Review by Ian Keogh

To anyone with only a passing knowledge of Norse myths, surely Loki is the most attractive character. As the Asgardian mischief-maker and someone pre-ordained to doom his society, his personality ideally suits the internet era.

As George O’Connor has shown in previous volumes, though, in being true to the legends he’s prepared to confound popular assumption. When relating Odin’s story O’Connor told of Loki’s heritage and adoption, and in Thor we witnessed an extremely mean-spirited “joke”. The first story related here highlights Loki being seen as a second class citizen, having his sound advice ignored and then being blamed for the resulting mess. Thereafter Loki becomes very much the bit player in his own volume, lurking in the shadows and often absent as stories are told about Baldr, Fenrir, Frigg and Tyr. Odin and Thor also feature strongly. All of them so strongly in fact, that the title’s almost misrepresentation for the first half of Loki. He has a greater presence in the second half, but again O’Connor messes with preconceptions, justifying Loki’s disruptions by his treatment.

O’Connor is a formidable storyteller, giving coherence to often rambling myths and displaying considerable style with his artistic interpretations. Loki is drawn as frail compared to the brutes of Asgard, and yet his expressions show an evolving character. Decorative artwork abounds, the sample page coming from a sequence returned to throughout of every creature swearing not to harm Baldr. It’s setting up the ending, to the book, if not Loki’s story.

As ever, O’Connor’s afterword and notes are as entrancing as the stories he draws. It explains his view of Loki, and how he may have begun as put-upon and reactive, but eventually becomes a villain pure and simple. It’s worth noting the myths O’Connor adapts were bawdy at times, and one story related here, integral to events may be drawn subtly, but what’s going on will be apparent.

Asgardians has been an excellent series from the start, well researched and engagingly presented, but the additional nuance in telling Loki’s story, the sheer variety of other material and the always excellent art raise the quality higher.

Moreso than previous books O’Connor here is presenting stories occurring before a reckoning, and that comes in 2026 as Asgardians: Ragnarok.