Review by C.J. Bunce
Of the 19 novels from Titan Books adapting Marvel Comics (most reviewed here at borg), Loki: Journey Into Mystery may be its biggest undertaking: taking a complex series of comic book stories from a less familiar part of Marvel Comics and condensing them into a coherent narrative. Those who only know Loki from Tom Hiddleston’s trickster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or his two-season series will get an even deeper dive into what makes the world of Marvel’s Thor tick. But this book is really more for diehard fans of Kieron Gillen’s 2011-2013 Journey Into Mystery–for those that already know the story and want to revisit it from another angle.
Although author Katherine Locke had a Herculean jog of assembling and adapting this series of stories, she does a fine job of keeping it together. But it’s easy to get lost in a realm of Gods based loosely on the Nordic mythology, mixed with more comic book-y ideas infused into Marvel Comics over more than 60 years. This is also a story full of multiverse elements, a world like the TV series and the movies where there is Loki today, Loki of the past, and a young Loki who drives most of the story.
Marvel’s Loki has little similarity to the Norse Loki, but Hiddleston’s take gave him traction and a big fan following for 21st century readers. The dialogue in Loki: Journey Into Mystery is very easy to read in Hiddleston’s speech. It also incorporates modern technology, which Loki gets to poke fun at, especially to the extent he doesn’t understand it. It’s more difficult to see the world that surrounds him, which is part Hell (or Hel). Readers may be helped visualizing the first Thor movies, but especially Thor: Ragnarok. Surtur plays a big role in this story (along with the dark world concept characters Mephisto and Nightmare). But this may be a story better told with the artwork of the comics pages. The dark world of Thor and Loki has more wit and snark than fire and brimstone.
Most fascinating is that the story takes a great Marvel villain and tries endlessly to find his redemption. Fans (and apparently Marvel writers) want Thor and Loki to be pals. Here sister Hela returns, but more importantly we meet Leah, a friend from his youth, also a Loki creation to help him defeat the villain The Serpent who is hell bent on destroying the Nine Realms. This Loki is again the master manipulator and schemer, who must rob Peter to pay Paul in a seemingly endless web of deals to prove himself.
Loki is aided by the magpie Ikol, the Valkyrie Disir, the Hel-Hound Garm, Daimon Hellstrom, a Hel-Wolf, Gullveig, Freyja, Surtur, Hela, Leah, Tyr the God of War, and even Odin, among others.
Along with third party narration, a Teller steps forward to narrate and add some humor, along with Mephisto, from time to time. The Manchester Gods diversion is an odd inclusion, but may make more sense for those familiar with the Gillen’s original material. This is 100% the fantasy side of Marvel, without any of the superhero or science fiction elements found in many Marvel tales.
If you’re a fan of Gillen’s run in the comics pages, or if you enjoyed the time-jumping antics of the second season of the Loki TV series, this story may be for you. Loki: Journey Into Mystery is available now here at Amazon. Learn about other Marvel Comics adapted into novels here.
