Loki: The Best Comics Featuring the God of Mischief

We are just a few days away from Loki launching on Disney+ and where we’ll soon get to see what’s next for the God of Mischief since we last saw him making off with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame, but the character has such a long and colorful history in comics that there is almost no shortage of stories and storylines that the Marvel Studios series can draw from. More than that, with just six episodes, some truly great Loki stories may not make it to the small screen.

And that’s where we come in. One of the most fascinating characters in Marvel Comics and one who has been everything from an antagonist to a hero and back again — not to mention all of the different forms he’s taken over the years — Loki is a character who you almost have to read about to believe. Here are seven of the best Loki stories from comics to read to better acquaint yourself with everyone’s favorite trickster god and to get ready for the Disney+ series.

Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014)

First up is a run that many have speculated will factor heavily into Loki and that’s Loki: Agent of Asgard. Written by Al Ewing with art by Lee Garbett, this 17-issue series sees Loki carrying out missions for the All-Mother, and with each completed mission, one of his crimes and sins is removed from his record. Of course, it doesn’t end up being quite that straightforward and the series introduces the evil King Loki character who turns out to be manipulating things just a bit as well as Verity Willis, a human who can see through any lie and who just so happens to be Loki’s only friend. The series is also one of the most complex portrayals of Loki’s heroic side which makes it a great read not only for its story but for the nuanced take on the God of Mischief.

Oh, yeah, the run also briefly sees Loki become Unicorn Loki in Loki: Agent of Asgard #8. You definitely don’t want to miss that. Trust me.

Vote Loki (2016)

A short, four-issue miniseries, Vote Loki, written by Christopher Hastings with art by Langdon Foss and Paul McCaffrey, is exactly what you think it is. Loki decides to run for President of the United States. The series sees Loki launch a controversial presidential campaign while Daily Bugle reporter Nisa Contrera tries to expose the God of Mischief’s machinations and duplicity to the public. Of course, Loki’s whole campaign is based on the idea that he could outright lie to the American people and they’d still vote for him — and he ends up being right. 

Not only do we sort of get a tease of this version of Loki in the trailer for Loki, which itself makes this a must-read. But the short series is a fun read that makes for an interesting exploration of the American political system as well.

Seige: Loki #1 (2010)

Written by Kieron Gillen with art by Jamie McKelvie, Seige: Loki #1 is a one-shot that sees Loki pretty much at peak trickster as he manipulates pretty much everyone and anyone you can think of — including Mephisto. The issue sees Loki convince Norman Osborn, who is the current head of H.A.M.M.E.R., to destroy Asgard while it floats as an island kingdom over the pastures of Oklahoma. The issue shows a Loki that is very sinister, but also a lot of fun at the same time. While you definitely want to check out the rest of the Siege event, this issue is also an important read as it has a significant bit of influence over Loki becoming Kid Loki as Loki manages to get his name stricken from the books of Hel, allowing him to be reborn. We do love a clever Loki.

Loki: Vol. 3 – The God Who Fell to Earth (2019)

Written by Daniel Kibblesmith with art by Oscar Bazaldua, this series was cut way too short after just five issues but it’s still such a great, fun read. The comic follows Loki as the reluctant King of Jotunheim who ends up spending most of his time on Earth because why not. In this storyline, Loki wants to step away from his responsibilities but also features the Children of Eternity (named Then and Now) as well as the villain, Nightmare. We also get to see Wild West Loki, which is kind of fun. Really, this series is a “brilliant but canceled” gem you have to read. Bonus: it also has what might be the best Loki outfit ever with the trickster wearing a t-shirt that says “Low Key”.

The Avengers #1 (1963)

It would be wrong to not include Avengers #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on this list. While not the character’s first appearance this story is significant because it directly leads to the creation of the Avengers team. The issue sees Loki manipulate the Hulk into a rampage as part of a revenge plot against Thor by trying to lure Thor to Earth. The scheme sees the heroes come together for the first time in response. As portrayals of Loki go, the character has dramatically evolved since then, but it’s still a pretty interesting look at him and also just makes for a neat look back at where the God of Mischief started.

Loki (2010)

If you’ve ever wanted a deep dive into how Loki became a villain in the first place, this four-issue run from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is a must-read. The short series takes readers deep into Loki’s family history and explores some of his earliest traumas and earliest crime taking the reader all the way to his exile from Asgard. It’s a genuinely beautiful read and one that helps the reader understand Loki better than ever.

Thor #364 (1986)

It wouldn’t be a worthy list of Loki stories if it didn’t include Thor #364 from 1986. Walter Simonson’s story — the whole of which runs Thor #364 through #367 — sees Thor turned into Throg, literally Thor into a frog. As you can probably guess, Loki had a little something to do with that in a bid to take over his brother’s job as Law-Giver. It is an absolutely bonkers and delightful story and best of all features Throg wielding Mjolnir. Long live the Frog of Thunder.

Loki debuts on Disney+ beginning Wednesday, June 9th.

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