Note: LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD goes on sale February 5th.
The Good
The start to this new series comes out swinging as Loki is sent out on missions from All Mother and becomes, as the title says, an agent of the newly reformed Asgard. I've never been a big fan of the Asgardian part of Marvel, but I always found Loki interesting, especially how he's evolved over the years. I thought reading this book was going to be a drudge through the muck because I wasn’t incredibly interested in world of Asgard. I was wrong.
What this issue does extremely well is making sure new readers not only feel comfortable, but that they feel up to date with everything that has happened to this character, in a good amount of detail, through some narration by Loki. Writer Al Ewing does a great job at capturing this version of Loki extremely well though his inner-dialogue, as well guiding new folks along for the ride.
Story wise, it jumps around a tad, and it almost feels like a Loki book is bit forced, but aside from that, I’ve never had this much fun with an Asgardian character. It really put a dumb smile on my face to watch Loki go through his paces as an Asgardian Agent. And the ending was incredibly awesome. I think this is something fans will really enjoy.
The art by Lee Garbett, with Nolan Woodard on colors does a great job at telling the story here. Garbett gives the reader some really cool establishing shots as well as some very memorable panels that will stick with the reader, even after setting the book down for hours. The art is extremely consistant and that final page will get you extremely excited for upcoming issues.
The Bad
Thor comes off as a bit of a goof here and Thor fans may not be too keen on it. For me, though, it's kind of what I enjoyed about the issue.
It's no secret that Loki has been extremely popular because of his appearance in the recent Marvel films. Now, does this new series exist because Al Ewing has a great story to tell or is it because Marvel was pushing a Loki series because he's popular? It is a question on my mind, but not one on my mind while I read the issue. This is a mere after-thought.
The Verdict
LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD isn't without its faults. Sure, the story may feel a tad forced and just a way for the hyper-popular Loki to get his own book, but I found myself really loving what is going on, and I'm normally not a fan of anything Asgard. This was an incredibly fun read, and while it be pretty easy to toss this book a 4/5, I can't remember the last time a creative team made me enjoy a character I normally couldn't care less about. Ewing and Garbett deliver a very new reader friendly book with an ending that will have readers very excited. It's easy to get hooked on this book, if you're new. Overall, I'd recommend this issue.