Loki: Ragnarok and Roll #2

By Eric M. Esquivel, Jerry Gaylord, Penelope Gaylord & Gabriel Cassata

With this week’s release of Loki: Ragnarok and Roll, this four issue mini-series is already halfway done and readers are curious as to how or if it will end. This issue skips ahead a few months to the point where Loki and his band, Loki and the Tricksters, have become the biggest rock band in the world with a huge following of loyal fans. With Loki now in the mortal realm and receiving all of the attention and fame he was never able to attain in the world of the gods, he not only has to deal with mortals questioning him as a god but also with a few angry gods that are not amused by his real world antics.

There is one thing that is very hard to translate into the comic book medium, and that’s music. Anytime a comic involves or revolves around music or bands, it’s a pretty sketchy slope since audio just doesn’t translate on to the page. This doesn’t mean this is an impossible feat, just harder to reflect in a book than most things and some people have been able to pull it off. Loki: Ragnarok and Roll, being a series that centers on a rock band, does a very decent job of pulling this off. Since this series will only be four issues, writer Esquivel knows he doesn’t have pages to waste on the band’s stage life. Most of this issue takes place either right before or after the band’s biggest concert yet and only shows one gigantic two page spread of the band striking action poses while performing to represent the actual concert. Anytime a fictional band performs in a comic, there are usually accompanied by eye-rolling lyrics that most readers won’t care about, but Loki: Ragnarok and Roll skips all of that and focuses on the main story of a god adapting to life in the real world while also keeping all of the humorous beats we loved from the first issue.

Loki: Ragnarok and Roll has had some incredibly eye-catching art. The covers by Alexis Ziritt have been so bright and striking that they make you want to pick up the comic and immediately check it out. On the inside some may be surprised at how the interior art is much different than the cover art. This isn’t a bad thing because the art team of Jerry & Penelope Gaylord and colorist Gabriel Cassata still reflect the same fun and vivid feel that the covers give off, but their interior art style helps compliment a lot of the comical aspects to this series. The two page spread of the band performing was one piece of art that really stood out, but my personal favorite this issue was this gripping two page spread showing the twelve labors of Hercules. This art team and style is honestly a perfect fit for this type of off-the-wall look at a real “rock god.”

Every now and then you need to read a comic series that’s just fun for what it is and Loki: Ragnarok and Roll is that type of comic. Sure, they aren’t breaking any boundaries and are using a character that happens to be incredibly popular thanks to the Marvel version, but they are still telling an amusing story that flows well and leaves a smile on your face when you finish. For only being four issues long, this mini-series is meant to just be enjoyed for what it is, a silly but hilarious read.