Review: Thor: Trials of Loki by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Sebastian Fiumara

How did I get it: The library.

Why did I get it: Obviously Thor is obviously a popular, iconic character, but he has rarely ever been all that interesting to me in of himself. So while Thor was an enjoyable movie, my favorite part of it was Loki and I really wanted to read this graphic novel.

How I would rate it: 5 out of 5 stars.

Summary:

The true origin of Thor’s archenemy and Marvel’s most unpredictable villain! He is the lie-smith; he is the shape-changer; he is the fire that burns. The God of Mischief and Trickery, Loki. Meet the mirthful, beloved young man that made all the Asgardians laugh…until the first time he killed. Discover the gnarled roots of his twisted, unrelenting hatred of the Asgardians. And learn the chilling truth of why he’ll never be stopped… (Collecting: Loki #1-4)

Review: As a fan of the Norse mythology first and the Marvel comics’ reworking second, I found this to be a perfect blending of the two. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s script was really, really well-done and breathed some new life into an ancient story. Sebastian Fiumara’s artwork worked in a beautiful harmony with the text, but also added a lot of dimension. I loved every page, particularly his rendering of the worlds on Yggdrasil’s branches, Hela’s realm, and Loki in exile.

I think the best part of the graphic novel is how well it captured every aspects of Loki, who not only changes shape when it suits his purposes but also has a hard time believing in his own lies. There is something really fascinating to me about characters who are not wholly one thing. And Loki is probably as complicated as a god gets seeing as he is a trickster and therefore is not solely a force of evil anymore than he can be considered to be a force of good. In both the myths and the comics, he is neglected to a really, really dangerous degree and never can forget he doesn’t belong. In both the myths and comics, he is shown to be capable of kind acts so long as no one tells him he’s been kind.

The issues of destiny and how much control anyone ever really has over what they become was fascinating too. Despite my desire to read more books or see more movies where character punch their unhappy fate-assigned in the face, I was pleased to see that the bleak outlook of Norse Mythology was still present even in a Marvel re-working of the events leading up to Ragnarok.

Of course little details changed and Loki’s take on certain things is in stark contrast to Thor’s or any of the Aesir, but that was great too. I loved the twisted remorse and resolve Loki had to end the world because that was the only role left for him that isn’t one he would have to share with someone else. And I especially loved that Thor continually pointed out that whatever Loki was meant to be isn’t as important as the fact that Loki has chosen time and time again to take “the crooked path.”

In conclusion, very awesome. I hope that other people pick this graphic novel up and enjoy it as much as I did!