This started out slow, and I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but by the halfway point, it picked up steam and became really thoughtful and engaging. I loved the revealed dimension between Loki and Thor and I loved the decision to not have Thor speak at all. Great stuff. ( )

I can't say I was terribly impressed by this one. It doesn't help that the artistic rendering of Loki was rather ugly and stereotypical "evil" and makes no sense for a proud trickster God who can also shift form. If this was supposed to make me feel bad for Loki, it didn't work as planned. Loki stans will like it, though. ( )

http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2018/10/10/esad-ribic-rob-rodi-loki/ ( )

There are spoilers here, so consider yourself warned.

As one who knows these characters primarily from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was great to see them from another angle. I learned things. Such as, that Heimdall and Lady Sif are siblings. And that Sif had once been blonde, but Loki cut her hair off and for reasons that weren’t made clear (because it was a flashback scene), she didn’t just let it grow back, but went to some trolls who gave her shiny new brunette locks. Also, it’s clear that everyone was well aware of Loki’s true parentage from early on, even when he was young. I also realized that I really know very very little about Asgard and its inhabitants. But on with the story…

Loki has defeated Thor and taken the throne of Asgard. How he accomplishes this is not explained; that’s not the point of the story. The point is Loki asking himself “Okay, now what?” and “Should I kill Thor?” The first question is thrust upon him by everyone, basically. He’s the king now and everyone wants his attention for one thing or another. A kingdom doesn’t run itself, after all. The constant interruptions are almost as annoying for the reader as they are for him. It’s also very clear that Loki doesn’t give a damn about all that: he won, and that’s all he really wanted. The actual work of ruling is too tedious for his taste.

The second question is actually put to him by Hela, the ruler of the Underworld, who wants Thor’s soul, so could Loki just finish him off already, kthnx. The suggestion takes him off-guard. He never wanted Thor dead. What would be the fun in that? He just wanted to humiliate his step-brother. Hela is right though: Thor will eventually break free and bring Loki to bear for his crimes. It’s inevitable. Unless he’s dead, of course. Loki recognizes the logic of this, but still seems hesitant, so instead he goes to chat with his various prisoners. They talk about the old days and the many times these people slighted Loki. It creates a clear picture that no one, not even Frigga and Odin, really cared for or about Loki. And this is why Loki seeks his vengeance, because he believes that Odin brought him home in order to serve as the darkness against which Thor’s light could shine, to be Thor’s foil.

Also, based on something one of the prisoners says about having seen the truth of the Underworld and that all of this is part of a greater whole. That there are actually many Thors and Lokis and Asgards, and though their origins may differ, based on gender or age or race, the story always plays out the same: Thor always wins in the end and subjugates Loki. Loki is disturbed by this and seeks confirmation from a witch. Though he doesn’t like what he hears, it feels right to him, that he and Thor must always play out the game: that is their purpose.

I enjoy stories like this, that tell a familiar tale from the perspective of someone else, such as John Gardner’s Grendel and Christopher Moore’s Fool. I also like the character Loki, because who doesn’t like a sympathetic villain? It was this tumblr post (http://thetomhiddlestoneffect.tumblr.com/post/71571306134/in-truth-i-am-neither-asgardian-nor-son-of) that inspired me to look up the comic. I recommend it to just about everyone. ( )