Loki: Agent of Asgard, the God of Deception in the Asgard Secret Service

Loki

Who is really Loki? It would be easy to relegate him to the role of a simple villain, but the God of Deception cannot be relegated only to the mask of the villain of history, considering how in his long publishing career the Asgardian has evolved, not limiting himself to being an antagonist but presenting a evolution since his first appearance at the dawn of the Marvel Universe, which has made Loki one of the most complex and dynamic characters in the House of Ideas. A condition, that of Loki, which is best presented in Loki: Agent of Asgard, a recent volume of Panini Comics that collects a compelling parenthesis from the life of the Asgardian god.

A respectable, full-bodied, but which could not be otherwise, considered as the intent is to paint an often ignored part of the God of Deception. There could be no better time to get to know Loki, as the character is also returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his series, coming to Disney + starting June 9. A return that Panini Comics saw as an ideal moment to introduce a different aspect of Loki to the public of the MCU, a motivation that led to the publication not only of Loki: Agent of Asgard but also of Vota Loki.

Loki: Agent of Asgard, a sui generis secret agent

If in Vota Loki the run by Christopher Hastings dedicated to Loki's satirical presidential race to become the new tenant of the White House is collected , with Loki: Agent of Asgarda we return to a more familiar dimension to the readers of Marvel comics, in which we see Loki facing a particular path of redemption. Al Ewing, in fact, decides to dig deep into the soul of the character, not only setting up a narrative arc in which Loki carries out the usual machinations to counter his brother Thor, but shows himself as a human being in search of redemption. To animate this path of his is one of the essential traits of the character: his reincarnation.

Cheating death is one of Loki's talents, who has a particular form of immortality that allows him to start new life cycles. This characteristic of the character was used with particular cunning by Ewing, who wanted to move in a different direction from that of the traditional villain we associate with Loki, but allows the Asgardian to build a new, more dignified life. An opportunity offered by the Mother of All, Odin's wife, who proposes to the new incarnation of Loki to become an instrument at her service, to be used to carry out tasks that cannot be entrusted to others. In exchange for this precious collaboration, one of Loki's sins will be erased from history for each task performed, transforming his service to Asgard into a path of redemption.

Obviously, being Loki, not everything will go as planned and his actions are unlikely to be carried out according to the methods typical of a hero. If you are the God of Deception you must keep your name, and Loki does not hesitate to resort to Machiavellian subterfuges and plans, apparently following the dictates of his mission, but without forgetting to follow his own agenda. Following Loki's efforts, told with a winning mix of heroism and irony, is a great way to go beyond the image that has formed of the God of Deception, a reading that is best suited even for those who, after having known Loki through the splendid interpretation of Tom Hiddleston in the Marvel Cinematic Universe want to discover new sides of the character.

Ewing's run collected in Loki: Agent of Asgard is perfect in this sense. Although it is not an origin story, although it is not one of the character's best-known stories, the cycle contained in this volume tells one of Loki's most intimate moments, investigating within his emotional sphere, with a real gem: the presence of a future Loki. The narration of this run, in fact, takes place on different temporal planes, in which the intervention of a Loki from another time, baptized Old Loki, sets in motion a series of events that pushes the God of Deception of the present to move within a plane that mistakenly thinks of its own, but which is actually a story already written.

A new way to explore Loki's soul

Chapters like L to yours life is a story already written are perfect to lay the foundations of a story with a wide breath, wonderfully played on the presence of secular subterfuges, spells and machinations, in which the Old Loki is portrayed while he weaves a web of deceptions, planning and careful traps that will be the guideline of the entire existence of his younger self.

Ewing is credited with having played admirably with the epic context typical of Thor, adapting it to a modern, ironic and light-hearted narrative, with which is exalted ta the emotional dimension of Loki, letting the character traits emerge that are usually not very developed but which in this volume are addressed with maturity and depth. In Loki: Agent of Asgard there are not only the stories of Agent of Asgard (2014-2015) but also two tie-ins of the Original Sin event (2014), which also deepen the relationship between Loki and Thor.

Loki: Agent of Asgard is a priceless vision of the character of Loki, who is portrayed by a high level artistic team, in which names such as Marco Checchetto, Jason Aaron or Simone Bianchi took part. If the plots are fun, dramatic, epic and dynamic, the tables are no less exciting, in which the designers find the right expressive tone to give vigor to the events. Readers will be able to smile at Loki's pungent humor in tables that enhance the light-hearted air with soft strokes, or breathe an epic air in parts like The Tenth Kingdom, where Thor's traditional aura of fantasy heroism finds a happy expression.

The volume of Panini Comics is a respectable tome, of generous dimensions, necessary to collect in its entirety this parenthesis of Loki's life. A reading enriched by the presence of a rich section of extras in which sketches and study materials used in the creation of the narrative arcs contained in what is in effect an unpredictable volume for all those who want to know the soul of the God of Deception.