We need to talk about Loki

When I was in High School, my best friend at the time told me a secret: “You know how everyone loves heroes in movies? And sometimes they also love the sidekick? Well… I am fascinated by the villains. I don’t believe every one of them is all bad – that’s not what life is about. So I just try to look under the surface, find out more and this thrills me to my core”.

This was caused by her fascination with Javert, after a night of Les Miserables in London, back in… well… when I was in High School (phew, I almost fell for that one!). But ever since that day, I can’t really think of villains in books, movies and plays without trying to make excuses for the way they behave.

Why am I ranting about this?

It was this week’s announcement by author Mackenzi Lee that she will be penning a series of historical fiction novels with Marvel, focusing on anti-heroes from the Marvel Universe. The first of the series will feature Loki.

Good morning!
Here’s the news: I’m writing a series for Marvel! pic.twitter.com/Bmi5cJDcFq

— Mackenzi Lee (@themackenzilee) December 7, 2017

Admit it. You all have a soft spot in your heart for Loki. Some of you get why he was the way he was. I mean, foster brother of poster-boy-for-niceness hunky Thor? How does one live up to that?

And, like the author said:

Odin: I love all my children equal.
*cut to Odin drinking a martini*
Odin: I don’t care for Loki.

— Mackenzi Lee (@themackenzilee) December 2, 2017

And when the Hulk pounded him on the floor like a freshly captured octopus under the greek-island-sun?

via GIPHY

Yes, fine, you laughed, we all did, but a small part of you cringed as well.

Mackenzi Lee is the well-known author of this year’s New York Times’ best seller The Gentlemen’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and also This Monstrous Thing, a wildly interesting gothic eye on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for younger (and not so young) audiences.

We, for one, can’t wait. Spring of 2019 can’t come soon enough.