Games within lies within plots within plans is the tale of Loki’s life. The first two books I’ve given almost perfect reviews and the upcoming issue takes a large step away from the story we’ve been following only to slip right back into it in pure Loki style. Only, which Loki’s style? In the first issue we’ve seen that the Old God form of Loki has returned and wants his life back. The second issue has him apparently recruiting Gods and people to work for him.
The issue opens with a very Loki styled scene in that he (the Old God) has been imprisoned by the All Mothers and has no patience for what is happening. As he has no time for this to escape he ends up actually walking off panel and through time itself. It is something that you would picture our young hero doing if the story was about him, alas it is not. In fact the entire book is not about the younger God aside from what we find out to be an extremely clever ruse.
Back in time the art style Garbett uses changes to match the Old Loki’s style and we are told a very long tale of the trickster playing a long game. So long that he has traveled back to the dawn of Asgard as a young Odin, the Prince of Asgard, is on a quest to explore and Loki ends up travelling with him. Through this adventure the seeds are laid for a long drawn out plot that ends with the creation of a certain sword as well as a few characters who fans of the old ‘Journey into Mystery’ may fondly remember as there were subtle references to it. After working over the Prince to secure the beginning of a promise from Odin, he also works with another Warrior God and sets into motion the creation of the Sword young Loki uses in the first issue. Also in the act of the story, we get to see him take on his form that many readers will recognize that he uses as Ikol when trying to later manipulate the young Loki to do his bidding. Actually it was that most recent form of Ikol that helped cement my heightened interest with Loki before the Marvel Cinematic Universe raised him to the stardom that he currently enjoys thanks to Tom Hiddleston.
While I quite enjoyed the issue I could see some of the Asgardian references being difficult if you don’t know much of the lore. However, I’d also say that overall to enjoy the story, you didn’t need to know the history to understand what is going on and that Old Loki appears to be setting up Young Loki for something. What that something is remain to be seen and I am eager to see the two Trickster Gods go at one another in a game of cunning by the time this story plays out.
‘LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD’ #3
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Lee Garbett
