Thor and Loki: Double Trouble #1: Tricks are for Kids (and Adults)! (Spoiler-Free Review)

Following up on the success of Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble, Mariko Tamaki (Laura Dean is Breaking Up With Me, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass) and Gurihiru (Superman Smashes the Klan, Unstoppable Wasp) are teaming up once more with this playful four-issue miniseries starring Marvel’s dearest deities. 

So far, Thor and Loki: Double Trouble is a fun introductory comic for younger readers, though Tamaki’s writing here may feel too simplistic to entertain all adult audiences. Like the previous Spider-Man and Venom book, Tamaki does a nice job of capturing classic characters in their broadest strokes. She introduces young readers to Thor — the popular, brash, ever optimistic  thunder god — and Loki — his shape-shifting, sarcastic sibling who is always two steps ahead.  She also captures their dynamic — Loki tricking Thor and Thor falling for the trick while knowing Loki is probably tricking him, often with world-ending consequences. While it can feel slow to start for readers already familiar with the characters, it can also feel fun to see how Tamaki and Gurihiru interpret the characters. Given Tamaki’s history of writing queer characters, I pray that Loki’s genderfluidity makes it into this book, rather than get left to the side as has been so often true in recent years. Queer representation — even when it isn’t central to the plot — remains as vital as ever, especially for trans youth still finding themselves and seeking affirmation. The plot is all Tamaki’s own, and moves briskly after the somewhat lengthy introductory sequence. 

Staying true to their style, Gurihiru’s art is wholly exaggerated and energetic, deceptively simple, and on the whole incredibly cute. As with the previous Double Trouble title (and Superman Smashes the Klan), the art from Gurihiru is a terrific fit for a book aimed at younger readers. The colors are deliciously bright, but Gurihiru are always careful to make Thor and Loki the brightest, most saturated parts of a page and thus easily draw the eye.

The character designs for both Thor and Loki are delightful, perhaps even upstaging Gurihiru’s designs for Spider-Man and Venom in the previous book. Thor is every bit as buff as Loki is lithe, and the art wonderfully communicates both Thor’s boldness/naive earnestness and Loki’s under-slept, sarcastic, “you’re not my real dad” aesthetic. The success of the issue’s cover (also from Gurihiru) is based on the juxtaposition of Thor and Loki’s shapes, though it doesn’t offer readers any idea of the comic’s plot (much like this review — MUA-HA-HA!).