The Legend of Korra comics: Ruins of the Empire Books in Order

Ruins of the Empire is the second major Legend of Korra comic trilogy, set after Turf Wars. It moves from Republic City to the Earth Kingdom, where a new election is meant to mark the end of the Earth Empire and the beginning of a more democratic future.

But the past is not finished with the country.

Kuvira is on trial for the harm done during her rule, while Commander Guan works to revive the same imperial ideas under a more respectable political surface. He knows that people are tired, uncertain, and afraid of change. That makes promises of order and strength especially tempting.

Korra arrives with Asami, Mako, and Bolin to help keep the transition peaceful. Their problem is not only Guan. The group disagrees about what to do with Kuvira and whether someone responsible for so much damage can be trusted to help stop a new crisis. The answer is never easy, and the tension inside Team Avatar matters as much as the fight outside it.

The trilogy also gives the Earth Kingdom’s political future real stakes. This is not just a contest between one hero and one villain. The election, public opinion, new technology, and the fears left behind by the empire all shape what happens. Characters have to choose between shortcuts that might work now and solutions that could make the future safer.

Korra has to trust carefully.

Michael Dante DiMartino writes the series with consultation from Bryan Konietzko, while Michelle Wong provides the artwork. The result is a compact continuation that keeps Korra at the center while making room for Kuvira, King Wu, Toph, Su, and the rest of the returning cast.

The tone is tense but still recognizably Korra. There are action scenes, sharp disagreements, and moments of humor, but the core question is about rebuilding. Can a nation move forward without pretending that its old wounds never happened?

Read The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire, Part One, then Parts Two and Three. The collected Ruins of the Empire edition contains the full story in one volume, with the same reading order.