The God of Lies, The God of Mischief, The God of Stories… all titles bestowed upon the Asgardian known as Loki by their enemies, their family, and sometimes by themselves. Loki is all of these things and none of these things, an ever-changing yet immovable force for chaos and growth, and Loki: The Liar is a thoughtful miniseries that effectively encapsulates this hypocritical and deeply relatable existence for the god. Gorgeously written by Dan Watters (Sword of Azrael, Arkham City) in his first foray into Marvel Comics, with evocative and engaging illustration from Germán Peralta (Black Panther, Maestro) and color by Mike Spicer, Loki: The Liar’s trade paperback wondrously collects the four-issue series to create a tale that is inspiring, exciting, and beautiful to read.
Watters and Peralta’s Loki miniseries was well received, with praise and attention going towards the stunning and vibrant artwork and the genuine and enthralling way in which Loki was written as the chaotic good antihero readers love. Watters successfully captures much of the essence of who Loki has become, a deviously intelligent and reflective immortal being who – while they may never admit this freely to those around them – is dedicated to their off-color brand of heroism, their fierce independence, and the growth they have gone through since inhabiting the body of Kid Loki in Kieron Gillen’s Journey Into Mystery #645. The series perfectly captures Loki’s genderfluid nature, their cutting humor, and the careful poise with which they hold themselves.
Marvel Comics
The main thrust of Loki: The Liar is that Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead created from the finger and toenails of the unburied, unloved deceased, has been shattered upon hitting Yggdrasil, creating several weapons unleashed upon the Ten Realms. Loki, recruited by their brother Thor while hilariously living in Florida – honestly Watters’ “Florida Man” reference is one of the best gags of the series – must travel to these broken bits of Naglfar to collect them before something terrible happens. Naglfar was ostensibly created by Loki to usher in an army of monsters during Ragnorak, but Loki is not the one-dimensional villain they once were, and while Naglfar has been unleashed in prior Marvel stories, they are not interested in causing Ragnorak any longer.
The Loki: The Liar miniseries is a fun romp through the Ten Realms, and has some great cameos throughout it, like Loki’s former Young Avengers teammates Hulkling and Wiccan, Spider-Man, and yes, even Bullseye. Plus, the souls of the Naglfar are the dark, doomed narrators of the series, providing a troubling and twisted tone throughout, which helps to cast Loki as the hero against the destructive urges of the dread ship. The Naglfar narration is a real highlight of the series when you read all 4 issues back-to-back, which is made possible in the Loki: The Liar trade paperback. This series excels as a collection, becoming a quick but enthralling tale that hits at the heart of where Loki has been, and where they might be heading next, drawing the reader in and not letting them go until the last panel.
Marvel Comics
While Watters successfully wrapped up the plot in a neat 4-issue run, it would have worked better as an 8-issue run in my opinion. Loki is such a complex, nuanced character that they deserve as much wiggle room as possible, and Loki abandoning their post as ruler of Jotunheim ended up feeling a bit rushed. Loki’s abandonment of their throne is thankfully referenced in Ewing’s Immortal Thor #1, which makes this series a more necessary part of Loki’s history than it might have been without. Loki: The Liar works as an interesting connector between their starring role in Ewing’s Defenders Beyond, where Loki’s “God of Stories” personality re-emerged, and Immortal Thor, where “Loki the Liar” plays a critical role in supporting Thor in his battle against Toranos.
Loki: The Liar is an incredibly well-written and thoughtful miniseries by Dan Watters that captures the unknowable spirit of Loki’s identity while setting them up for their next era as a chaotic antihero with no team, realm, or responsibilities. The evocative and expressive artwork from Germán Peralta mixed with Mike Spicer’s gorgeous watercolor makes for an enchanting page-turner, grounding the story in vibrant visuals. While some may find the end to be a bit rushed, the short miniseries works well as an exploration of Loki’s personal journey before their important role in Immortal Thor, and is undeniably an enjoyable and well-crafted read.
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