Avatar: The Last Airbender - Smoke and Shadow
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Caution: spoilers! (Seriously, more spoilers than usual.)

This is a 3-issue miniseries, released in 2015-16, but I didn't get around to reading it until 2018. It's the fourth miniseries based on the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender, though it's set, at least partially, between the second and third miniseries. Before I get into the events of "Smoke and Shadow," I need to tell you some things about The Search that I didn't reveal in my review of that story. While searching for his mother, Ursa, Zuko and his friends met a married couple named Noren and Noriko, who have a young daughter named Kiyi. By the end of that story, they learn that, when Ikem went to the Forgetful Valley, a spirit called the Mother of Faces had given him a new face and identity: Noren. When Ursa had later left Ozai and returned to her hometown, she met Noren, who revealed his true identity to her. She later got the Mother of Faces to change her face, and became Noriko. But unlike Noren, who retained his memories as Ikem, Ursa got the spirit to give her a new mind, so that she would remember nothing of having been Ursa. (Which meant not remembering Ozai or their children, Zuko and Azula.) All she remembered was being in love with Noren. But at the end of the story, after learning the truth of her past, she got the Mother of Faces to restore her original face and her memories. (Noren kept his new face and name.) I should also mention that Azula managed to get away from her keepers, so her whereabouts would be unknown... until this miniseries.

Part One
It begins with Ukano (Mai's father) being visited late one night by dark spirits called the Kemurikage, who want him to depose Zuko. Later, Ukano addresses a secret society called the New Ozai Society, whose goal is to restore Ozai to the position of Fire Lord. Meanwhile, Zuko and his friends are journeying back to the Fire National capital, along with Ursa, Noren, and Kiyi. Unfortunately, Kiyi constantly avoids Ursa, as she's not yet able to accept her mother's "new" (old) face (having only ever known the false face the spirit had given her). Before Zuko's ship arrives at the capital, Aang, Sokka, and Katara take off on Appa, heading for Yu Dao (where their story will be seen in The Rift miniseries that preceded "Smoke and Shadow"). Meanwhile, in the capital, Ty Lee visits Mai and Mai's mother and little brother, Tom-Tom. She learns that Mai's parents are now separated, and that Mai is dating a guy named Kei Lo. (She had broken up with Zuko in the first miniseries, The Promise.) Kei Lo worked for Ukano, but had come to disagree with his politics, so began secretly sharing information about the New Ozai Society with Mai. However, Mai tells Ty Lee that she's not really interested in Kei Lo, she's just using him for information, which upsets Ty Lee. Before arriving home, Zuko receives a message from the Kyoshi Warriors warning of a trap set by the New Ozai Society, so they make a new plan to return by another route, while setting up a decoy group on the original route. Both parties end up being attacked, but both manage to fend off the attackers. In the process, Kei Lo defends Zuko and his family. Ukano manages to escape, but Mai chooses not to tell Zuko that he had been involved in the attack. Once everyone gets home to the capital, Zuko asks Iroh to attend the Yu Dao inauguration ceremony in his stead (as seen in "The Rift"). Meanwhile, Ursa continues to struggle with fear brought up both by Kiyi's rejection, and by old memories of her life in the capital. Also, the Kemurikage visit Ukano again, and give him one last chance to depose Zuko. A month passes, and Mai begins to take her relationship with Kei Lo seriously. Then one night, the Kemurikage kidnap Tom-Tom. Zuko decides to enlist Aang's help in dealing with the dark spirits.

Part Two
So, I guess this part takes place after "The Rift." Aang, Katara, and Sokka are planning on going to the South Pole, but Aang receives a letter from Zuko, asking for his help. So he flies off on Appa, leaving Katara and Sokka to make other transportation arrangements for their own trip. Aang plans to join them when he's done helping Zuko. A Fire Nation policeman named Constable Sung is in charge of the investigation into the kidnapping. Ukano blames Zuko for his failure to protect Tom-Tom, and makes demands of how to deal with the problem, ideas which Aang disagrees with. After Zuko orders Sung to escort Ukano out of the palace, Ukano begins trying to convince Sung that Zuko isn't doing enough to protect the capital's citizens, and someone else will have to take action, if the Fire Lord won't. That night, the Kemurikage kidnap Sung's young son, Guri. So, Sung decides Ukano was right. Meanwhile, Zuko, Aang, Mai, and Kei Lo search the Dragonbone Catacombs for information on ancient legends about the Kemurikage. At one point, the four get separated into two groups. Zuko tells Mai he misses her, but she's clearly still angry at him. Meanwhile, Aang and Kei Lo are visited by a Kemurikage, who says that her kind have not set foot in the human world since the time of the first Fire Lord. Which seems to confirm earlier speculation that the supposed "dark spirits" making trouble now aren't really Kemurikage, maybe not even spirits at all. But when they return to the capital, they find that Ukano and Sung have organized a sort of vigilante group called the Safe Nation Society, and that more children have been taken. Zuko is upset about actions the Society has taken without his authorization, so he suspends Sung and offers a stern warning to Ukano, which leads to the citizens beginning to distrust Zuko. Later, the fake Kemurikage try to kidnap Kiyi. Zuko, Aang, Suki, and Ty Lee fight them, and Zuko believes he knows who one of the Kemurikage is....

Part Three
The Kemurikage get away with Kiyi. When Mai learns that Zuko's half sister has been kidnapped, she finally admits that she'd lied about her father being part of the New Ozai Society; that he is in fact their leader. And they figure out that the "Safe Nation Society" is probably just the New Ozai Society, using a different name. Zuko orders a soldier named General Mak to bring in Ukano and any known members of the Society for questioning, as well as to seal off the capital so no one could enter or leave the city. Aang advises against this, but Zuko doesn't listen. When Suki and Ty Lee escort Aang out of the palace, they decide to work with him on their own to investigate the situation. Well, we learn some things about the disappearance of the children, as well as that Zuko was right about Azula being one of the Kemurikage. Meanwhile, Iroh comes to the capital for a reason of his own, and ends up giving advice to Ursa. When Aang and the Kyoshi Warriors' investigation turns up a lead, they take Zuko to check it out. Meanwhile, Kiyi takes a leadership role among the kidnapped children, and tries to escape... in the process discovering that she is a firebender. And Ukano ultimately realizes he's made a horrible mistake in trusting Azula. Zuko and his allies fight Azula and her allies, and Azula reveals her true plan (which I won't spoil, but which makes a lot of sense, given everything that's happened throughout the miniseries). Anyway... she manages to escape once again, but the children are rescued, and Ukano submits to arrest. However, he makes amends with Mai. In the end, Kiyi finally accepts Ursa as her mother.

Well, I have given away a lot more than I usually do about the plot, but that's because so damn much happened, and all of it seemed pretty important. I have left out a few details, some of which may be important enough to mention in future reviews. We'll see. For now, I'll just say it's a totally awesome story, as always. And of course, it's much more fun to read for yourself than just reading my review (or more accurately, my recap). Even if you do read this first, it'll still be very much worth your while to read the actual comics, too. Lots of action, intrigue, and important character development.