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shane_tiernan's review against another edition
4.0
Really wish I would have read this before I read "Everything Burns" which is the next graphic novel. Loki's treachery/heroism is very twisted and complicated and knowing the future made it less fun. That aside this was still really cool, especially the intro, the puzzles that Loki must solve to meet Ikol.
I don't have the 2 spotlight comics included in this graphic novel (they're harder to find for some reason) but I don't think they contribute that much to the story (hopefully).
I don't have the 2 spotlight comics included in this graphic novel (they're harder to find for some reason) but I don't think they contribute that much to the story (hopefully).
sam_antics's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful artwork. Clever writing. I can't recommend this enough.
buer's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this book, but I did not love it. If I was a teenager, I probably would have loved it. I would imagine that the casual tone, references to internet culture and excessively teenagery Loki are very appealing to, you guessed it, teenagers.
The story arc is decent. Loki is reborn as a child/teenager and it is heavily suggested that when he was reborn it was with a righted moral compass. He works hard to prove that he is trustworthy and working for the betterment of Asgard, but because trickery is so much a part of how Loki operates the sudden twists that his allies (who are almost always shady characters) experience, the reader is left wondering how much Loki has changed.
As mentioned above, the tone of this book is very, very casual. Sometimes that choice was engaging, but more frequently it just felt like lazy writing. The first example that comes to mind is when one of the gods of fear (the one with the squid head. I'm blanking on his name.) rants at Loki for how he approached asking them for help and throws every old man cliche in the book (lol see what I did there) at him. From the obligatory "back in my day" and "uphill both ways" to a "Get off my lawn" at the end of his speech, which was a superfluous underlining of the joke Gillen had just beat to death (lol more cliches! I can do it, too!). Leah and Loki also have several childish spats throughout the book, which are sometimes tedious, but other times work to Gillen's advantage (for instance when a character thought that Loki and Leah were disguised as children, listened to them squabble, and then changed his mind.)
There are two comics in this collection that are worth pointing out. (I don't have my copy in front of me, so I can't mention them by number, but you'll know them when you see them). One of those is the Christmas special, which is simply a fun respite from the rest of the comic. The second is when Volstagg goes home and tells his wife and children a sugar-coated version of his role in the war to protect Asgard. In and of itself, this would have been a really beautiful little commentary on how people shade the hard truth when talking to children (which Volstagg was doing with adults, too, since he was partially responsible for Thor's death). Instead, Volstagg made several sexual innuendos in his story (which, again, was told to children). The art was also more sexualized in that story than it was in others, which I don't necessarily have a problem with, but regarding the story's audience (Volstagg's children), it was a nonsensical artistic choice.
Overall, though, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the second one, too.
The story arc is decent. Loki is reborn as a child/teenager and it is heavily suggested that when he was reborn it was with a righted moral compass. He works hard to prove that he is trustworthy and working for the betterment of Asgard, but because trickery is so much a part of how Loki operates the sudden twists that his allies (who are almost always shady characters) experience, the reader is left wondering how much Loki has changed.
Spoiler
One of my favorite sequences is Loki's nightmare. Although it is by no means a definitive answer to how Loki has changed, the reader does get a little more clarity regarding the inner-workings of Loki's mind. He has nightmares about the pain and suffering that he has already caused and his dead brother haunts his dreams. All of this seems to point to Loki having genuinely changed, but who really knows yet?!As mentioned above, the tone of this book is very, very casual. Sometimes that choice was engaging, but more frequently it just felt like lazy writing. The first example that comes to mind is when one of the gods of fear (the one with the squid head. I'm blanking on his name.) rants at Loki for how he approached asking them for help and throws every old man cliche in the book (lol see what I did there) at him. From the obligatory "back in my day" and "uphill both ways" to a "Get off my lawn" at the end of his speech, which was a superfluous underlining of the joke Gillen had just beat to death (lol more cliches! I can do it, too!). Leah and Loki also have several childish spats throughout the book, which are sometimes tedious, but other times work to Gillen's advantage (for instance when a character thought that Loki and Leah were disguised as children, listened to them squabble, and then changed his mind.)
There are two comics in this collection that are worth pointing out. (I don't have my copy in front of me, so I can't mention them by number, but you'll know them when you see them). One of those is the Christmas special, which is simply a fun respite from the rest of the comic. The second is when Volstagg goes home and tells his wife and children a sugar-coated version of his role in the war to protect Asgard. In and of itself, this would have been a really beautiful little commentary on how people shade the hard truth when talking to children (which Volstagg was doing with adults, too, since he was partially responsible for Thor's death). Instead, Volstagg made several sexual innuendos in his story (which, again, was told to children). The art was also more sexualized in that story than it was in others, which I don't necessarily have a problem with, but regarding the story's audience (Volstagg's children), it was a nonsensical artistic choice.
Overall, though, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the second one, too.
reasie's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeous art and a thoughtful story. I was quite taken with it and it does fill in some gaps. Not as playful as Loki: Agent of Asgard, but there are hints of that mischief. Reminded me a lot of old Sandman comics with its sense of mythology and history.
Hela was particularly great.
Ends on a cliffhanger, tho. Grr.
Hela was particularly great.
Ends on a cliffhanger, tho. Grr.
misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
it feels like there's a whole lot of story that got skipped between the first and second chapters of this volume
like we start off with a relatively contained plot of kid loki trying to figure himself out? which presumably ties into whatever happened last volume. and then suddenly asgard's in total war, odin's gone the full dictator, and you're looking at the book like ...did i miss something?
anyways mostly this volume is about asgard villains being incredibly gullible (look! cries loki. danger afoot! look again! cries loki. even more danger! good thing i'm here to reliably warn you of it and point your battle forces where i will!) while loki runs around trying to get them to destroy asgard? i think? but for good reasons apparently
maybe it'll all make more sense in the next volume
3 stars
like we start off with a relatively contained plot of kid loki trying to figure himself out? which presumably ties into whatever happened last volume. and then suddenly asgard's in total war, odin's gone the full dictator, and you're looking at the book like ...did i miss something?
anyways mostly this volume is about asgard villains being incredibly gullible (look! cries loki. danger afoot! look again! cries loki. even more danger! good thing i'm here to reliably warn you of it and point your battle forces where i will!) while loki runs around trying to get them to destroy asgard? i think? but for good reasons apparently
maybe it'll all make more sense in the next volume
3 stars
lady_nett's review against another edition
4.0
This was the start of a great story. I’m really enjoying the tale of kid Loki and all the chaos he gets up to.
slipperbunny's review against another edition
1.0
I tried to like this one because kid Loki is so cute and the art is amazing, but I just got bored. Which is a shame.
cathman's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
madgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Between this, the new Young Avengers (as little as we are into it) and the new Iron Man run, I think that Kieron Gillen might be my new favorite comics writer.
His take on Loki (KID Loki!) is really original and charming, and I love the bits of humor and pop culture references mixed in with what is really the most pure fantasy Marvel title in a long time. I really recommend picking this up in trade.
My only serious complaint would be that I was kind of lost on the backstory, having not read the events leading up to the beginning of the title. Though, you know, thanks Wikipedia for clearing it up.
His take on Loki (KID Loki!) is really original and charming, and I love the bits of humor and pop culture references mixed in with what is really the most pure fantasy Marvel title in a long time. I really recommend picking this up in trade.
My only serious complaint would be that I was kind of lost on the backstory, having not read the events leading up to the beginning of the title. Though, you know, thanks Wikipedia for clearing it up.