfully blames himself for Hisa's fate, but Mako assures him that what happened is not his fault, and commends him for bravely keeping his younger siblings safe while still being a child himself. He states that he and Bolin are going to help find both Hisa and Hai Jun, to which Bolin happily agrees to help.
The group head to a nearby well that Hisa had gone to for water before she was captured. Mako discovers scorch marks on the well, as well as a trail of them leading towards a nearby cave, and deduces that Hisa had been attacked and dragged into it. Noticing steam from Hakizashi coming out of the cave, Mako asks if Hisa is a firebender; Jian replies that she is, while also indicating that girls and women on Penquan Island are forbidden from firebending. Bolin asks how this is relevant, and Mako explains that Hakizashi likely erupted early due to the presence of a new heat source, with Bolin correctly guessing that he believes Hisa is somewhere underground, and used firebending to set off the geyser and alert Mako to her location.
Mako instructs Jian to take his siblings home and keep looking after them while he and Bolin go to rescue Hisa and Hai Jun. Bolin gives Kibi his worry stone again as reassurance, causing Mako to remark on how his younger brother is a natural when it comes to looking out for others. Bolin replies that he learned from the best, and Mako apologizes for treating him like a child, with the two reconciling before they head into the cave.
The two find a set of double doors within the cave. Guessing that Panzo may have his deputies watching over it, Mako has Bolin use his earthbending to tunnel past, finding it leads into a large cavern with prison cells being guarded by three of Panzo's deputies. They easily overpower the trio, and Bolin pulls down the cell doors, freeing both Hisa and Hai Jun. Hisa apologizes for getting Hai Jun caught, but Hai Jun assures her that he always knew the risks of helping people escape Penquan Island, and Hisa introduces him and the two brothers to each other. Hai Jun explains that Panzo sees himself as both a modern day warlord of the Fire Islands and a keeper of traditional Fire Nation culture, to the extent of forcing boys to serve him as deputies and barring girls the chance to develop their firebending. Hating to see such things, Hai Jun began using his fishing boat to smuggle away children and young people who chafed under Panzo's restrictions, and has been doing so for decades.
Mako and Bolin ask about Naoki, explaining her to have been their mother. Hai Jun admits that he had seen resemblances to her in both of the brothers, and describes her as smart, fearless, brave, and determined to leave Penquan in order to make a life for herself in Republic City. He asks if she still lives there, having lost contact with her years ago, Mako and Bolin explaining that she and San were both murdered when the two of them were children.
At that moment, Panzo enters the cavern with two more of his deputies, insinuating that Naoki's death was not the result of chance. He claims that she was a troublemaker - for practicing firebending despite being forbidden to do so - and that he had tried to threaten her into conforming to his rules, only for her to just disappear one day. He reveals that he eventually learned of Naoki's presence in Republic City, and told an old friend of his who had joined up with the Agni Kai triad that there would be a big reward if someone were to dispose of her, causing Mako and Bolin to realize that he is responsible for the deaths of their parents.
Panzo's revelation is quickly followed by fighting breaking out, he and his deputies against the two brothers and Hisa. Fighting Mako, he reminds him of his earlier claim that he would deal with any problem his citizens have, Mako furiously declaring the sheriff's actions to be the reason he and Bolin were forced to live on Republic City's streets after losing their parents. Panzo knocks him down and calls him out for not leaving Penquan Island when given the chance to do so, before decrying him as a menace just like Naoki and declaring that he will meet the same fate as her. Before he can make a move to kill Mako though, Bolin hits him in the head with an earthbent rock and warns him not to talk about Naoki or his brother like that. Mako takes the opportunity to get back to his feet and tells his brother to help Hisa before resuming his fight with the sheriff.
As the two firebenders battle once more, Panzo claims that Naoki would not have had to die if she had just stayed hidden, and that she got herself killed due to a stubborn insistence on helping others. Still angry, Mako knocks Panzo back with a firebending kick and blasts the roof of the cavern with lightning, causing a wave of rubble to fall on the sheriff and trap him. With Bolin and Hisa having subdued the two deputies in the meantime, Panzo expresses disbelief that a "half-breed brat" like Mako could be capable of generating lightning. Mako dismisses him as a pale imitation of the Fire Nation's past and a relic of a bygone era.
Following the battle, Mako, Bolin, Hisa, and Hai Jun bring the now bound Panzo and deputies before the village. After Panzo attempts to sway the villagers to his side before being foiled by Bolin, Hisa calls for the people of Penquan Island to abandon the stagnation and rigid traditionalism enforced by the sheriff in favor of building a better future for themselves. The porter claims that Mako and Bolin are the influence behind Hisa's words, citing their supposed changing of the geyser earlier, but Hisa reveals herself to be the source of the earlier eruption, revealing her firebending in the process. She insists that people must embrace change rather than fear it if they wish to live better, more fulfilling lives, and states that many of the other islanders have known her long enough to know she has their best interests at heart. She asks if the islanders are with her; a brief bit of worried conversation begins, before Jian, Meng Meng, and Kiki reveal themselves and declare their support, prompting other people of the village to do the same.
Watching the scene with Mako and Bolin, Hai Jun remarks that Hisa will make a good leader if she is willing to take that role, but that it will take time to change the hearts of some of Penquan Island's people. He notes however that once the island establishes ferry routes with the rest of the Fire Nation and Republic City, its people will see the benefit of change. Mako asks what Panzo meant when he claimed that Naoki would not have had to die if she had just remained hidden; Hai Jun explains that she had been helping find homes and jobs for the people he smuggled to Republic City, which likely allowed Panzo to track her down later on. He notes that she paid a terrible price for her kindness, but takes comfort in the fact that she at least got to live her dream and have a family of her own in Republic City for a short while, adding also that she would be proud of the men that Mako and Bolin became after her murder. Bolin asks if Naoki had any relatives on Penquan Island when she left, but Hai Jun sadly replies that she did not, suggesting this to be another reason she chose to leave.
The two brothers wave goodbye to Hai Jun, Hisa, and the children, Mako offering sympathy to Bolin over their failure to find any relatives of Naoki's on the island as they do so. Bolin admits he is a little disappointed, but is happy that he got to know Naoki a little better, a sentiment Mako shares. Bolin commends Mako on solving his case; Mako thanks him, but replies that he is Bolin's brother right now, and the two of them walk off together.
Production notes
Transcript
Series continuity
- In the memory box where he kept his mother's worry stone, Bolin also kept his pro-bending helmet and his Nuktuk costume.
- The Fire Nation import shop Mako visits to track down the worry stone origins has Fire Days Festival masks displays, a "Leaves from the Vine" music box, a dragon moose mounted head, and a cat owl and fire ferret maneki-neko. The last one is incidentally based on an Earth Kingdom animal.
- Panzo's office contains reproductions of Royal Gallery portraits from Ozai to Taiso's predecessor, as well as artwork of Ozai in his Phoenix King regalia.
- The montage of Mako asking nervous Penquan residents about Hai Jun without success mirrors Team Avatar's asking about Appa in Ba Sing Se when he was missing.[3]
- While infiltrating Panzo's prison, Bolin does so by earthbending a trapdoor, the same as he did back in the Equalist factory. His tripping of opponents with earthbending while Mako firebends at them is also a practiced tactic of theirs.[4]
- The fire warlord culture Panzo upheld was first depicted in Smoke and Shadow Part Two.[5]
- Bolin distracting Panzo with his earthbending so Mako can turn the tables in a fight mirrors the help he gave Asami against her father in "Endgame".[6]
- Bolin gagging Panzo after his defeat mirrors the time he did it to Zaheer in "Venom of the Red Lotus". The fact he did it with earthbending also evokes the Dai Li practice of silencing targets with their rock gloves.[7]
Goofs
- Mako and Bolin are incorrectly depicted as still living in their previous apartment, with the same layout, furniture, and decorations, their building and surrounding areas unchanged.[8] Following Harmonic Convergence, they had to abandon it over spirit vines overgrowth which Korra could not clear, Bolin moving to Air Temple Island at Tenzin's invitation, and Mako choosing to stay at the police station.[9]
References
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