Story by, Robin Kaplan
Art by, A.L. Kaplan
Letters by, Jim Campbell
Cover by, Peach Momoko
Spot Illustration by, Sonny Liew
Recap
This book begins with Thor coming to Loki with a dilemma, he lost his hammer and needs help locating it. Loki seems to be the worst possible person to go to for this type of problem. However, he agrees to help, which would make almost any reader anxious. He enlists help from Freyja, the goddess of fertility, who also needs a favor. She needs help locating the Brisingamen Necklace. Loki agrees to help her if she would let him borrow the Falcon Cloak that will allow him to easily travel within the nine realms. Loki meets with Giant Thyrm, Frejya’s father, and brokers him an agreement that will allow Loki to obtain multiple items and retain some of his power in the situation. He returns to Thor with a solution who must decide if he can trust Loki and if he is willing to put his pride aside so that he can obtain his hammer back.
I loved this story because Loki came across as a complex character focused on a goal and not as an irritant to Thor, alone. In addition, he is presented as the god of mischief who loves tricking people with more on his mind than reductive narratives like world domination. In this story, Loki loves the power and control, which he gains by tricking others. His power is gained through manipulating other character’s needs and wants and not by physical force. Ironically, tricks help others while getting him what he wanted, which makes this story unique compared to other stories involving Loki. I credit the writer for not falling into a trope of painting Loki as narrow-minded or simply holding a grudge for not having the throne.
The art is playful with the use of classic whimsical depictions of characters and vibrant colors. Faces are rich with expression and body postures wrought with emotions. The writer plays off the words beautifully through Loki’s manipulation of Thor, Freyja, and Giant Thyrm, and the use of art to present these dynamics was well played. My favorite panel is the one that depicts Loki transporting, with the aid of the Falcon Cloak, to the nine realms with the vast universe in the background.
I highly recommend this book to readers who desire to return to the core aspect of Loki as a character. Readers will enjoy how Loki interacts with his Asgardian cohorts, Thor and Freyja, while he placates Giant Thyrm. This story helps the reader see how Loki works in the environment and how he is a necessary piece of the puzzle for the Asgardian community. 9/10
