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Book 3 Speculation
Okay.....WOW. Just WOOOOW.
This editorial will be simply to discuss the cover of the Book 3 Volume 1 DVD, and what it reveals about Book 3. If you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading. The DVD cover itself is viewable here.
Outside of the canon series itself, the release date of the DVD (October 30th) tells us that Book 3 has to start airing on TV at least around 5 weeks before, placing it sometime mid September. Although this date itself isn't surprising (myself and other websites have been saying that Book 3 will likely air sometime around September or October for months), it is unexpected how the date was announced. I was expecting either
A) A press release through some major websites (IMDB, TV Guide, TV Shows on DVD, etc)
B) A commercial for Book 3 that would air on Nick sometime, possibly during a repeat of an older chapter, or
C) An announcement at the panel at Comic Con.
Although it isn't really important how the date was released, it still is interesting. Another interesting question is what exactly the panel at Comic Con will discuss, with this new information out there. They'll probably just give an official, exact date for the airing of Book 3, but they will also probably address the Book 3 DVD cover.
Of interest is that the panel is called "Into the Fire Nation". Of all the theories I've heard and come up with about how Book 3 will play out, none of them involved the BoomerAANG Squad actually going to the Fire Nation directly, and on their own, in the beginning of the season. However, this box art (presumably) shows a summary of what happens in the first 5 episodes of Book 3, and we see Aang and his friends dressed in Fire Nation clothing. What this says to me is that they actually went to the Fire Nation, and had to adopt the native clothing in order to be inconspicuous. The cover art being what it is, and with the name of the Comic Con panel, I think it's almost certain that the BoomerAANG Squad is going to be in the Fire Nation starting within the first 5 chapters of Book 3, and will probably remain there for all of Book 3. Of course another possibility is that they went there just for a chapter or two for whatever reason, but this seems unlikely to me. First, Aang went through the trouble of growing hair to help cover up his tatoo (he can easily cover the rest of it like he did in Return to Omashu), he wouldn't do that if he was just going to the Fire Nation for one specific reason, and wouldn't be there very long. Second, there's nothing that the BoomerAANG Squad can really get by going into the Fire Nation at this point, whether it be allies or information of some sort.
Looking at the other people on the box, Katara has adopted the traditional hair style of Fire Nation women, Toph looks like she has a new headband, and Sokka is wielding a new weapon, possibly a Fire Nation sword or spear. This doesn't really reveal much, but simply reinforces the general theme of the cover.
Finally, if you look closely at the patterns of bright orange (presumably fire) in the background, you can make out some dragon like figures, especially one at Sokka's level and to the right. Dragons seem to be a cultural animal of the Fire Nation, (Avatar Roku, who was born in the Fire Nation, rode around on a dragon; and of course, dragons breathe fire, linking them strongly to the Fire Nation), so this simply again reinforces the Fire theme of the cover. It may have a more significant meaning, but it's hard to say at this point.
If you think I missed anything or would like to add your own opinion/theory to this page, you can go to the feedback form and select "Submit Speculation Editorial" from the reason for contact menu. Please but "Book 3" somewhere in the subject line, and include in the message how you would like to be credited (e-mail/website link, etc).
Page Last Updated: May 1, 2008 5:04 PM
