We’ve just passed the halfway mark of the new Loki miniseries, and so far it’s been pretty good. As far as Marvel Cinematic Universe characters go, Loki has always been a strong fan-favourite and it’s easy to understand why. He’s a fun, morally complex character.
That complexity comes straight from the comics that these movies and TV shows are based on. So if this new Disney+ series is leaving you hungry for more Loki stories, here are a few comics that deserve a spot on your ever-growing To Read pile.
Loki: Agent Of Asgard
A few years before Agent of Asgard, Loki died. He got better, first being reincarnated as a preteen (more on that later) before being aged up into the young adult Loki of this series.
This comic is a clever and engaging take on the character. It treats Loki’s reincarnation as an opportunity for the God of Mischief to start all over again, giving him the chance to become an all-new, all-different person.
The question that Agent of Asgard is interested in answering is whether or not that’s actually possible for Loki. Can he go against his past and become a good guy, or is he fated to become the same evil Loki over and over again?
If you only read one Loki comic from this list, make it this.
Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers
While the MCU has made Loki to be more of a charming rogue, Blood Brothers fully embraces his role as a nefarious villain.
After years of plotting and scheming, the gods of Asgard have been defeated – even Thor. Loki has finally gotten everything he’s ever wanted. So Blood Brothers asks an important question: what happens when Loki wins? When your entire existence is based on throwing order into chaos, what do you do when that order no longer exists?
The real jewel of this story is Esad Ribic’s amazing art, which gives this story an epicness that it deserves. Every page looks like it belongs on the cover to a Conan the Barbarian book or heavy metal album.
Doctor Strange: God of Magic
While this comic is a Doctor Strange story, Loki plays a fairly big role in it. After a magical tournament, Strange is stripped of Sorcerer Supreme and the all-powerful title is bestowed onto Loki.
While everyone is understandably suspect of Loki’s motives, he promises that he’ll use these new powers to do good. So what happens when you give the God of Mischief near-unlimited magical power and access to forbidden spells? Chaos ensues.
The Trials of Loki
An origin story, lesson in Norse mythology and horror comic all-rolled into one, The Trials of Loki tries to figure out why is Loki the way he is. Was he born a villain, or did he become one because of the way he was treated and raised? How does a trickster god go from pulling harmless pranks to subtly influencing someone to kill?
While writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Sebastian Fiumara stay true to the Marvel version of these mythic figures, they aren’t afraid to embrace the darker aspects of their Nordic counterparts. The overall tone is similar to how traditional folklore and fairy tales are considerably bleaker than the more sanitised versions you see in mainstream entertainment.
If Aguirre-Sacasa’s name sounds familiar to you, he’s one of the co-creators behind the Archie Comics’ horror titles, Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (he’s also the showrunner for the latter’s TV adaption). When it comes to horror work, his bona fides are there.
Young Avengers
Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers is pure superhero soap opera mixed in with a healthy dose of teenage angst. Trying to figure yourself out as you enter adulthood is difficult enough, but a supernatural force that’s threatening to enslave the multiverse doesn’t make it any easier.
Loki is at his best when he’s playing off other characters and the lineup for Young Avengers gives him plenty of options to work with. Despite his supposedly good intentions, nobody really trusts one of Marvel’s most infamously selfish characters. But the God of Mischief is here to help. Honest.
As a side note, this Young Avengers team also includes Billy and Tommy Maximoff, along with Kate Bishop (who is set to star in the upcoming Hawkeye series). With Eli Bradley, another founding member of the Young Avengers, making his MCU debut in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, I don’t think it’s too big of a stretch to suggest that we’ll be seeing a live-action iteration of this team sometime soon.
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