Originally published on Set The Tape
'This truly epic adaptation of Kieron Gillen’s Loki series spans the nine realms as the reborn trickster struggles to walk the hero’s path and save the universe from an epidemic of fear.
'The God of Lies has been reborn. Can young Loki be Asgard's saviour? When Earth is plagued by an epidemic of fear, ancient prophecy says only Thor can stop the monstrous threat of the Serpent, but without help from Loki, Thor is certain to fail. Aided by a handmaiden from Hel and a demon puppy, Loki must risk everything to find redemption—or doom himself for eternity. Either way, a Nightmare lies in wait hoping to rule the world, and Loki will have to risk everything on his craziest scheme of all!
'Meanwhile, new gods threaten to disrupt the status quo, throwing everything out of balance. Loki must act as a responsible ambassador, but will the Nine Realms end in Surtur’s fire? Young Loki must cross the realms to reclaim his own story, outwit ancient enemies, struggle to do the right thing, and avoid falling in love.'
Loki: Journey into Mystery is a name that some may recognise, and this book is a retelling of the hit comic series by Kieron Gillen, originally published from 2011-2013. However, this isn’t just a copy/paste style adaptation, as writer Katherine Locke has managed to infuse this retelling with enough new flavour and originality for it to be able to stand on its own, and it’s a perfect first Loki story for those who might be coming to this character off the back of the films or television series.
When a plague of fear is sweeping the world, the Asgardians are trying to get to the bottom of things, and it’s believed that Thor is the only one who can defeat the ancient, powerful Serpent. However, the newly reborn Loki will be damned if they’re going to let their brother face this threat alone. Set not long after the death and rebirth of the trickster god, the Loki that we have here is the start of a newer, less antagonistic version of the character, and they begin this story as a younger version of themselves. Because of this, a lot of the expected baggage for the character has been dropped, allowing for Locke to be able to do some interesting things with the character (even whilst sticking to the established story they’ve been given).
Locke has a history with writing books aimed at Young Adult readers, and is able to bring some of that expertise and style to this story, as we have a version of Loki that’s more like a YA protagonist than the older villain they were in comics before this point. Locke injects Loki with a ton of personality and energy that’s going to appeal to younger readers, and will feel like a lovely refresh of the character; even for those who’ve been reading this version of Loki for the last decade in the comics.
Adapting a pre-established story can be difficult, but Locke manages to do it in such a way that it seems effortless, and if it wasn’t for the cover telling you that this was based on a comic series you’d be able to come away thinking that this was a brand new story. It’s got an energy and flavour to it that’s instantly infectious and gets you excited to read more. A book that’s perfect for Loki fans, and will appeal even to those that have read the original work.
No comments:
Post a Comment