What a wait! And what a conclusion!
Contains just the right pacing, beats, action, and character moments, all leading up to a climax in the spirit world. Not a battle, for peace will reign there until the end. Peace can reign anywhere, it can be shared, it can be achieved. Any people can coexist together, if only we all allow it to happen.
It is so satisfying to see justice served and happiness for everyone in a story such as this. Its popularity in mainstream pop culture gives me hope.
Without giving away anything spoilery in 'The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Part Three', I'll say that I left this series proud of the women: Korra for her undeterred strength and resolve, faltering only when she realises how her decisions might overall affect others. Her talk with Mako, which I've been waiting for since Part One shows itself; revealing that yeah, he's cool with Korrasami - saying that it's perfect, and for once he's not wrong. Korra has a talk with her father, too, so that bit of sociopolitical conflict, concerning coming out to family in particular, from Part One does go somewhere, small as it is.
I'm proud of Asami for her cleverness and ability to think on her feet even in the most dire situations. She's as much of a badass hero as Korra, and they are almost in sync. Asami's past with her father, and her current and future business dealings, also come to light, though they are not explored farther than a single page.
And of course there's Zhu Li Moon, also as much of a hero as the two queer leading ladies, if not more so. She's a president desperately needed. The political overtones in the comic are unmistakable. Worth noting is that all of the corrupt political and business leaders are men; they'll need women, minorities and nonviolent peoples to set them to rights.
Special shout-out to Jargala, turf owner and leader of the Creeping Crystal Triads. Like a modern, independent Scheherazade, she's a morally-grey badass with her Jennamite crystal power.
I'm only disappointed that Lin Beifong and Jinora are not given their moments. Jinora barely appears and says nothing, and Lin has a small talk with Korra about Asami and that's it for her. I guess that inevitably comes with a miniseries based on a franchise with so many characters - some will be given far more attention than others.
By the way, General Iroh is in this, too. His page time outnumbers those of quite a few women.
But for those of you who are worrying about a lack of Korrasami in this, the last book of the series, do not fret: Through all the danger they are engaged in, in such a short comic, separately and together, Korra and Asami have their shining moments, their banter, their heart, their knowing one another very well now. The final page is lovely; a reflection of the final scene of the TV series. Only there is no ambiguity about their relationship this time.
'Turf Wars', in conclusion, isn't perfect. For its political intrigue and representation, it is rather simple ("It's for kids" is never a good excuse, respect your audience), and the preceding issues are not as good as the first, in my opinion. But the diversity and the message of peace, prosperity, and hope are akin to salving a deep and bloody wound on a society. There are no important story threads lost at the end, at least.
'The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars' is about female empowerment, and the power of women and men working together, and how positive that is.
I'll leave the series off with the slogan of my spiritual sister Zhu Li:
"Bring peace to the portal! The portal for the people!"
Or:
"--Too often, our differences become a source of conflict. But it doesn't have to be that way. Next time you're walking down the street, look up, say 'Hello!' to that stranger passing you by. Imagine what it's like to walk in their shoes. If enough of us do that, we might someday find balance as a society, and with one another."
Final Score: 4/5
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