With Loki Season 2 just around the corner, a lot of the God of Mischief fans are looking for a trickster fix. Thankfully, Loki’s a comic book character with decades of amazing stories behind him. That said, not everyone has the time to read all of them, so I’ve made the decision to compile the best of the bunch for you. From the classic Walt Simonson run to the modern mischief of Al Ewing’s portrayal, these Loki comics are bound to make you fall in love with the character even more.
Loki (2004)
As far as a story focusing on the classic Loki goes, this is one of the absolute best. Brilliantly written by Robert Rodi and with beautiful art by Esad Ribic, the story of Loki follows the trickster god at the peak of his power. This Loki is not the sexy devil that many in the modern era know him as. He has spent a long time stewing on the hatred he has for all of Asgard. He is old, ugly, and bitter. But that matters not. After all, he’s won.
The story even begins with Thor in chains, subjugated by Loki. Ironically, only when Loki won did he get a chance to be more sympathetic to the reader. Here, Loki must explore a question that he’s never had a chance to answer: Once he conquered Asgard, would he truly be a better ruler than his father ever was? The reflection of who he is, and the god he must become, are at the core of this stellar mini-series.
The Trials of Loki (2010)
For those who want a short but compelling introduction to Loki as the complex villain he is now, this story is the best you’ll get. Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and illustrated by Sebastian Fiumara, The Trials of Loki compiles issues #1-4 of the 2010 Loki run. In this story, Loki is a fugitive from Asgard for his greatest crime yet.
When Thor finally finds him, there is no epic battle of hammer against dagger. Instead, Thor stares at Loki in quiet disappointment. He sits and asks his brother why he did what he did. A history of Loki himself follows straight from the trickster’s mouth. It is here that we truly see how Loki sees the world. Is he truly a misunderstood victim, or are his stories just a ploy for pity for his loving brother? That’s up for the readers to decide.
Loki: Journey Into Mystery (2011)
The young Loki is now a teen and inexplicably, finds himself the sole member of Asgardia’s very own version of SHIELD. After all, there’s nobody better at lying, cheating, and stealing than the God of Mischief himself. That said, his powers aren’t nearly the same as they were, and his temperament is far less cruel.
Even so, Loki’s still Loki, leading to some truly fun adventures. More than any other comic so far, this shares the most DNA with the TV show. Being an agent against his will, the introduction of “Lady Loki”, and the concept of Loki variants. It also happens to be an exploration of the many paths that Loki could have taken; and how so many of them end in tragedy.
Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014)
The young Loki is now a teen and inexplicably, finds himself the sole member of Asgardia’s very own version of SHIELD. After all, there’s nobody better at lying, cheating, and stealing than the God of Mischief himself. That said, his powers aren’t nearly the same as they were, and his temperament is far less cruel.
Even so, Loki’s still Loki, leading to some truly fun adventures. More than any other comic so far, this shares the most DNA with the TV show. Being an agent against his will, the introduction of “Lady Loki”, and the concept of Loki variants. It also happens to be an exploration of the many paths that Loki could have taken; and how so many of them end in tragedy.
Loki (2019)
Once again, Loki has found himself a ruler; this time over his own people, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. This Loki is far from the bitter and angry King Loki of Asgard. However, he does have a different problem. He’s completely bored by the idea of ruling. Avoiding his responsibilities by creating a snowman named Frosti to act as king, Loki sets out to be a hero once more. For real, this time.
This Loki shares a lot of DNA with the modern interpretation of Loki among mainstream fans. With the clever writing of Daniel Kibblesmith and the dynamic art of Oscar Bazaldua, this Loki is young, cool, conniving, and still a bit of an overconfident jerk/ Nevertheless, he’s still got a heart of gold underneath the lies and deceit. After all, he’s only lying to the bad guys now. Mostly.
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