Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora — So'lek's Journey is a six-issue comic mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics. It is written by Ray Fawkes, and illustrated by Gabriel Guzman and Michael Atiyeh.
It follows the journey of So'lek, a Na'vi character who also appears in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora; the comic is a tie-in to the game.
The first issue was released on February 28, 2024.[1][2] Issues 5 and 6 were delayed; Issue 5 was originally planned for June 26, 2024, but was delayed to July 17 2024. Issue 6 was planned for July 31, 2024, but it was first delayed to August 21, 2024, and then again to September 18, 2024.
A trade paperback including all six issues of the comic was going to be released on December 17, 2024, however it was subsequently delayed to January 7, 2025.[3]
Description[]
Issue 1[]
- Meet So'lek—a Na’vi warrior who must go on a transformative journey across Pandora. While the battle of the Hallelujah Mountains is over, the trauma of war is never-ending. Alone, desperate, and grief-stricken, So'lek must look to Eywa and find a path towards healing. Though danger, doubt, and pain await him, he must answer the call.
So'lek shares his heartbreaking story, which begins long before the events from Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. His clan, the Trr'ong Clan, participated in the Battle of Ayram Alusìng against the RDA, but at that time while fighting, most of his clan members were annihilated, So'lek's village was destroyed by human forces, and he found out about this only after returning home. As he wandered through the ruins of the village, a strange sensation came over him: as if he really saw his relatives dying in the flames, and while he, dying of despair, begged for help, a woman named Txuratrri from his clan emerged from the forest. Unfortunately, So'lek noticed that she was seriously injured in the battle and begged to be taken to the Tree of Voices to reunite with Eywa, so she could find peace.
Hawnutu'un appears to So'lek.
Seeking balance after the chaos that has befallen him, So'lek also establishes a connection with Eywa... and from the mist, emerges Hawnutu'un, one of the great heroes of the past, who founded the Trr'ong clan. Other Na'vi appear behind him. So'lek is desperate: he lost everything in the battle and now he doesn't know what to do. Hawnutu'un says that he too suffered this once, but turned to the Path of the Promiser to lighten the burden. On his journey, the great warrior found the place where his clan had found their home and formed a bond with the thanador, knowing "death and darkness" and allowing him to meet him, and also covered himself with cuirass crab shells and slept in the lair of the viperwolf.
Hawnutu'un finally reached the western edge of the continent and his journey ended there... but So'lek awoke beneath the Tree of Voices, alone, tormented by unanswered questions. Txuratrri went to Eywa, and after burying her, he decided to follow the path of his ancestor, understanding what he could have understood. First of all, he will have to climb to the top of the Hallelujah Mountains and since his ikran fell in battle, he will have to overcome all obstacles on his own. Despite the continuing downpour, So'lek perseveres to the top, facing visions of a recent battle in which he and the other Na'vi were attacked by the Sky People. He is suddenly attacked by a flock of Tetrapteron; Although So'lek manages to stay on the rock and not fall, doubts grow in his heart and he continues climbing only out of sheer stubbornness.
Having reached the top of the cliff where the flamingo orchid grow, So'lek sees a glimmer of hope ahead: the Tree of Souls still stands, despite all the efforts of the Sky People, and the strangers flee, leaving the Na'vi. Inspired by this spectacle, So'lek decides to walk the entire Path of the Promiser, and what will happen to him at the end of the path, who he will become, is up to Eywa to decide.
Issue 2[]
- So'lek continues on the path of pänuyu (promiser), bringing him face to face with the apex predator of the rainforest, the thanator! Trapped between fight or flight, So'lek discovers there is one more option-- one requiring a skill only the Anurai clan, the renowned craftspeople of Pandora, can bestow.
.png){kind=link}
Entok of the Anurai clan.
Four years later, So'lek wanders the jungle, trying to establish a connection with the thanator, but the aggressive beast repeatedly forces him to flee or fight. Finally realizing that his skills are not enough here, So'lek turns to the Anurai Clan, a clan known for their deep connection to the thanator, for help. There he meets Entok, who takes him to the Tsahìk, Tiali. She shows So'lek a flute carved from a thanator tooth and asks him to leave the dreams of the past and the future and be where he is now. She then asks Entok if So'lek is worthy of learning the ways of Anurai... and he says no. Entok has already seen many like him and doesn't think the last Na'vi of the Trr'ong Clan will be any different.
Entok then takes So'lek to the bone graveyard, where the remains of many animals are buried, from whose bones the Anurai create tools and art. So'lek claims that his intention was not to take up so much of Entok's time, and that he only wanted to know how to approach the thanator without provoking it into a fight. However, Entok confronts the guest and invites him to choose one of the bones from the thanator's skeleton in front of him. After this, a long training begins, and So'lek even begins to doubt that Entok will tell him anything useful. Walking through the settlement, he discovers one of the Anurai's carvings on bones: all the animals known to the clan are represented there, as well as Entu, the first Toruk Makto, and all Na'vi who heeded his call to save the Tree of Souls from a volcanic eruption. The mural depicts Entu summoning the Great Leonopteryx with the help of the musical bone of the Anurai, and also includes an image of Hawnutu'un, who split the rock so that the water it contained turned the lava to stone.
After this, So'lek once again tries to explain to Entok that he just needs to get rid of the pain that is weighing him down, to which the irritated older warrior suggests that he should go to Tiali and have her play him a lullaby. Entok explains that since the Tsahìk told So'lek to learn from him, then he should stop looking for an explanation for his impatience and be where he is now. So'lek spends several more weeks making the flute.
One night, while working on his flute alone, So'lek sees a pair of thanators: an injured male and a healthy female. The female is preparing to attack and kill the weakened male. So'lek intervenes and, despite being flooded with memories of the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains, successfully chases the female away. Afterwards, So'lek remains by the wounded male thanator, continuing to create his flute and treating the thanator's wounds. After three days, the thanator accepts food from So'lek.
When So'lek's flute is ready, Entok finally reveals the secret of communication with the powerful beast. As Entok plays his own flute, he easily approaches the thanator without being attacked. Although it takes some practice for So'lek to repeat the melody, in the end the beast approaches him and allows him to make tsaheylu. Sharing memories with the thanator, So'lek laughs for the first time in many years. With their bravery and strength bolstered by their shared connection, they don't need to run from anyone, they were where they were, and So'lek promised himself that he would remember this lesson for the rest of his life.
When So'lek returns to the Anurai, they sincerely rejoice at his success. Entok notes that So'lek did not keep the thanator with him, and So'lek explains that he would not deprive the beast of its home for his whims. After this, Entok sends him to the Tsahìk, and she tells him that from now on he can consider himself one of the Anurai, and that he can find a home in her clan if he so wishes. So'lek replies that he sincerely would like to stay, but his path calls him, and the Tsahìk affectionately responds that he should not burden himself with what will be left behind, for the knowledge he takes with him will remain with him forever. After this, So'lek says goodbye to Entok and thanks him for his help, to which Entok half-jokingly asks if he had given him any help. Nevertheless, he had helped him, and not just for him, but for the sake of the story that will one day be told about So'lek, about his experiences with the Anurai, and about all the other trials that await him ahead.
Issue 3[]
- As So’lek tracks and trails the forest-dwelling cuirass crab, the Tipani clan—one of the most silent, stealthy, and fierce of the Na’vi—track his every move. Appearing only when they choose, So’lek will receive far more than a lesson in hunting prowess, but a choice between two futures.
On the way to the cuirass crab habitat, to make armor from its shell, So'lek reflects on Entok's last words: he does not advance for the sake of the stories that will be told about his journey, because he, a member of Clan Trr 'ong, has no family and no place to return to. However, being with the Anurai Clan still taught him something, and to find the armor crab he will go find the Tipani Clan, known for being fierce and silent warriors, to ask for their help. Along the way he suddenly encounters Eykang, a messenger from the Olangi Clan, who is carrying news of their leader to the Tipani leader, but the Tipani will not show themselves unless they wish, and Eykang doubts that they will do so while So'lek is with him. So'lek assures that he is not planning anything bad, but Eykang objects: the Tipani knew that a stranger had arrived in their lands as soon as he set foot on their borders, and no words could convince them. They will show themselves only if they consider So'lek worthy of their attention, and, turning his direhorse, Eykang finally asks So'lek not to follow him, so as not to complicate life for both of them.
As a result, So'lek has to remain in the Tipani lands for several months, studying this part of the forest and observing the cuirass crab. However, even after six months he did not achieve much success: the crabs turned out to be too agile and cautious, so he could not catch them or even touch them. And even a year later, everything remained the same, he did not find the slightest sign of the Tipani's presence and was unable to complete his task, so despair began to invade him... however, when he once again turned towards the empty forest saying to himself that he is now a nobody, looking for help from nobody, the forest responded: he is not a nobody. Suddenly, So'lek finds himself surrounded by the Tipani Clan, who greet him. After that, they take him to their village and ask him why he came to their land. The entire clan gathers to hear his story, and although they end up not asking him questions, one of the young Na'vi, Rimu, decides to help the stranger.
Rimu tutoring So'lek.
First she takes him to the children who are playing silently in the forest, and then she herself teaches him to move silently and unnoticed, without leaving a trace. When So'lek asks how the Tipani pierce the hard shell of the cuirass crab, Rimu responds with a smile that they do not pierce it. They only take what she herself gives them... and show the flute, silently taken from So'lek. He asks to be taught how to be stealthy, but Rimu asks him if he really needs it, because she can give him a crab shell just like that. So'lek disagrees and Rimu warns that the training could take two years. The next night, waking up from his nightmares, So'lek remembers his time with Anurai and asks Rimu to teach him, no matter how long it takes.
Rimu got to work and little by little So'lek began to learn to move through the forest without making a sound, and without moving a single leaf. The teacher he found was silent, like all the Tipani, but every word she said was precise and direct, hiding a deeper meaning. Little by little, feelings began to awaken in So'lek's soul, and a year and a half later, he decides to talk to Rimu about this topic... but she intercepts the conversation; now he is ready to find the shell cuirass crab, ready to take the old shell and leave. Having received the shell, you will be able to make yourself armor and leave the lands of Tipani, and in this case it is not necessary to say anything unnecessary that could hurt someone else's heart. In the end, So'lek decides that yes, he is ready, after which he obtains the cuirass crab, much to his own joy and pride for Rimu... after which, with one last smile at him, she disappeared into the forest without a trace.
Arriving at the village, So'lek does not find Rimu, but a Tipani warrior who helps him make a shoulder armor from the shell. Finally, he asks if So'lek still considers himself a nobody, and doesn't seek help from anyone, and So'lek demurs; no, he is So'lek of the Trr'ong clan, who is here and now. Finally, the warrior advises him to rest and not waste energy. If Rimu decides to show herself, she will come to him herself. Sitting alone in the hut, So'lek wonders if he really came here just for the crab shell, because these feelings, these desires... he thought he had lost them when he fought the Sky People and lost his clan. However, the pain he feels and carries within him remains too great to stop, and eventually So'lek leaves the village and walks away, leaving the crab shell armor behind him. Maybe one day he will return here... but for now he must go.
Issue 4[]
- With the end of So’lek’s quest in sight, he still feels the pain of his past. An encounter with deadly viperwolves leaves him in the care of some of the most skilled botanists on Pandora—the Tawkami clan. With remedies to heal the body, what can cure the wounds of his mind?
Eight years after the Battle of Ayram Alusìng, So'lek is still on the move and reaches a territory where viperwolves live. Having traveled most of his path, he feels wiser than before, but he still feels pain and has terrible dreams about that distant battle. Worried about what will happen to him when his journey comes to an end, So'lek gets too close to a Poison Breath Spore plant and it spews poisonous spores in his direction.
So'lek attacks the viperwolf in self-defense.
As So'lek struggles to clear his eyes, he hears laughter and notices that a pair of viperwolves are nearby, ready to attack. Blinded, So'lek puts up a desperate resistance and although the beasts knock him to the ground, he fights to the end, just as his clan once did. Bleeding, he follows the retreating viperwolves to their lair, hoping to fulfill the last requirement of his journey... but ends up collapsing, exhausted, and finds his clansmen surrounding him. Surprised, he asks Hawnutu'un about his unfinished journey... only to wake up in an unknown place, and a Na'vi girl welcomes him to the world of the living. It turns out that Tawkami Clan picked up the injured So'lek and Syanan began healing him.
Even after a portion of the healing Sage Mushroom, So'lek felt very weak, and only a week later was he able to sit up, after which Syanan began to show him the local plants, naming each one. She laughed a lot (which even made So'lek think she was a little crazy), but continued to encourage his interest in herbalism, even if he ended up choosing the wrong plants. The rest of the Tawkami treated the stranger very simply, as an unusual feature of Syanan's hut, and so three months passed. One day, while helping the healer with her affairs, So'lek was caught in the thought that, although he was completely healthy, the idea of continuing the journey had not arisen in his head... when suddenly a Na'vi excitedly flew into the cabin, a problem happened. A cave where gatherers searched for Sage Mushroom was filled with stones, and So'lek recognized the place where he was heading in search of the viperwolves' lair. Fortunately, after enormous efforts, the debris was cleared and Syanan began treating the injured. Thanks to her and So'lek, who helped with the treatment, the three gatherers were saved and at night So'lek prepared to continue his journey. With a final joke, Syanan and the rest of the Tawkami bid him farewell and he continued on his way, feeling stronger and more alive than ever.
Issue 5[]
- So’lek heads to the Kinglor Forest to view the western aurora and find peace. But his nightmares become a reality when sky people ships descend from the skies—the RDA has returned! Forced to face his trauma, So’lek must use all his acquired skills to prevent another attack!
So'lek has arrived in the Kinglor Forest in order to fulfill the last part of his quest: seeing the western aurora, which only occurs once every four years. As he stands on the edge of a floating mountain range, he reminisces about his journey, remarking on how foolish he was as a young man to thirst for the glory of war. So'lek has come to realize that there is no glory in war, and he understands that he wasn't ready for the harsh reality of how gruesome and cruel war is to even those who survive it.
So'lek attacks the Samson.
Just as So'lek has begun to accept peace once again into his heart, the animals of the forest all burst forth in a panic. The Sky People have returned. Not believing his eyes at first, So'lek gets a closer look at the encroaching fleet and sees that it is not one of his visions. This time, it is real. A Samson ventures close enough to where he is perched for him to leap into the aircraft, swiftly killing everyone on board. However, in the ensuing crash, he is knocked unconscious.
So'lek meets Alex.
So'lek awakens in a cell, chained by his wrists to the floor, with a breathing mask affixed to his face. In the cell with him is Alexander Tremayne, who is also a prisoner. Alex wakes So'lek and tries to explain to him where they are, but So'lek lashes out, not trusting Alex due to him being a human. Alex asks So'lek if what he'd heard about him bringing down a Samson singlehanded is true, and then urges So'lek to calm down and think about survival. So'lek ignores him, and Alex is dragged away by RDA soldiers. As Alex is dragged off, an RDA officer comes in to speak with So'lek in Na'vi.
The officer tells So'lek that humanity's forces cannot be stopped, and So'lek's only choices are to tell him where the Na'vi are encamped, or face an indiscriminate bombing campaign over the entirety of Pandora's forests. So'lek refuses to cooperate, and the officer leaves, saying that So'lek has until morning to reconsider.
So'lek sees the aurora with the mirror.
A little while later, Alex is thrown back into the cell, bruised from torture. Alex says that they were quick with him because the soldiers wanted to see the aurora. After Alex mentions this, he realizes So'lek is also interested in the aurora and gives him a mirror so that he can still see it from where he is confined, as a window from the other side of the hall would have a clear view. Alex assures So'lek that he doesn't want anything in return, but despite this, So'lek does not take the gift. Alex explains that not all humans are the same, and some are resisting RDA efforts to colonize Pandora. After this explanation, So'lek takes the mirror and is able to see the aurora.
So'lek mournfully laments that he never thought his quest would end with him inside a cell, watching the aurora while chained up. Alex attempts to cheer him up, saying that this is not the end, and asks why the aurora was important to him. Before So'lek responds, an RDA soldier comes to inform Alex that a trial has been held and that he has been found guilty of sedition. The sentence is thirty years in prison on Earth. The soldier takes the mirror from So'lek and Alex attacks him, but gets quickly subdued.
So'lek agrees to team up with Alex.
So'lek speculates that Alex may be some kind of RDA trickery, meant to gain his sympathy and trust before breaking his spirit. Alex insists that that is not the case, but So'lek continues to distrust him. Alex tells So'lek that he knows he is going to die if he doesn't do anything, then reveals that he swiped the keys off of the guard when he attacked him earlier. Alex unlocks his own cuffs, and offers the same to So'lek, saying that they need to escape and meet up with the Resistance. So'lek says that he will work with him, but not just to escape. He wants to fight the RDA, destroy the base, and only then will they return to Alex's friends. Alex enthusiastically agrees.
Issue 6[]
- So’lek and his unexpected ally begin their escape from the RDA stronghold, a feat which will put his mental and emotional strength to the test. What lies ahead is more shocking than his visions of the past—is it further destruction or is it... hope?
So'lek thinks to himself about how his life is different; he once wanted to be a great warrior, but despite that he wants to heal from the war, it has restarted. Alex and So'lek make their escape, killing guards along the way. So'lek decides to take their necklaces as a tally of his revenge. Despite this, So'lek still is unsure if he wants to become a warrior, wondering if the clans he visited would agree with it. So'lek notices Alex killing humans, earning So'lek's trust. So'lek finds his weapons, and Alex suggests finding fuel to destroy the RDA's base. Outside, the two find a fuel container. So'lek runs in front of it, causing soldiers to explode it.
Alex tells So'lek about a nearby Resistance camp; the two can flee there and await orders from Jake Sully. Alex is impressed by So'lek who quickly kills two more soldiers and finds paint to guide the way to the camp. There, So'lek meets Alma Cortez who calls her group to So'lek. Alex praises So'lek's abilities. So'lek notices the Resistance members shaking their weapons, revealing they are not trained. Alex points out they are scientists, and asks for So'lek to teach the members. So'lek has an outburst at Alex, saying he does not care about the Sky People's needs. Alex apologizes, but reassures the group will fight to protect Pandora and Eywa. One Resistance members mentions the RDA is searching the area; So'lek orders the others to wait and goes to kill them. So'lek finds the patrol and kills all five of them.
So'lek returns to Alex and Alma, bringing them the RDA's weapons. Alma is impressed, saying So'lek can have whatever they have. So'lek decides to train them with the lessons of the Na'vi. So'lek remarks to himself he is not a warrior and does not wish to be remembered as one, mentioning he is now a teacher.
Gallery[]
.jpeg "So'lek's Journey cover (not final).jpeg (673 KB)")
