Loki (2007)
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Rob Rodi
Art: Esad Ribic
What would happen if Loki took over Asgard? Well, if you read this book, you don’t get to see the how, but of course you know the why. Loki has forever been jealous of Thor and Odin’s relationship, and also Thor’s “hero” image. For those of you that don’t know, Loki isn’t Odin’s biological son. He was the son of a Frost Giant, but after Odin slew his father, he adopted Loki out of pity. That being said, you can understand some of Loki’s bitterness towards Odin. We see Loki on the throne of Asgard, with Thor kneeling before him. We also see Sif, Balder, Odin, and pretty much everybody else you can think of loyal to Odin locked up.
The characters that helped Loki usurp the throne come calling pretty quickly. Loki apparently thinks being a ruler just means taunting prisoners, but he finds out very fast that it means keeping order, and also repaying debts. A slew of villains want to be paid for helping Loki, and he eventually finds it annoying. Loki then turns his attention to talking with Odin about his reasons for orchestrating this coup. This was the most interesting part of the entire book for me. Loki eventually comes face to face with Hela, which normally would give most pause, but Loki even brushes her aside. Well, he actually makes a deal with her, but that doesn’t work out in the end, either.
OK, well, first off, the artwork in this book is absolutely fascinating. It looks like a painted piece of artwork on every page. It reminded me of going through an art museum. I’ve no knowledge of Esad Ribic other than this book, but I must say that I’m going to definitely look for more of his work. Rob Rodi has done a couple of things in the past that I’ve read (Identity Disc, Rogue mini-series), so I was familiar with his writing style. He tells a good story overall, and I really can’t say anything negative other than the fact that it bothered me that he didn’t show how Loki overthrew Odin. That, to me, could have made this story even better. Other than that, I must say Rodi’s interpretation of Loki was spot on, and again, the conversation between Loki and Odin was absolutely perfect. Without giving too much away, the conversation consisted of Loki’s version of why Odin really adopted him, and not the traditional reason.
Do yourself a favor and check this book out, if for no other reason at all than for the Ribic artwork. This is a good primer for the movie coming up as well, because it will set the tone for the Loki-Thor dynamic. The ending to this book isn’t anything new, but the meat of the book is something that hasn’t been done before, so check it out!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
