Loki: Agent of Asgard #6

by Kalem Lalonde on September 28, 2014

Written by: Al Ewing
Art by: Jorge Coelho

Following a brief hiatus, Loki: Agent of Asgard returns with an all-new artist as it marches its way towards AXIS.

Loki: Agent of Asgard has been a great series thus far. Its true strength is how representative of the character the series is. In nature the plot is deceitful, fun and mischievous. Even the title was a ruse. Al Ewing is an extremely clever writer who knows and understands the characters he writes. He builds a story around said characters in tone and plot. Loki: Agent of Asgard #6 differentiates itself from the inaugural arc because the main focus is no longer Loki, its Doctor Doom.

We start the comic off with Doctor Doom traveling to the future and meeting future Loki. Both men have a common objective in traveling to the future; they are trying to see if their endeavours to shape the future come into fruition. Following the brief confrontation, Doom returns to the present and concludes that the only way to save his future is to thwart Loki’s.

The two villains engage in a battle of wits with some stellar dialogue. Doom has such a massive ego that he must establish superiority over everyone he comes into contact with. He’s a supercilious and pompous man and those traits make for engaging villains. Watching Doom toss Loki around so easily made for some great psychological and physical action.

Ewing also implements the story of two construction workers disagreeing about Doom’s stature. Generally, I would question a story such as this but Ewing utilizes it to mirror the central plot in interesting fashion. It also gives you an idea of how Doom runs his country and controls his population. They are in thrall to him and as he said in New Avengers, Doom eats first and rightfully so. This is very well embodied in this issue. The sub-plot was risky but complements the main plot very well.

If you have noticed that this review has predominantly been about Doom, it is because the issue is as well. Loki comes across as a supporting character in his own book and is doomed to continue in this role for a few issues. Doctor Doom is my favourite Marvel villain so I’m not bothered by this. However, considering that this is a Loki book, you may be disappointed.

The issue also begins with a lot of expositional recap dialogue. It makes the issue new-reader friendly but will most likely bore readers of the first arc. It feels futile because there is a very informative “previously on” page at the start of this issue.

Jorge Coelho replaces Lee Garbett for this issue and he does a fine job. His atmospheric rendition of the desolate future was the standout among his drawings. His facial expressions are his weakest point but most of them were strong enough to keep you from disengaging from the comic.

Overall, Loki: Agent of Asgard continues to impress. I must emphasize that Al Ewing is such a clever writer and should be given a chance writing some bigger titles. He aptly captures every character’s voice and knows how to build a series around their specific tone. Where this issue lacked in Loki content, it made up for in Doom. If you haven’t starting picking this series up, I implore you to jump on board before it’s too late. Welcome back Loki, we missed you!

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside